Sope Creek Ruins

Sope Creek Ruins are the remains of a 19th-century manufacturing facility that spreads along a creek with multiple stone structures. The buildings once processed paper using water power from an upstream dam.

The Marietta Paper Mills started operating here in 1855 and produced paper for the southern region until Union forces destroyed the site during the Civil War. The factory was never rebuilt after the attack.

The ruins show how early manufacturers in Georgia relied on flowing water to power their machines. The site tells the story of how the southern economy depended on such water-powered mills during the 1800s.

The site is accessible via a loop trail of about 3.6 miles that connects to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area trail system. Good footwear is recommended since the path crosses wooded terrain and runs alongside the creek.

One of the most striking features is a stone mill building roughly 300 feet long, reflecting the scale of the original operation. Visitors can also spot a two-story structure used for grinding wood pulp, showing how specialized this mill was.