Vickery Creek is one of 15 land units of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in the northern suburbs of Atlanta.
The recreation area spans 48 miles of river from Buford Dam to Atlanta.
The linear park has areas for visitors to hike, picnic, fish, and launch small boats.
The Vickery Creek unit covers approximately 254 acres in Roswell, Georgia.
Trails let visitors explore two pre-Civil War mill sites, an historic dam, and a covered bridge.
Roswell King, a founder of Roswell, built a cotton mill on the banks of Vickery Creek in 1839.
Vickery Creek, also known as Big Creek, is a tributary of the Chattahoochee River.
A 30 foot high spillway dam on the creek powered the mill.
A larger woolen mill was constructed a few hundred feet upstream in 1853.
This mill complex was known as the Roswell Manufacturing Company.
The mills were a supplier of material used for making Confederate uniforms during the Civil War, and so the mills were targeted by Union forces and burned in 1864.
After the war the 1853 mill was rebuilt and continued to operate until destroyed by fire in 1926.
A 3-mile loop trail and several spur trails at Vickery Creek allow visitors to hike through the woods and along the steep banks of the creek to view the ruins of the mills.
There are moderate elevation changes along the trail.
Part of the trail passes along a steep gorge area, and hikers should take care to stay on the marked trails.
Proper hiking shoes are recommended.
The trails are for day use only.
There are several places to park and access the trail system.
A small parking area is located next to the Allenbrook Mill House on South Atlanta Street.
This area is not prominently marked and can be easy to miss.
Allenbrook was built sometime between 1845 and 1857 as the residence of the mill manager.
When the Union army burned the mills, they left the mill house.
It is not open to the public.
This parking area gives hikers access to a one mile section of trails on the west side of Vickery Creek.
There is a main parking lot located off Riverside Road.
Trails lead north toward the mill ruins.
A $3 daily park pass can be purchased at the Fee Station in the parking lot.
Another parking area and trail access is located off Oxbo Road.
This area also serves the adjacent Waller Park, owned by the City of Roswell.
Hikers can cross the pedestrian covered bridge over Vickery Creek and access the trails in the national recreation area.
From the trail to the left of the bridge, hikers can see the only building left from the original Roswell Manufacturing Company.
The two story brick machine shop was constructed in 1853.
The trail to the left of the machine shop leads to the mill ruins and the dam.
The recreation area spans 48 miles of river from Buford Dam to Atlanta.
The linear park has areas for visitors to hike, picnic, fish, and launch small boats.
The Vickery Creek unit covers approximately 254 acres in Roswell, Georgia.
Trails let visitors explore two pre-Civil War mill sites, an historic dam, and a covered bridge.
Roswell King, a founder of Roswell, built a cotton mill on the banks of Vickery Creek in 1839.
Vickery Creek, also known as Big Creek, is a tributary of the Chattahoochee River.
A 30 foot high spillway dam on the creek powered the mill.
A larger woolen mill was constructed a few hundred feet upstream in 1853.
This mill complex was known as the Roswell Manufacturing Company.
The mills were a supplier of material used for making Confederate uniforms during the Civil War, and so the mills were targeted by Union forces and burned in 1864.
After the war the 1853 mill was rebuilt and continued to operate until destroyed by fire in 1926.
A 3-mile loop trail and several spur trails at Vickery Creek allow visitors to hike through the woods and along the steep banks of the creek to view the ruins of the mills.
There are moderate elevation changes along the trail.
Part of the trail passes along a steep gorge area, and hikers should take care to stay on the marked trails.
Proper hiking shoes are recommended.
The trails are for day use only.
There are several places to park and access the trail system.
A small parking area is located next to the Allenbrook Mill House on South Atlanta Street.
This area is not prominently marked and can be easy to miss.
Allenbrook was built sometime between 1845 and 1857 as the residence of the mill manager.
When the Union army burned the mills, they left the mill house.
It is not open to the public.
This parking area gives hikers access to a one mile section of trails on the west side of Vickery Creek.
There is a main parking lot located off Riverside Road.
Trails lead north toward the mill ruins.
A $3 daily park pass can be purchased at the Fee Station in the parking lot.
Another parking area and trail access is located off Oxbo Road.
This area also serves the adjacent Waller Park, owned by the City of Roswell.
Hikers can cross the pedestrian covered bridge over Vickery Creek and access the trails in the national recreation area.
From the trail to the left of the bridge, hikers can see the only building left from the original Roswell Manufacturing Company.
The two story brick machine shop was constructed in 1853.
The trail to the left of the machine shop leads to the mill ruins and the dam.