Experience
the mighty Altamaha
River, designated by the Nature Conservancy as one of the 75 “Last
Great Places” in the world, from a kayak or canoe, aided by knowledgeable
outfitters. Watch for 130 rare and endangered species in this river area.
Don’t miss the log cabins, a corn crib, tobacco barn, cane mill, and barnyard animals at General Coffee State Park’s Heritage Farm, and slide your canoe through the calm waters of the Seventeen-Mile River as it winds through a cypress swamp that is home to rare and endangered plants; camping and more refined lodging is available at this Nicholls area park. Whether you fish, hike or golf, find your challenge at Little Ocmulgee State Park near McRae with its 265-acre lake, miles of the Oak Ridge trail, and 18-hole Wallace Adams golf course. Tee off as well near Reidsville at Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park, which also is a favorite for picnicking, family reunions, and fishing.
Bike
Montgomery County’s 17-mile Yamassee Trail, offering a chance to enjoy
the countryside of southern Georgia. This path is “billboard free” and filled
with beautiful farms, historic churches, and huge hardwood and pine forests.
Hunt, camp, fish, hike, bird watch,
and picnic at Horse Creek Wildlife Management
Area between Jacksonville and Lumber City on Hwy. 117, where the world record large-mouth bass was caught.
Vidalia is a favorite place to pick up a basket of
the world’s sweetest onions. In nearby Uvalda, you can put the canoe or kayak
in near the confluence of the Oconee, Ocmulgee and Altamaha rivers and follow the Altamaha all
the way to the sea.
Watch the eagles take flight and explore the habitats of numerous raptors, reptiles, and mammals through tours of wetlands and old growth forest, and the ever-popular raptor demonstrations at Georgia Southern University’s Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q. Ball Jr. Raptor Center. Just a few miles down the road is the state’s first winery, Southern Harvest Vineyards & Winery, with its scenic views, sunsets, and award-winning wines. The entire family will want to cool out at Splash in the ‘Boro, Statesboro’s water park and aquatics center.
The prettiest way from Macon to coastal Georgia’s Golden Isles cuts right through South Georgia on the Wiregrass Trail along GA 57, which passes scenic rivers, Revolutionary War sites, and family farms. ‘Real’ Georgia awaits you on the historic Woodpecker Trail from Augusta along U.S. Hwy 25/GA 121 to the Okefenokee Swamp, through historical, nature-based and cultural sites and attractions. And U.S. Highway 341 is the home of Georgia’s largest yard sale, “Peaches to the Beaches.”
