Georgia State Parks Recreational Activities:

There are a multitude of recreational activities to enjoy in the state parks of Georgia. You and your family can play a couple of sets of tennis, a round of mini-golf, or a game of volleyball. Or perhaps you’d prefer to play a game of horseshoes like the Cherokee Indians have done for generations here in Georgia. If you’re looking for a place for your kids to play while you relax in the outdoor beauty of the Georgia country-side, there are some great children’s playgrounds to take advantage of as well.

Hiking and Camping:

As in any of the parks available for exploration throughout the United States, hiking and backpacking is one of the most popular tourist activities. Georgia has no shortage of trails available for visitor use. If you’re an experienced hiker who’s looking for something a little more challenging than the average hiking trail Black Rock Park, Unicoi Park, Providence Canyon Park. Vogel Park, Amialola Falls Park and others have expert trails for public use as well.

For those hikers who are looking to hike in and stay overnight, back-country camping is permitted in many of the Georgia parks. Some of the trails are designed with overnight campers in mind. On these trails you can hike in (it takes a good part of the day to make the trek) stay overnight, and return the next day. For those wishing to stay overnight in any Georgia state park, permits are required.

Biking:

Biking is a popular past-time for people visiting the parks of Georgia. Several of the state parks have designated bike trails for recreational use. Otherwise, bicyclists are asked to use the main paved roads to ride on. Off-road riding is not allowed other than on designated paths because it leads to the deterioration of the parks. Park staff make a concerted effort to preserve the Georgia state parks so that they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Some of the top mountain-biking trails can be found at: Tallulah Gorge, the Richard B. Russell Park, the Watson Mill Bridge Park, Fort Mountain Park, Mistletoe Park, Smithgall Woods Park, Victoria Bryant Park, and Fort Yargo Park. These bike trails vary in their difficulty level but without a doubt riders of all skills can find a trail to suit them in one the many trails available in the various Georgia state parks.

Boating and Fishing:

Georgia is amongst the favorites for fisherman and water enthusiasts on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Most of the Georgia state parks offer boat ramps and fully-functional, well maintained docks. Numerous water activities such as sailing and water skiing are popular within the Georgia parks. Personal crafts, including sailboats and engine powered craft are permitted on the water of the larger lakes. On some of the smaller lakes there are some restrictions on engine size for craft using the lakes. Further information regarding these limitations can be obtained by contacting park staff. Boating on the lakes of Georgia Parks is free but fishing licenses are required for the area.

If you’re visiting Georgia and one or more of its many parks, there are boar rentals available in over 30 of the parks. You can rent everything from pedal boats, to canoes, up to larger fishing vessels and pontoon boats. Most of these rent out by the hour and by the day. At the Stephen C. Foster State Park guided trips through the Okenfenokee Park are available for a small fee.

For those looking to experience fishing for the first time, there is now a program which allows visitors of Georgia parks to borrow fishing equipment. The program loans out equipment for free- so this is a great opportunity to “take the plunge”- so to speak. The only thing that costs money is the bait you’ll use. This program is made possible by the DNR Fisheries Management in co-operation with the state parks.