Georgia State Parks

Whether you have a boat for boating and fishing in any of the many Georgia State Parks, or are looking for a relaxing get-away, you'll discover our Georgia State Park listings as the place to find just the right park for you and your family.  We have compiled all the state parks into one place for your convenience.

Georgia State Parks has something for everyone: Boating, Fishing, Bicycling, Camping, Canoeing, Kayaking, Hiking, Swimming or just good relaxation.  Click on any of the links below to find the specific information on boat launching fees, camp reservations and information about the park.

All state parks are controlled and maintained by the State of Georgia. They are clean, safe and well maintained by the state.


Listings

  • A.H. Stephens Historic Park

    This pretty park west of Augusta is best known for its equestrian facilities, Confederate museum and lakeside group camp.  Horseback riders can explore 12 miles of trails and stay overnight in their own primitive campground.  Overnight guests can choose from lakeside cottages or a modern campground, while large groups can enjoy privacy in the park’s group camp or pioneer campground.

  • Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge

    Spectacular scenery and hiking trails make this one of Georgia’s most popular state parks. At 729 feet, Amicalola Falls is the tallest cascade in the Southeast.  Visitors have choices on how to best view the tumbling waters, ranging from an accessible pathway to a challenging trail with staircases.  Those who tackle the latter can join the park’s Canyon Climbers Club.  An 8.5-mile trail leads from the park to Springer Mountain, the southern end of the famous 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail. Numerous other trails provide shorter day hikes.

  • Black Rock Mountain State Park

    Georgia’s highest state park encompasses some of the most outstanding scenery in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.  Roadside overlooks provide spectacular 80-mile vistas, and four hiking trails lead visitors past wildflowers, streams, small waterfalls and lush forests. Visitors enjoy the summit visitor center for its views, gift shop and picnic tables. 

  • Bobby Brown State Outdoor Recreation Area

    This pretty Outdoor Recreation Area offers water sport enthusiasts easy access to Clarks Hill Lake, the second-largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi River.  The 71,100-acre reservoir is nestled on the Georgia-South Carolina border, north of Augusta.  A boat ramp is open year-round, and the self-reservation campground is open seasonally.  Park visitors can explore nearly two miles of wooded trails and take a self-guided land navigation/compass course. 

  • Chattahoochee Bend State Park

    Georgia’s newest state park showcases a spectacular tract of wilderness in northwest Coweta County.  Located in a graceful bend of the Chattahoochee River, the park is a haven for paddlers, campers and anglers.  At 2,910 acres, Chattahoochee Bend is one of Georgia’s largest state parks, protecting seven miles of river frontage.  A boat ramp provides easy access to the water, while more than six miles of wooded trails are open for hiking and nature photography.  An observation platform provides nice views of the river and forest.

  • Chief Vann House Historic Site

    During the 1790s, James Vann became a Cherokee Indian leader and wealthy businessman. He established the largest and most prosperous plantation in the Cherokee Nation, covering 1,000 acres of what is now Murray County. In 1804 he completed construction of a beautiful 2 ½-story brick home that was the most elegant in the Cherokee Nation. After Vann was murdered in 1809, his son Joseph inherited the mansion and plantation. Joseph was also a Cherokee leader and became even more wealthy than his father.

  • Cloudland Canyon State Park

    Located on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, this is one of the most scenic parks in the state, offering rugged geology and exceptional hiking. The park straddles a deep gorge cut into the mountain by Sitton Gulch Creek, and elevation differs from 800 to 1,980 feet.

  • Crooked River State Park

    Located on southern tip of Georgia’s Colonial Coast, this park is the perfect spot for enjoying the intracoastal waterway and maritime forest.  Campsites are surrounded by palmettos and Spanish moss-draped oaks, while cottages are set near the tidal river.  A boat ramp is popular with anglers who often take to the water before sunrise.  Just down the road is the ferry to famous Cumberland Island National Seashore known for secluded beaches and wild horses. 

  • Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site

    Twenty years before the famed 1849 gold rush in California, thousands of prospectors flocked into the Cherokee Nation in north Georgia, marking the true beginning of our country's first gold rush. Their dramatic story is told inside the historic 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse, the oldest courthouse in Georgia.

