Everything We Love About Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites

By Author: Rodney Cook Peace Park
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Is there anything better in Georgia than spring? Except for the pollen, it's nearly perfect. If you want to scratch that "get outside and leap for joy" itch, consider visiting one of Georgia's State Parks or Historic Sites. The parks in Atlanta for events may be your favourite family destination this season, with a new travel-tracking passport and innovative takes on camping, not to mention incredible hikes and beachside boardwalks. Interested in knowing which ones we prefer? Check out our top ten Georgia State Parks and start planning your trip!

Andersonville
Andersonville, GA
Almost 13,000 men died on these grounds, which became notorious even before the Civil War ended. Their final resting place became Andersonville National Cemetery, where veterans are still buried today. This location, where tens of thousands of Americans were imprisoned so that others could be freed, also houses the National Prisoner of War Museum and serves as a memorial to all American prisoners of war.

Appalachian
Maine to Georgia, CT,GA,MA,MD,ME,NC,NH,NJ,NY,PA,TN,VA,VT,WV
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,180+ mile ...
... long public footpath that traverses the Appalachian Mountains' scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally significant lands. The Appalachian Trail, which was conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, is now managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies, and thousands of volunteers.

Chattahoochee River
Atlanta, GA
Today, the river valley entices us for a variety of reasons. Enjoy nature's display by going for a solitary walk, rafting leisurely through the rocky shoals with friends, fishing the misty waters as the sun rises, or having a picnic on a Sunday afternoon. Get outside and explore the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area like you've never seen it before.

Chickamauga & Chattanooga
Fort Oglethorpe, GA,TN
Union and Confederate forces fought for control of Chattanooga, also known as the "Gateway to the Deep South," in 1863. In September, the Confederates won at nearby Chickamauga. However, renewed fighting in Chattanooga that November resulted in Union troops winning and taking control of the city. Following the fighting, a Confederate soldier wrote menacingly, "This...is the death-knell of the Confederacy."

Cumberland Island
Saint Marys, GA
Cumberland Island, Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island, is accessible from St Marys. Here, pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches, and vast marshes tell the tales of both man and nature. There were Native Americans, missionaries, enslaved African Americans, and wealthy industrialists all walking here. Cumberland Island also has over 9,800 acres of wilderness designated by Congress.

Fort Frederica
St. Simons Island, GA
When Spanish and British forces clashed on St. Simons Island in 1742, Georgia's fate was sealed. The troops of Fort Frederica defeated the Spanish, ensuring Georgia's future as a British colony. The National Park Service now protects the archaeological peace monument of Frederica.

Fort Pulaski
Savannah, GA
Masonry fortifications were the primary defence of the United States against foreign enemies for much of the nineteenth century. During the Civil War, however, new technology demonstrated its superiority to these forts. The Union army used rifled cannon to force the surrender of the Confederate garrison at Fort Pulaski. The siege was a watershed moment in military science and invention history.

Jimmy Carter
Plains, GA
Few US presidents have had such strong ties to the communities in which they were born and raised. Plains, Georgia's rural southern culture, which revolves around farming, church, and school, had a large influence on shaping the character and political policies of the 39th President of the United States.

Kennesaw Mountain
Kennesaw, GA
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is a 2,965-acre National Battlefield that preserves an Atlanta Campaign Civil War battleground. From June 19 to July 2, 1864, opposing forces manoeuvred and fought here. Kennesaw Mountain is best known as a Civil War battlefield, but it has a much richer history.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Atlanta, GA
A young boy grows up during a period of segregation... Destiny propels a dreamer to the forefront of the modern civil rights movement... Martin Luther King, Jr. was present. Come hear his story and see where he grew up and played as a child. In the church where he moved hearts and minds, you can walk in his footsteps and hear his voice. Consider how he served as a catalyst for social change.

Ocmulgee Mounds
Macon, GA
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park welcomes you. This park is a prehistoric American Indian site where numerous American Indian cultures lived for thousands of years. During the Paleo-Indian Period, American Indians came here to hunt Ice Age mammals. The Mississippian Period began around 900 CE, and people built mounds for their elite, which are still standing today.

Trail Of Tears
AL,AR,GA,IL,KY,MO,NC,OK,TN
Remember and honour the Cherokee people, who were forcibly removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. In 1838-1839, they travelled by foot, horse, waggon, or steamboat.

Know more about Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park, please visit www.rodneycooksrpark.org.