By Brandon Crocker / Staff

This year's winter in Georgia has been brutal, filled with sub-freezing temperatures and wind chills strong enough to keep even the most determined Yankee indoors by the fire. But warmer weather is just around the corner and that means spring fever.

And with all the natural parks that North Fulton has to offer, there is no excuse for staying inside on a treadmill watching TV.

The city of Roswell has some of the best nature trails in all of North Fulton. If you live in Roswell, or any neighboring city, you can get over to Vickery Creek and enjoy a nice walk or run in the bowels of nature.

Vickery Creek begins on Riverside road where you can park your car for two bucks and eat lunch on one of the many picnic tables lined along the creek. From there the path begins shooting straight up a sharp slope and continues over several ridges, splits into diverging trails, and ends at the site of the old Roswell Cotton Mill.

Barrington King, the son of the town's founder, built the mill in 1836 and it remained the center of commerce within the town for over a century.

For majestic scenery there is a breathtaking waterfall that flows just down stream from the ruins of the mill. The trail continues through wooded paths and breaks off into several directions, but there are plenty of signposts with maps to get you to your destination.

For those who need to escape to nature, Vickery Creek provides one of the best settings.  It is close enough to drive to, or ride your bike, and secluded enough to provide that sense of relief from civilization. Visit georgiatrails.com for information on other parks and hiking trails all over Georgia. 

Contact Brandon at www.brandoncrocker.com for any stories or ideas.