Spring Creek Wetlands Preserve is a 200-acre wetland restoration and wildlife area near Dalton, owned and maintained by Dalton Utilities. Trails on both sides of Spring Creek lead past restored swamp, an old mill race and numbered interpretive markers, and admission and parking are free.
- SizeAbout 200 acres
- CostFree admission and parking
- OpenWeekends for self-guided visits; weekdays by appointment
- ContactDalton Utilities, 706-278-1313
Dalton Utilities created the preserve to make up for streams and wetlands altered when it built the Haig Mill water reservoir, and a protective covenant keeps the land protected permanently. Spring Creek rises about a mile upstream at Deep Springs in northwest Whitfield County and flows to the Conasauga River. Weekend hours have varied over the years, so call Dalton Utilities before a weekday visit or to confirm the gate is open.
The Trails
Eastern Trail
Starts at the parking area and follows a berm built to hold floodwaters in the restored wetland, past the old mill race (dug around 1870 to power Wilson Norton’s gristmill), a spillway, the streamside riparian zone and an observation berm over former pasture.
Western Trail
Walk out to Boyles Mill Road, cross the bridge over Spring Creek and look for the trail marker and steps on the right. This side shows a floodplain excavated 3 feet deep to create wetland, a deep-water pond that holds water through droughts, and the old-growth swamp upstream that reseeds the new wetland.
Download the guide to the 10 interpretive markers (PDF) before you go.
Wildlife to Watch For
Wood ducks, great blue and green herons, mud turtles and green frogs use the shallow water, and dragonfly larvae spend two years underwater before emerging. Spring Creek holds catfish, bream, crappie, redeye bass and DNR-stocked rainbow trout. Arrowhead, cattail and sedges grow in the wet areas, and young overcup oak, swamp chestnut oak, red maple and green ash will slowly turn the restored ground into forested swamp. Like most north Georgia swamps, the wetland floods in late winter and spring and dries out for much of the summer.
Wood DucksCommon in the riparian zone
Restored WetlandFloods in late winter and spring
Trail MapEast and west trailsDirections
The preserve is on Boyles Mill Road near River Road, east of Dalton. From I-75, take Exit 333 (Walnut Avenue) and head east. Turn left on Georgia 286 (Lower Dawnville Road), bear left onto Lower Kings Bridge Road where the road forks, cross the bridge, and turn left at the four-way stop onto River Road. Take an immediate left onto Boyles Mill Road; the entrance and parking lot are on the right.
Sources we checked
Facts in this guide were checked against the agencies and operators that run these places:
- Dalton Utilities: environment and nature reserves – owner and contact
- Whitfield County: Spring Creek Wetlands
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