  • Elijah Clark State Park

    This park is located on the western shore of 71,100-acre Clarks Hill Lake, one of the largest lakes in the Southeast.  With its boat ramps and accessible fishing pier, it is especially popular with anglers and boaters.  A sandy swimming beach welcomes visitors to cool off during Georgia summers.  Rental cottages are located on the lake’s edge, and the spacious campground is nestled into the forest.  Tent campers will enjoy extra privacy in the walk-in section.

  • Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site

    Home to several thousand Native Americans from 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D., this 54-acre site protects six earthen mounds, a plaza, village site, borrow pits and defensive ditch. Etowah Mounds is the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeast.  Artifacts in the museum show how natives of this political and religious center decorated themselves with shell beads, paint, complicated hairdos, feathers and copper ear ornaments. Hand-carved stone effigies weighing 125 pounds still bear some original pigments.  Objects made of wood, seashells and stone are also displayed.

  • F.D. Roosevelt State Park

    At 9,049 acres, Georgia’s largest state park is a hiker’s and backpacker’s haven.  More than 40 miles of trails, including the popular 23-mile Pine Mountain Trail, wind through hardwood and pines, over creeks and past small waterfalls.  Many visitors are surprised to find rolling mountains 80 miles southeast of Atlanta.  Above King’s Gap is Dowdell’s Knob where President Franklin D. Roosevelt sometimes picnicked and pondered world affairs.  A life-size sculpture of the president now welcomes visitors to the overlook.

  • Florence Marina State Park

    Sitting at the northern end of 45,000-acre Lake Walter F. George (also called Lake Eufaula) this quiet park offers the perfect getaway for those who love water sports. It is adjacent to a natural deep-water marina with an accessible fishing pier, boat slips and boat ramp.  Overnight guests can choose from a variety of accommodations, including fully equipped cottages, small efficiency units and a modern campground. 

  • Fort King George Historic Site

    This is the oldest English fort remaining on Georgia's coast. From 1721 until 1736, Fort King George was the southern outpost of the British Empire in North America. A cypress blockhouse, barracks and palisaded earthen fort were constructed in 1721 by scoutmen led by Colonel John “Tuscarora Jack” Barnwell. For the next seven years, His Majesty’s Independent Company garrisoned the fort. They endured incredible hardships from disease, threats of Spanish and Indian attacks, and the harsh, unfamiliar coastal environment. After the fort was abandoned, General James Oglethorpe brought Scottish Highlanders to the site in 1736. The settlement, called Darien, eventually became a foremost export center of lumber until 1925.

  • Fort McAllister Historic Park

    Located south of Savannah on the banks of the Ogeechee River, this scenic park showcases the best-preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy. The earthworks were attacked seven times by Union ironclads but did not fall until 1864 -- ending Gen. William T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea.”  Visitors can explore the grounds with cannons, a furnace, bombproof, barracks, palisades and more, while a Civil War museum contains artifacts, a video and gift shop.

  • Fort Morris Historic Site

    When the Continental Congress convened in 1776, the delegates recognized the importance of a fort to protect their growing seaport from the British. Soon afterwards, a low bluff on the Medway River at Sunbury was fortified and garrisoned by 200 patriots. When the British demanded the fort’s surrender on November 25, 1778, the defiant Col. John McIntosh replied, “Come and take it!” The British refused and withdrew back to Florida. Forty-five days later, they returned with a superior force, and on January 9, 1779, Fort Morris fell after a short but heavy bombardment.

  • Fort Mountain State Park

    A scenic drive on Hwy. 52 near the Cohutta Wilderness leads visitors to this mountain getaway.  Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders will find some of the most beautiful trails in Georgia, winding through hardwood forest and blueberry thickets, crossing streams and circling a pretty lake.  Hikers can also explore a stone fire tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and an ancient rock wall which stand on the highest point of the mountain.  The mysterious 855-foot-long wall is thought to have been built by early Indians as fortification against more hostile Indians or for ancient ceremonies. 

  • Fort Yargo State Park

    Located between Atlanta and Athens, this popular park features a 1792 log fort built by settlers for protection against Creek and Cherokee Indians. Today, visitors come to Fort Yargo for its wide variety of outdoor recreation and scenery. Mountain bikers and hikers can test their endurance on 18 miles of trails. A 260-acre lake offers a large swimming beach, fishing and boat ramps. The park’s wooded disc golf course is exceptionally challenging. 

  • General Coffee State Park

    One of southern Georgia’s “best kept secrets,” this park is known for agricultural history shown at Heritage Farm, with log cabins, a corn crib, tobacco barn, cane mill and other exhibits. Children enjoy feeding the park's farm animals, which usually include goats, sheep, chickens, pigs and donkeys.  Overnight accommodations include camping, cottages and the Burnham House, an elegantly decorated 19th-century cabin perfect for romantic getaways.

  • George L. Smith State Park

    With natural beauty, lakeside camping and cozy cottages, this secluded park is the perfect south Georgia retreat. It is best known for the refurbished Parrish Mill and Pond, a combination gristmill, saw mill, covered bridge and dam built in 1880.  A group shelter near the bridge is popular for family reunions and parties.  Some campsites sit right on the water’s edge, while cottages with gas fireplaces and screened porches are nestled into the woods.

  • George T. Bagby State Park and Lodge

    Located in southwest Georgia on the shores of Lake Walter F. George (also known as Lake Eufaula), this resort park features a 60-room lodge, conference center and cottages. The Pilot House Grill Restaurant provides a courtesy dock for boaters who want to enjoy meals in the park, and the conference center is an affordable setting for weddings, reunions, meetings and retreats.  When the park’s championship Meadow Links Golf Course opened, Golf Digest magazine ranked it the “6th best new affordable public course” in the country. 

  • Georgia Veterans State Park

    Established as a memorial to U.S. veterans, this park features a museum with aircraft (including a Boeing B-29A), armored vehicles, uniforms, weapons, medals and other items from the Revolutionary War through the Gulf War. An18-hole golf course and pro shop, along with 8,700-acre Lake Blackshear and proximity to I-75, make this one of Georgia’s most popular state parks.

  • Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park

    This southeast Georgia park is a favorite for picnicking, family reunions and golf. Picnic tables and shelters surround a small lake where visitors can rent pedal boats and fishing boats during warmer months. Docks are available for anglers, and children will enjoy looking for beaver dams from the observation deck. Five rental cottages face the golf course, all with screened porches, fireplaces and televisions. Gordonia-Alatamaha’s unusual name comes from the rare Gordonia tree – a member of the bay family that once grew in the park – and the original spelling of the nearby Altamaha River.

  • Hamburg State Outdoor Recreation Area

    With modern-day facilities amidst reminders of days gone by, Hamburg State Park offers a wonderful mix of history and outdoor recreation. A campground offers shaded sites along the edge of quiet Hamburg Lake fed by the Little Ogeechee River.  Open seasonally, this self-registration campground provides hot showers, water and electric hookups, and a dump station.

  • Hard Labor Creek State Park

    While this park may be best known for its golf course, it also offers a wide range of recreational opportunities in a beautiful wooded setting. A lakeside beach is popular with swimmers during summer months, and more than 24 miles of trails are available for hikers and horseback riders.  Horse owners even have their own private camping area near stalls. Other overnight guests can choose from fully equipped cottages or a modern campground.  With so many ways to relax, it is ironic that the park’s name is thought to come from slaves who tilled summer fields or American Indians who found the creek difficult to cross.

  • Hart State Outdoor Recreation Area

    Swimming, boating, water skiing and fishing on Lake Hartwell are prime reasons to visit Hart Outdoor Recreation Area in northeast Georgia. Large mouth bass, hybrid bass, striper, black crappie, bream, rainbow trout and wall-eyed pike can be found in the sparkling waters of this 55,590-acre reservoir. The park’s boat ramps and docks offer easy access to all water sports. Visitors can also enjoy hiking/biking trails and a children’s playground. 

  • High Falls State Park

    Located northwest of Macon, High Falls is named for tumbling cascades on the Towaliga River.  Boat rental, ramps and fishing docks provide easy access to the park’s lake, known as one of Georgia’s top fishing spots for hybrid and white bass. Overnight visitors can choose from a spacious campground or lakeside yurts, which are like canvas and wood tents.  Each yurt features a small deck, picnic table and grill outside, plus furniture, electrical outlets and a ceiling fan inside.  During summer, guests may cool off in the park’s swimming pool. 

  • Hike Inn

    Georgia’s only backcountry inn is located at the end of a beautiful five-mile journey through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Parking at the top of the Southeast’s tallest waterfall, inn guests hike a moderate trail that leads to this eco-lodge with only 20 rooms. Dinner and breakfast are included, allowing hikers to carry only their personal items along the trail. A bathhouse with hot showers and composting toilets is centrally located, and meals are served family-style in a colorful dining hall.

  • Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation Historic Site

    This beautiful plantation represents the history and culture of Georgia’s rice coast. In the early 1800s, William Brailsford of Charleston carved a rice plantation from marshes along the Altamaha River. The plantation and its inhabitants were part of the genteel low country society that developed during the antebellum period. While many factors made rice cultivation increasingly difficult in the years after the Civil War, the family continued to grow rice until 1913.

  • Indian Springs State Park

    Conveniently located near I-75 in middle Georgia, Indian Springs is one of the oldest state parks in the United States and a popular spot for outdoor recreation.  For centuries, Creek Indians collected the spring water for its healing qualities, and during the 1800s, the area was a bustling resort town. Today, visitors can still sample the spring water flowing inside the stone Spring House built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.

  • James H. (Sloppy) Floyd State Park

    Surrounded by rural countryside and the Chattahoochee National Forest, this quiet park in northwest Georgia offers outstanding fishing on two stocked lakes. Visitors can hike along three miles of lake loop trails and relax in swings while watching for the many bluebirds that live in the park. The trailhead to the scenic 60-mile Pinhoti Trail is only a 1.6-mile hike away.

  • Jarrell Plantation Historic Site

    Nestled in the red clay hills of Georgia, this cotton plantation was owned by a single family for more than 140 years. It survived Gen. Sherman’s “March to the Sea,” typhoid fever, Emancipation, Reconstruction, the cotton boll weevil, the advent of steam power and a transition from farming to forestry.

  • Jefferson Davis Historic Site

    When Confederate President Jefferson Davis and a few remaining staff members crossed the Savannah River into Georgia on May 3, 1865, they were headed for the Western theater of war where Davis planned to unite rebel forces and continue fighting for the “lost cause.” On May 9, 1865, they camped in this pine forest, not knowing that pursuit was so close behind. At dawn, they were surrounded by two independent groups of Union cavalry who were unaware of each other’s presence. Gunfire ensued until the federal forces realized they had been shooting at one another. Two Union cavalrymen died during the skirmish. Davis was taken prisoner and held in Virginia for two years until released.

  • John Tanner State Park

    Operated by Carroll County, this west Georgia park is best known for its large sand swimming beach. It is a recreational haven for water lovers looking for boating and fishing opportunities as well. Visitors can enjoy camping, picnicking, miniature golf, volleyball, pedal boats and horseshoes. A short nature trail and paved lake loop invite guests to enjoy wooded scenery.

  • Kolomoki Mounds Historic Park

    This historically significant park is the oldest and largest Woodland Indian site in the southeastern United States, occupied by American Indians from 350 to 750 a.d. Georgia’s oldest great temple mound, standing 57 feet high, dominates two smaller burial mounds and several ceremonial mounds. The park’s museum is built around an excavated mound, providing an unusual setting for learning who these people were and how they lived. Inside, visitors will find numerous artifacts and a film.

  • Lapham-Patterson House Historic Site

    The Lapham-Patterson House is a monument to the imagination, creative engineering and craftsmanship of the Victorian Era. Fishscale shingles, oriental-style porch decorations, long-leaf pine inlaid floors, and a remarkable double-flue chimney with a walk-through stairway and cantilevered balcony exemplify the quality and skill of its Victorian creators. Due to its architectural significance, the Lapham-Patterson House was named a National Historic Landmark in 1975.

  • Laura S. Walker State Park

    Located near the northern edge of the mysterious Okefenokee Swamp, this park is home to many fascinating creatures and plants, including alligators and carnivorous pitcher plants. Walking or biking along the lake’s edge and nature trail, visitors may spot the shy gopher tortoise, numerous oak varieties, saw palmettos, yellow shafted flickers, warblers, owls and great blue herons. The park’s lake offers opportunities for fishing, skiing and boating, and canoes and bicycles are available for rent.  The park’s namesake was a Georgia writer, teacher, civic leader and naturalist who loved trees and worked for their preservation.

  • Little Ocmulgee State Park and Lodge

    Conveniently located off Highway 441 in south Georgia, this park features a wide variety of amenities. Golfers can test their skills on the 18-hole Wallace Adams Course with clubhouse, golf pro and junior/senior discounts.  During summer, children will especially enjoy the splash pad where they can run through fountains and squirt their friends.  The park’s 2.6-mile Oak Ridge Trail winds through sand hills, scrub oaks and pines, taking hikers to a short boardwalk.

