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Enjoy nature, wildlife centers, botanical gardens, arboretums, lakes, local parks, nature trails, a 1670 Indian Trail, forests, recreation areas, outdoor walking-driving tours and more. |
| Nature Centers - Wildlife Center - Trails - Forests - Gardens - Arboretums |
 Alcovy Conservation Center - Demonstration habitat gardens will inspire you with ecologically sound ideas for your backyard habitat. Free parking and admission. In Covington, Georgia
Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail at Memorial Park - Park is 72 acres with a lake and zoo, which is home to over 120 species of native animals. Free parking. Located in Athens, Georgia
Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center - On this 6.400-acre preserve, enjoy 29 ponds and a five-acre rock outcropping, hiking, fishing, birds, hunting and camping. Free admission and parking. Located in Mansfield, Georgia
Dauset Trails Nature Center - Explore the ponds, creeks, wildflower fields, wooded trails and nature center. Camping for groups available. Free parking. In Jackson, GA
Founders Memorial Garden features a fountain, winding walkways, ornamental shrubbery and an 1857 antebellum home form this grand memorial to the founders of America’s first garden club. Free admission and parking. Located in Athens, Georgia |
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Georgia International Horse Park - Park has already serves as the equestrian venue for the largest sporting event in the world. Whether biking on the same trails used by Olympic competitors or taking a relaxing trail ride that winds around the Park, you can experience the Legacy. Free admission and parking. Located in Conyers, Georgia
 Horticulture Trial Gardens at UGA - Exquisite ornamentals are performance-tested in seasonally rotating gardens. Free quided tours by reservation. In Athens, GA
Lewis Vaughn Botanical Gardens - 1.5 garden acres is in the heart of Downtown Conyers. It features native plants of Georgia's Piedmont region. The pond is fed by the City's downtown water tower built in 1900. Adjacent to the botanical gardens is the Pavilion which hosts many community events and
activities. Open: Daily 8am until 8pm. Free admission and parking. Amenities: Restrooms, Accessibility for mobility-impaired. Phone: 770-602-2606 and toll free at 800-266-9377 - Address: 949 S. Main St., Conyers, GA 30012
North Oconee Greenway and Heritage Trail - This park connects Sandy Creek Park, Sandy Creek Nature Center, North Oconee River Park, Dudley Park and UGA with 3.5 miles of trails. Free parking. Located in Athens, Georgia
Oconee Forest Park is a 60-acre, 100-year-old forest park has lakeshore hikes, bike trails, a picnic area and a network of trails with more than 100 kinds of native trees and shrubs. Free parking. In Athens, Georgia |
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Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge - Enjoy hiking trails, wildlife drive and fishing in the 35,000-acre wildlife refuge is a forest. Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge now serves as a model of forest ecosystem management for wildlife. Free parking. Located in Hillsboro, GA.
 Rock Hawk Effigy and Trails - This 5000 year old monument is the centerpiece of 15 miles of education and recreation trails. It is in the shape of a hawk. Display cover 12,000 years of nature and history. Free parking. Located in Eatonton, GA
Sandy Creek Nature Center - Exhibits, native wildlife and 225 acres of woodland, fields and marshland.Call for tours. Naturalist walk on first and third Saturday of each month. Free admission and parking. Located in Athens, Georgia
Seven Islands Trail - This Indian trail, which later became a stagecoach route, dates back to 1670. Travel dirt roads and enjoy a nostalgic ride throughout Jasper County. Free parking. Located on Hwys 212, 83, 11 and 16, Monticello, Georgia
State Botanical Garden of Georgia - A dazzling three-story tropical conservatory dominates this 313-acre preserve, along with a visitors center and café. Free parking. Located in Athens, GA
University of Georgia Arboretum - Thanks to its attractive biologically diverse collection of trees, shrubs and plants, the campus was designated an arboretum. Open: Daily. Free parking.
Phone: 706-542-2471 – Address: UGA Campus, Athens, Georgia 30602 |
| Lakes |
Jackson Lake is great for swimming, boating and fishing. