Summer is filled with endless exploring and adventurous opportunities but one great area to start with is simply enjoying your Georgia state parks and historic sites hiking and backpacking opportunities. With your Friends membership, you will enjoy free parking and hours, or even days on end, of a truly satisfying experience. Whether you enjoy hiking with a great group of friends, family, or alone, each trail throughout Georgia’s widely diverse landscape will prove to be a new experience. From the cool, north Georgia mountains to the southern sandhills with longleaf pines, to the costal marshes, hikers can enjoy a rich array of landscapes without even leaving the state.
As you set out on either a leisure, relaxing hike or a more arduous, challenging feat, each step is one step closer to a higher level of wellness. With the great array of opportunities, everyone will certainly find a trail suitable for personal preferences and needs. Start your plans now for your next hike perhaps to the waterfalls of Amicalola Falls or to a more history-intensive stretch at Etowah Indian Mounds. Many parks, such as Stephen C. Foster and Mistletoe, have paved trails suitable for both strollers and wheelchairs. Great opportunities are waiting at General Coffee where children can enjoy the farm animals and an afternoon of hiking, or even the Watson Mill Bridge where the covered bridge and shoals create an unforgettable, scenic exploration.
Many parks this month are also hosting fantastic guided hikes as well. Sweetwater Creek’s Geology Hike is hosted by Friends member and geologists, John Johnston, who will lead a 2-mile hike identifying rock types and explaining how they were formed as well as a visit inside the Civil War era New Manchester Mill. Panola’s Sunday Mountain Hikes gives visitors an opportunity to learn about preservation of natural beauty, and Tallulah Gorge’s Full Moon Suspension Bridge Hike is a ranger-led moonlit hide down to the gorge. Click Here for more information about guided hiking opprutnities as well as other program opportunties.
Summer hikes at your Georgia parks and historic sites will certainly prove to be not only worthwhile, but a truly unforgettable adventure. With so many opportunities available, you will certainly find a favorite spot for all of your summer explorations. Click Here for more summer planning ideas or more information about hiking at Georgia's state parks and historic sites.