  • Magnolia Springs State Park

    Beautiful Magnolia Springs State Park is known for its crystal clear springs flowing 7 million gallons per day.  A boardwalk spans the cool water, allowing visitors to look for alligators, turtles and other wildlife near the springs. A 28-acre lake is available for fishing and boating. Overnight guests can choose from cottages and a small campground.  Magnolia Springs State Park is part of both the Park Paddlers Club and the Muddy Spokes Club. Paddlers who explore the small lake and bikers who finish a 3-mile loop can work toward earning members-only t-shirts.

  • Mistletoe State Park

    Located on 71,100-acre Clarks Hill Lake near Augusta, this park is known as one of the finest bass fishing spots in the nation.  Fishing docks and boat ramps provide easy access to one of the Southeast’s largest lakes.  During the summer, guests can cool off at the sandy beach or on miles of shaded nature trails.  Many programs are hosted throughout the year, such as astronomy programs, concerts and nature walks.  Bike riders who explore this park can join the Muddy Spokes Club.

  • Moccasin Creek State Park

    Sitting on the shores of lovely Lake Burton, Moccasin Creek prides itself on being “where spring spends the summer.”  Despite its mountain location, the park is relatively flat, offering easy navigation for large RVs, children’s bicycles and wheelchairs. A fully accessible fishing pier sits above a trout-filled creek open only to physically challenged visitors, senior citizens and children.

  • New Echota Historic Site

    New Echota is one of the most significant Cherokee Indian sites in the nation and was where the tragic “Trail of Tears” officially began.  In 1825, the Cherokee national legislature established a capital called New Echota at the headwaters of the Oostanaula River.

  • Panola Mountain State Park

    This unique park near Atlanta protects a 100-acre granite monadnock (mountain) similar to Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain. Minimally developed, the mountain shelters rare plants of the Piedmont region. During autumn, it is blanketed with colorful Yellow Daisies, while from late winter to early spring, the tiny red Diamorpha showcases its white blooms. Hikers may explore the park’s watershed and granite outcrop on their own, or they may make reservations to join park rangers for guided hikes onto the restricted-access mountain.

  • Picketts Mill Battlefield Historic Site

    Pickett’s Mill is one of the best preserved Civil War battlefields in the nation. Visitors can travel roads used by Federal and Confederate troops, see earthworks constructed by these men, and walk through the same ravine where hundreds died.  An authentic 1800s pioneer cabin is furnished and open for tours during certain events.

  • Providence Canyon Outdoor Recreation Area

    Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon” is a testament to the power of man’s influence on the land. Massive gullies as deep as 150 feet were caused simply by poor farming practices during the 1800s, yet today they make some of the prettiest photographs within the state. The rare Plumleaf Azalea grows only in this region and blooms during July and August when most azaleas have lost their color. The canyon soil’s pink, orange, red and purple hues make a beautiful natural painting at this quiet park.

  • Red Top Mountain State Park

    This popular park on Lake Allatoona is ideal for swimming, water skiing and fishing. Visitors can bring their own boats or rent from nearby marinas. A sand swimming beach is nestled in a cove and surrounded by trees, providing a great place to cool off during summer.  Picnic shelters and group shelters may be rented for meetings, parties, reunions and other celebrations.  Guests often stay overnight in rental cottages, a spacious campground or the park’s lakeside yurt.  

  • Reed Bingham State Park

    Visitors to this pretty park usually see abundant wildlife, including species such as gopher tortoises, spotted turtles, limpkins, indigo snakes and nesting bald eagles. American alligators are often seen sunning along the lake’s edge. During winter, thousands of “buzzards,” actually black vultures and turkey vultures, roost in the trees and soar overhead. Nearly 80 percent of the Coastal Plain’s plant community can be found along the park’s Coastal Plain Nature Trail, making this park’s habitat some of the most diverse in the country.

  • Richard B. Russell State Park

    Located on a 26,650-acre lake, Richard B. Russell State Park offers some of the state’s finest fishing and boating. The park’s campground and fully equipped cottages are located on or near the water’s edge for a relaxing getaway. Most park facilities are designed for wheelchair accessibility, including the swimming beach.  A nature trail follows the shoreline to one of the oldest steel pin bridges in the area, loops through the adjoining woods and returns to the beach.

