Friends of Sweetwater Creek State Park

08/16/2026

Your State Parks Day 2026 at Sweetwater Creek State Park is September 26th!

This year we are organizing into teams to make sure we have the most impact. Keep reading for details.

Each team will have a dedicated area, and some will have a 'team leader' either because of the park's policies or because of special skills related to their team.

Ideally everyone will sign up for a team ahead of time so we know who is going where right away, but we will also leave it open for walk up folks who don't follow us on social media or just want to wait and see where they are needed.

Here are the teams:

Reservoir Team
Team Leader - Ranger Fox
5 to 8 volunteers on the lake cleaning up trash in the reservoir. Life vests are required to be worn at all times. Pre-registration is required for this team to ensure the right number of kayaks are available. You may bring your own kayak.

Fisherman Trails Team
Team Leader - Ranger Rohm
5 - 10 volunteers following fishermen made trails around the reservoir and through the park. These will be hard and steep cowboy trails, and you may be fighting through vegetation, however there will likely be lots of trash to collect.

Invasive Plants Team
Team Leader - Greg K
5 - 10 volunteers working on invasive species removal with a special focus on Privet and Stilt Grass on Purple and/or White trails. We will provide 5-gallon buckets to use as a seat, or you can bring your own. The majority of the time will be spent bent over close to the ground using your hands and possibly some hand clippers to locate and remove the invasive plants we are targeting.

Bait Shop Team
Team Leader - TBD
5 - 10 volunteers at the bait shop to pick up litter. This will be an easy walk around the parking lot and shore.

Red & Purple Trails Team
Team Leader - TBD
5 - 10 volunteers walking the Red and Purple trails picking up trash. Easy to Moderate hike to and along the creek. There will be lots of trash in this area.

I hope this year's Your State Parks Day will be an incredible way to show our pride in Sweetwater and what a positive force this Friends Group can be.

08/16/2026

Today our service project was to erect two new signs to welcome visitors to the park. One is in front of the Visitor's Center and the other is near the Bait Shop parking lot.

07/30/2026

The outdoor enrichment area for Little Foot, the box turtle that lives in the visitors center, is almost done. We supplied the water bowl and the fencing (being installed here) to make this project possible. Next meeting is August 15th at 9am.

07/19/2026

Today’s service project was to construct an arch at the beginning of the Purple Trail. The purpose is to help new visitors to the park find their way around better.

We were happy to have three new people attend our monthly meeting today. We meet the third Saturday of the month at 9:00 AM.

05/30/2026

Happy 50th birthday Sweetwater Creek State Park !

05/17/2026

05/17/2026

Today's service project after our monthly meeting was simple trail maintenance. We trimmed back limbs along the Yellow Trail.

Sweetwater Creek State Park's 50th Anniversary is coming up Friday, May 29.

04/28/2026

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nature/georgia/best-hidden-spots-sweetwater-creek-state-park-ga?em_pos=c1&utm_source=oiys&utm_medium=email-es&utm_content=11&campaignid=60030&e=e03530badf305892b83090ea565b5d58&clickid=e03530badf305892b83090ea565b5d58&utm_campaign=320&message_id=320&lctg=e03530badf305892b83090ea565b5d58

Discover hidden spots in Sweetwater Creek State Park, from secret overlooks to secluded trails and magical, lesser-known landscapes.

04/27/2026

Mother's Day is coming up!

04/19/2026

Yesterday's service project after our meeting was to finish the other side of the message board. We also worked on the Purple Trail bridge pounding in a lot of loose nails. It was a great day to enjoy the park. The Mountain Laurel is also blooming next to the creek, I wish I had taken some photos of it.