Roswell Mill and Vickery Creek trail: ruins, parking, fees

The Roswell Mill area is where the story of Roswell, Georgia starts: the Roswell Manufacturing Company, incorporated in 1839, ran on the water of Vickery Creek. Two different operators share the ground today. The City of Roswell runs Old Mill Park and the covered bridge. The National Park Service runs the trails on the far side of the creek as part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Their rules and fees differ, so it helps to know which one you are standing on.

What is left of the mill

Visit Roswell says the ruins of the Roswell Manufacturing Company mills lie along the Old Mill Trail on Vickery Creek, where a 30-foot dam and millrace were built to power them. It calls the two-story Machine Shop the only surviving building of the 1839 company. The Machine Shop is now an events facility, and the interpretive trail beside it leads to the ruins and the waterfall made by the dam.

Visit Roswell says ruins of the Roswell Manufacturing Company mills lie along the Old Mill Trail on Vickery Creek, where a 30-foot dam and millrace were built to power the mills. It says a monument to the 400 mill women and children stands in the park on Sloan Street. Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Historic Sites
Visit Roswell calls the Machine Shop, a two-story late Georgian building, the only existing building of the 1839 Roswell Manufacturing Company. The CVB says it is now an events facility, and the interpretive trail beside it leads to the mill ruins and the waterfall made by the dam. Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Historic Sites

Inside the national park unit, the National Park Service protects the Ivy Mill ruins near the mouth of Big Creek. The NPS says the Ivy Mill made cotton and wool, including the “Roswell Gray” cloth used for Confederate uniforms.

The National Park Service says the Ivy Mill ruins, part of the Roswell Mill group, stand near the mouth of Big Creek in the Vickery Creek Unit, and that the mill made cotton and wool, including the "Roswell Gray" used for Confederate uniforms. National Park Service: Ivy Mill Ruins

Old Mill Park and the covered bridge (City of Roswell)

The City lists Vickery Creek Old Mill Park at 95 Mill Street, Roswell, GA 30075, with free admission and free parking. Visit Roswell says the Vickery Creek Covered Pedestrian Bridge in the park links the Historic District with the national recreation area, was built in 2005 and spans 161 feet. The City also lists an overlook for the dam and waterfall in the same park.

The City lists Vickery Creek Old Mill Park at 95 Mill Street, Roswell, GA 30075. City of Roswell: Parks & Facilities
Visit Roswell says the Vickery Creek Covered Pedestrian Bridge in Old Mill Park links the historic district with the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. It says the bridge was built in 2005, spans 161 feet and is the newest covered bridge in Georgia. Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Historic Sites

Hours

The City’s park page gives two answers. One line says the park is open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year, including holidays. Its FAQ says open daily from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Plan on daylight and you will be fine either way.

Rules the City posts

Water access at the waterfall and creek has been suspended since Aug. 16, 2024. Stay on trails and viewing areas.
Dogs must be leashed.
No coolers or alcohol, and no open fires, grills or flame of any kind.
Violations can bring fines of up to $250.
Parking is limited, especially on weekends. The City suggests arriving early or using a rideshare.

Source: City of Roswell, Vickery Creek Old Mill Park, read Oct. 18, 2026.

City park or national park? Whose rules apply

Across the covered bridge you enter the Vickery Creek Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The NPS lists five access points for the unit: the Grimes Bridge Road trailhead, Oxbo Road, Covered Bridge, Allenbrook and Riverside Road. It lists 7.4 miles of hiking trail and a picnic area in the unit, and the Allenbrook house, built 1851 to 1856.

The National Park Service lists five access points for the Vickery Creek unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area: Grimes Bridge Road trailhead, Oxbo Road, Covered Bridge, Allenbrook and Riverside Road. National Park Service, Chattahoochee River NRA: Unit Directions
The National Park Service says an entrance pass is required in the Chattahoochee River NRA. The standard pass is $5 and valid for one day, and the annual pass is $40. National Park Service, Chattahoochee River NRA: Fees & Passes

Old Mill Park lot (City of Roswell): free admission and free parking. Hours as above.
NPS Riverside and Allenbrook lots: an entrance pass is required. The NPS lists 5 spaces at each lot.
NPS pass prices: $5 per private vehicle for one day, or $5 per person age 16 and up entering on foot or by bicycle. The annual pass is $40. Children under 16 do not need a pass.
Payment: the NPS fees page says the park does not accept cash.
NPS hours: day use from dawn to dusk year round, which the NPS defines as 30 minutes before legal sunrise to 30 minutes after legal sunset.
Dogs on NPS land: leashed at all times on a leash of 6 feet or shorter, including in the water.

The NPS fee rules are on its Fees and Passes page and the trailheads on its unit directions page. We found no NPS figure for the length of any single named loop, so we do not quote one. Online trail sites disagree with each other.

The Bricks and the mill workers monument

Up the hill from the park are The Bricks, mill-worker apartments built around 1840 by the Roswell Manufacturing Company. They are private homes and businesses now, so view them from the street. Visit Roswell places them at Sloan Street and Mill Street; the Roswell Historical Society’s walking tour gives 90 Mill St.

