You Need To Visit Beautiful Sweetwater Creek State Park

Earlier this fall I had the opportunity to visit Sweetwater Creek State Park. I probably wouldn't have heard about so quickly. However, I found out about it from my friend, Atlanta based Youtuber and videographer, Thomas. Thomas is relaunching his Youtube channel and getting into wildlife videography and photography. He found me online and invited me to Sweetwater Creek State Park.

Visiting Sweetwater Creek State Park

Thomas invited me to Sweetwater Creek State Park. He lives close by and has spent the last year learning to photograph herons and other wildlife there. In addition to showing me around Thomas and I have collaborated on a set of video. We're each going to be releasing a video based around a contest he challenged me to at the park.

About Sweetwater Creek State Park

Sweetwater Creek is a state park west of Atlanta. It features a set of connected reservoirs that feed into the namesake creek. The park is home to a massive variety of wildlife.

Wildlife Photography at Sweetwater Creek State Park

Thomas challenged me to see which of us could photograph more birds in a 4 hour block of time. Of course, you're going to have to wait until the video is done to find out who won. Plus, I go into a lot more detail in the video. However, for now, I wanted to share some of the photos. This way you can see how incredible this place is and consider visiting.

State Park Fees

Just a heads up that Sweetwater Creek is part of the Georgia State Park system and they charge fees at all (or at least most) of their parks. You can pay five dollars per day or $50 for a yearly pass. Personally, I'm opting for a yearly pass in January. After all, the $5 fee is not only annoying to pay each time but it's also hard to do if you arrive early. While they allow you to pay it online they'll stick ticket you if you don't have the paper pass visible in your car.

Kingfishers and more

One thing that is really great about Sweetwater Creek SP is the bird photography opportunities. For example, I was able to photograph, Bald Eagles, Cormorants, and even a Kingfisher all within a few hours. Plus, there were loads of small song birds.

Best Times to Visit Sweetwater Creek

I was only able to make it afternoon the first time that Thomas invited me to the park. However, for our contest we opted to start at day-break. Therefore, if you're able to I highly recommend getting there before the sun comes up. Too, I'd hang around the boat launch area around that time.

Then, once the sun has risen a bit be sure to check in the different coves. For example, there is a cover to the northwest that Cormorants love to hang out in. Too, Thomas told me that he's spotted Osprey fishing in that same area.

Watch For My Video

Here is the last photo I'm sharing today. To see more, you'll have to watch the video when it drops on Youtube. However, those I've shared here are some of my absolute favorites. In fact, this Yellow-bellied Sap-sucker is one of my all-time favorite birds to photograph. Plus, he was right near the boat launch.

Not needing to venture far is one thing that makes Sweetwater Creek really rewarding to visit. That makes it a great spot for bird and wildlife photographers with mobility issues. If you visit I'd love to hear about your experience! Drop a comment or shoot me a message!

I'm professional nature photographer Don Orkoskey. Be sure to take a look at my nature portfolio, bird photos, fine art, and the rest of my work. View the articles on my blog and be sure to follow me on social media accounts:

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