State Parks in Georgia

Georgia has 48 state parks and 15 state historic sites, managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The parks range from Gold Rush-era mining towns to spectacular mountain gorges to coastal marshes.

Amicalola Falls State Park near Dawsonville is the gateway to the Appalachian Trail's southern terminus and home to the tallest cascading waterfall in the eastern US — Amicalola Falls drops 729 feet in a series of cascades. The Len Foote Hike Inn, accessible only on foot, is one of the most distinctive lodging experiences in the Georgia park system.

Providence Canyon State Park near Lumpkin is sometimes called "Georgia's Little Grand Canyon." Erosion from poor 19th-century farming practices carved 16 canyons up to 150 feet deep into the soft coastal plain soil. The canyon walls display a remarkable spectrum of reds, pinks, purples, and whites from different mineral layers.

Cloudland Canyon State Park near Trenton in northwestern Georgia sits on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. The park's namesake canyon plunges 1,800 feet from the canyon rim to the canyon floor, with two major waterfalls (Hemlock Falls and Cherokee Falls) accessible by steep stair trails.

Vogel State Park near Blairsville is one of Georgia's oldest state parks (established 1931) and one of its most beautiful. Set in a bowl surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, the park centers on Lake Trahlyta and has excellent trails to Blood Mountain (the highest point on the Georgia AT section) and Trahlyta Falls.

Fort Mountain State Park near Chatsworth is named for an ancient stone wall — nearly 900 feet long — of unknown origin on the summit of Fort Mountain. Views of the Cohutta Wilderness below are spectacular; the park has excellent mountain biking trails alongside the hiking network.

Little Ocmulgee State Park in South Georgia offers a different experience — flat piney woods, a sand beach on a reservoir, and the Little Ocmulgee River. The park's Pete Phillips Golf Course is consistently rated among the best public courses in Georgia.