  • Robert Toombs House Historic Site

    A legend in his own time, Robert Toombs was a successful planter and lawyer who led a turbulent career as state legislator, U.S. Congressman and Senator. “Defend yourselves; the enemy is at your door . . . !” thundered Toombs from the Senate floor on January 24, 1860. The following year, Georgia seceded from the Union and Toombs personified the South by evolving from conservative Unionist to fire-breathing secessionist. After serving just five months as Confederate Secretary of State, he resigned to serve as brigadier general in the Army of Northern Virginia.

  • Roosevelt's Little White House Historic Site

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt built the Little White House in 1932 while governor of New York, prior to being inaugurated as president in 1933. He first came to Warm Springs in 1924 hoping to find a cure for the infantile paralysis (polio) that had struck him in 1921. Swimming in the 88-degree, buoyant spring waters brought him no miracle cure, but it did bring improvement. During FDR’s presidency and the Great Depression, he developed many New Deal Programs (such as the Rural Electrification Administration) based upon his experiences in this small town.

  • Sapelo Island Reserve and Reynolds Mansion

    This small barrier island is a unique destination along Georgia’s famed “Colonial Coast.”  Guests begin their day at the mainland visitor center, where they can learn about Sapelo’s cultural history, coastal wildlife, and complex beach and dunes systems.  After a 30-minute ferry ride, they arrive at this 11-mile-long island.  Guided tours highlight the African-American community of Hog Hammock, Reynolds Mansion, Nanny Goat Beach, University of Georgia Marine Institute and a restored 1820 lighthouse.

  • Seminole State Park

    This southwest Georgia park is on beautiful Lake Seminole, a 37,500-acre reservoir with excellent boating, fishing and birding. Cottages, many campsites and even picnic shelters sit near the water’s edge, offering excellent views and quick access to the lake. Because the park surrounds a small cove, visitors usually enjoy smooth water for skiing and tubing. A sand swimming beach is also provided for lake lovers.

  • Skidaway Island State Park

    Located near historic Savannah, this park borders Skidaway narrows, a part of Georgia’s intracoastal waterway.  Trails wind through maritime forest and past salt marsh, leading to a boardwalk and observation tower.  Visitors can watch for deer, fiddler crabs, raccoon, egrets and other wildlife.  Inside the park’s interpretive center, birders will find binoculars, reference books and a window where they can look for migrating species such as Painted Buntings.  Children will especially enjoy seeing the towering, 20-foot Giant Ground Sloth replica and reptile room. 

  • Smithgall Woods State Park

    Smithgall Woods is an angler’s paradise. One of north Georgia’s premier trout streams, Dukes Creek, runs through this spectacular mountain property and is a favorite for catch-and-release fishing. To ensure a quality experience, the number of anglers is limited and fishing is offered only on certain days.  As a result, anglers should call ahead for reservations. Five miles of trails and 18 miles of roads allow hikers and bicyclists to explore hardwoods, streams and wildlife.

  • Sprewell Bluff State Outdoor Recreation Area

    This gem on the Flint River is the perfect location for a daytime getaway. Visitors can cool off in the gently flowing river, skip rocks across the water, picnic on the river’s edge or toss horseshoes in a grassy field. A boat ramp is available for paddlers and anglers, and canoes may be rented from nearby outfitters. The Flint is one of only 40 rivers left in the United States that flow unimpeded for more than 200 miles, and it is revered as one of the most ecologically diverse river basins in the Southeast.

  • Stephen C. Foster State Park

    Named after songwriter Stephen Foster, this remote park is a primary entrance to the legendary Okefenokee Swamp and is one of the most intriguing areas in Georgia. Spanish moss-laced trees reflect off the black swamp waters, while cypress knees rise upward from the glass-like surface.  Here, paddlers and photographers will enjoy breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife. Alligators, turtles, raccoons, black bears, deer, ibis, herons, wood storks, red-cockaded woodpeckers and numerous other creatures make their homes in the 402,000-acre refuge.

  • Sweetwater Creek State Park

    Sweetwater Creek State Park is a peaceful tract of wilderness only minutes from downtown Atlanta. A wooded trail follows the stream to the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, a textile mill burned during the Civil War. Beyond the mill, the trail climbs rocky bluffs to provide views of the beautiful rapids below. Additional trails wind through fields and forest, showcasing ferns, magnolias, wild azaleas and hardwoods.  Park rangers lead informative hikes to these areas throughout the year.

