South Georgia State Parks: Get outdoors and have fun

Georgia Veterans State Park

Park Hours: 7AM-10PM

Office Hours: 8AM-5PM

$5 parking. Annual passes available.

No Set Up after 10 p.m.

GeorgiaStateParks.org/GeorgiaVeterans

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. An 18-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.

A sandy swimming beach is the perfect place to cool off during Georgia summers. The Lake Blackshear Resort and Golf Club is a professionally operated conference center with 78 lodge rooms, 10 cottages and 2 restaurants. The SAM Shortline Excursion Train runs through the park on its way from Cordele to Plains, allowing riders to see an antique telephone museum, Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village, President Jimmy Carter’s boyhood farm and other attractions along the journey.

Kolomoki Mounds State Park

Park Hours: 7AM-10PM

Office and Museum Hours: 8AM-5PM

(Museum closed Christmas, New Year’s Day)

$5 parking. Annual passes available.

GeorgiaStateParks.org/KolomokiMounds

This historically significant park is the oldest and largest Woodland Indian site in the southeastern United States, occupied by 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.

Kolomoki Mounds is also known for its wide range of outdoor activities. Two lakes provide fishing and boating, and a campground is nestled under hardwoods and pines. Hikers can choose from three scenic trails. The Spruce Pine Trail offers views of lakes Yahola and Kolomoki, while the Trillium Trail and White Oak Trail meander through the forest. Children will enjoy the playground, pedal boats and miniature golf.

George T. Bagby State Park and Lodge

Park Hours: 7AM-10PM

Park Office Hours: 8AM-5PM

$5 parking. Annual passes available.

GeorgiaStateParks.org/GeorgeTBagby

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.

A marina, boat ramp and beach offer easy access to the 48,000-acre lake for fishing, boating and swimming. Anglers will be excited to learn that the state record blue catfish was captured in Lake Walter F. George in 2010. The large picnic shelter and numerous picnic sites are perfect places for families to enjoy their catch. Visitors may also look for wildlife along the three-mile nature trail, which journeys through hardwoods and pines.

Providence Canyon State Outdoor Recreation Area

Park Hours: The park is open daily as follows:

September 15 – April 14 / 7AM-6PM

April 15 – September 14 / 7AM-9PM

The Visitor Center is open Sat-Sun only, as follows:

September 1 – November 30, 8AM-5PM

March 1 – May 31 / 8AM-5PM

$5 parking. Annual passes available.

GeorgiaStateParks.org/ProvidenceCanyon

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.

Visitors can enjoy views of the canyons from the rim trail, taking care to stay behind fences and off the fragile canyon edge. Hikers who explore the deepest canyons will usually find a thin layer of water along the trail, indication of the water table below. Guests who hike to canyons 4 and 5 may want to join the Canyon Climbers Club. Backpackers can stay overnight along the backcountry trail which highlights portions of the canyon and winds through mixed forest. Camping, cottages and efficiency units are available nearby at Florence Marina State Park on 45,000-acre Lake Walter F. George.

Visitors are urged to use caution on trails and to not go beyond fences or overlooks. Erosion can cause the canyon walls to collapse.

Reed Bingham State Park

Park Hours: 7AM-10PM

Office Hours: 8AM-5PM

$5 parking. Annual passes available.

GeorgiaStateParks.org/ReedBingham

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.

A 375-acre lake is popular with boaters and skiers, and fishing for bass, crappie, catfish and bream is excellent. Paddlers can rent canoes and kayaks to explore this beautiful lake lined with fragrant water lilies and tupelo trees. Guided pontoon boat tours are sometimes offered during events. The beachside pavilion, picnic shelters and group shelters are scenic spots for parties, reunions and other celebrations. Reed Bingham is less than six miles from I-75, making it a relaxing stop for travelers. It was named for Amos Reed Bingham who was instrumental in having the park established.

Seminole State Park

Park Hours: 7AM-10PM

Office Hours: 8AM-5PM

$5 parking. Annual passes available.

GeorgiaStateParks.org/Seminole

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.

Wildlife is abundant throughout Seminole, and a nature trail leads past gopher tortoise burrows and one of the largest longleaf pine forests in a Georgia state park. Observant visitors may also see alligators, osprey, bald eagles and other wildlife. Nearby wildlife management areas provide great duck and deer hunting.

Florence Marina State Park

Park Hours: 7AM-10PM

Office Hours: 8AM-5PM

$5 parking. Annual passes available.

GeorgiaStateParks.org/FlorenceMarina

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.

Florence Marina is popular with nature enthusiasts as well. Birders are likely to see herons, egrets and even bald eagles. The Kirbo Interpretive Center showcases area wildlife and plants, local history and Native Americans, including artifacts from the prehistoric Paleo-Indian period through the early 20th century. Ten miles southeast is Providence Canyon State Conservation Park, known as Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon.

Little Ocmulgee State Park and Lodge

Park Hours: 7AM-10PM

$5 parking. Annual passes available.

GeorgiaStateParks.org/LittleOcmulgee

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.

Little Ocmulgee’s campground is nestled among live oaks and Spanish moss, while rental cottages have beautiful lake views. A 60-room lodge offers hotel-style guest rooms, meeting facilities and a restaurant with golf-course view. Little Ocmulgee State Park is a beautiful and affordable location for meetings, reunions, weddings and other group gatherings.