Nearby, in the City’s Sloan Street Park at 75 Sloan Street, the Lost Mill Workers of Roswell monument honors the mill workers, mostly women and children, who were charged with treason and sent north in July 1864. The New Georgia Encyclopedia puts their number at more than 400.

The New Georgia Encyclopedia says Sherman approved destroying the mills and ordered more than 400 mill workers, mostly women, charged with treason and sent north. They and their children went by wagon to Marietta, then by train toward Louisville, Kentucky; many were sent on to Indiana. New Georgia Encyclopedia: Roswell (last modified Sep 4, 2019)

The mill in four dates

By 1860, the New Georgia Encyclopedia says, the company was the largest cotton mill in north Georgia. Visit Roswell says Union troops destroyed it on July 6, 1864. Part of the complex was rebuilt after the war, and the last mill burned in 1926, was rebuilt, and ran as Southern Mills until 1975. The longer story, including the enslaved people on the founders’ plantations, is on our history page.

By 1860, the New Georgia Encyclopedia says, the Roswell Manufacturing Company made cotton cloth, yarn, rope and tenting and was the largest cotton mill in north Georgia. New Georgia Encyclopedia: Roswell (last modified Sep 4, 2019)
Visit Roswell's Civil War timeline says Union troops arrived in Roswell from Marietta on July 5, 1864, and destroyed the Roswell Manufacturing Company on July 6. Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Civil War
After the war one cotton mill and the woolen factory were rebuilt, and a second cotton mill was built in 1882. The New Georgia Encyclopedia says the last mill burned in 1926, was rebuilt, ran as Southern Mills from 1947 to 1975, and the mill ruins are now a historic site. New Georgia Encyclopedia: Roswell (last modified Sep 4, 2019)

Changes on the way

On Jan. 9, 2026, the National Park Service signed a Finding of No Significant Impact for the Roswell Gateway and Vickery Creek Unit access improvements. That lets the City make trail, bridge and parking improvements in the unit. The City’s related Historic Gateway project on South Atlanta Street (SR 9) has no published construction start date.

On January 9, 2026, the National Park Service signed a Finding of No Significant Impact for the Roswell Gateway and Vickery Creek Unit access improvements, allowing the City to make trail, bridge and parking improvements in the Vickery Creek Unit. National Park Service, Chattahoochee River NRA: news release on Roswell Gateway and Vickery Creek Unit improvements
The City says the Historic Gateway project covers SR 9/South Atlanta Street between SR 120 (Marietta Highway) and the Chattahoochee River bridge, replacing the reversible lanes with a four-lane street. Council approved the design in 2012, and GDOT began right-of-way purchase in April 2018. Roswell Connections (City of Roswell news): Historic Gateway Project (Apr. 4, 2025)

Getting there

By bus, the City says MARTA Route 85 runs from North Springs station up Atlanta Street (SR 9). By car, the Old Mill Park lot is free, but the City warns it is limited on weekends; downtown’s other free lots are on our parking page. The day planner pairs the mill with the Town Square and the house museums. For the river itself, see the Chattahoochee River page.

The City says three MARTA bus routes serve Roswell: Route 85 runs from North Springs station up Atlanta Street (SR 9) past City Hall, Route 185 runs along Holcomb Bridge Road and Alpharetta Highway, and Route 142 runs east along Holcomb Bridge Road; buses run about every 30 minutes at weekday peaks and every 40 minutes at other times. City of Roswell: Transit in Roswell

Mill and trail questions

What happened to the Roswell mills in the Civil War?

Visit Roswell's timeline says Union troops reached Roswell from Marietta on July 5, 1864, and destroyed the Roswell Manufacturing Company on July 6. The New Georgia Encyclopedia says Sherman approved destroying the mills. After the war one cotton mill and the woolen factory were rebuilt, and a second cotton mill went up in 1882.

Source: Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Civil War

What happened to the Roswell mill workers in 1864?

The New Georgia Encyclopedia says more than 400 mill workers, mostly women, were charged with treason and sent north with their children. They went by wagon to Marietta and then by train toward Louisville, Kentucky, and many were sent on to Indiana. Visit Roswell says they were held overnight on the town square, and a monument to them stands in the park on Sloan Street.

Source: New Georgia Encyclopedia: Roswell (last modified Sep 4, 2019)

Can you see the old Roswell mill ruins?

Yes. Visit Roswell says the ruins of the Roswell Manufacturing Company mills lie along the Old Mill Trail on Vickery Creek, near a 30-foot dam and millrace. An interpretive trail beside the Machine Shop at Old Mill Park, 95 Mill Street, leads to the ruins and the waterfall. The National Park Service also protects the Ivy Mill ruins near the mouth of Big Creek.

Source: Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Historic Sites

What is the covered bridge at Vickery Creek?

Visit Roswell says the Vickery Creek Covered Pedestrian Bridge, in Old Mill Park, is a footbridge linking the historic district with the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. It says the bridge was built in 2005, spans 161 feet and is the newest covered bridge in Georgia. The National Park Service lists a Covered Bridge entrance for its Vickery Creek unit.