  • Tallulah Gorge State Park

    One of the most spectacular canyons in the eastern U.S., Tallulah Gorge is two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep. Visitors can hike rim trails to several overlooks, or they can obtain a permit to hike to the gorge floor (100 per day, not available during water releases). A suspension bridge sways 80 feet above the rocky bottom, providing spectacular views of the river and waterfalls.  Tightrope walkers have twice crossed the gorge, and visitors can still see towers used by Karl Wallenda.  A paved path follows an on old railroad bed, perfect for strollers and bicycles, while mountain bikers can test their skills on a challenging 10-mile trail.

  • Travelers Rest Historic Site

    This stagecoach inn and plantation home was built around 1815 by James R. Wyly. He strategically located it along the newly constructed Unicoi Turnpike, a busy highway over the Appalachian Mountains. Wyly operated the inn until 1833 when he sold it to his neighbor Devereaux Jarrett, the "richest man in the Tugaloo Valley." Jarrett continued to operate the inn, but doubled its size to make it the homeplace of his 14,400-acre plantation along the Tugaloo River. Three generations of Jarretts inhabited the site until the state of Georgia purchased the remaining few acres of the once-vast plantation for $8,000 in 1955. Thanks to both its architectural significance and its role in the early history of the area, Traveler's Rest was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Today, visitors can tour the house and see many original artifacts and furnishings, some of which were crafted by Caleb Shaw, a renowned cabinetmaker from Massachusetts.

  • Tugaloo State Park

    Situated on a wooded peninsula, Tugaloo’s cottages and most campsites offer spectacular views of 55,590-acre Lake Hartwell in every direction. Some cottages even have private boat docks for overnight guests. Tent campers can choose between the developed campground or primitive sites located a short walk from the parking area. During summer, the lake is a popular destination for swimming, water skiing, sailing and boating. Both the Sassafras and Muscadine hiking trails wind through oak, walnut, mulberry and cherry trees.

  • Unicoi State Park and Lodge

    Nestled in the north Georgia mountains just outside Helen, Unicoi is one of Georgia’s most beloved state parks. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hiking and mountain biking on scenic mountain trails, including an easy lake loop, challenging trek to Anna Ruby Falls, pretty three-mile trail to downtown Helen and rugged 7.5-mile singletrack for bikers.  The cool mountain lake offers a swimming beach and canoe rental during summer.

  • Victoria Bryant State Park

    Nestled in the rolling hills of Georgia’s upper Piedmont, this is one of northern Georgia’s best kept secrets. A beautiful stream flows through the park, providing the perfect setting for an after-picnic stroll. Hikers can follow either the short nature trail or the longer perimeter trail that travels through hardwoods and crosses creeks. Animal lovers should keep an eye out for wildlife while passing food plots along the perimeter trail. Two small ponds are open for public fishing, and a swimming pool is open during summer. Campers can stay overnight in the small, comfortable campground.

  • Vogel State Park

    One of Georgia’s oldest and most beloved state parks, Vogel is located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Driving from the south, visitors pass through Neel Gap, a beautiful mountain pass near Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. Vogel is particularly popular during the fall when the Blue Ridge Mountains transform into a rolling blanket of red, yellow and gold leaves. Hikers can choose from a variety of trails, including the popular 4-mile Bear Hair Gap loop, an easy lake loop that leads to Trahlyta Falls, and the challenging 13-mile Coosa Backcountry Trail.

  • Watson Mill Bridge State Outdoor Recreation Area

    One of the most picturesque state parks in Georgia, Watson Mill Bridge contains the longest covered bridge in the state, spanning 229 feet across the South Fork River. Built in 1885 by Washington (W.W.) King, son of freed slave and famous covered-bridge builder Horace King, the bridge is supported by a town lattice truss system held firmly together with wooden pins.  At one time, Georgia had more than 200 covered bridges; today, less than 20 remain.

  • Wormsloe Historic Site

    A breathtaking avenue sheltered by live oaks and Spanish moss leads to the tabby ruins of Wormsloe, the colonial estate of Noble Jones (1702-1775). Jones was a physician and carpenter who arrived in Georgia in 1733 with James Oglethorpe and the first group of settlers from England. Wormsloe's tabby ruins are the oldest standing structures in Savannah.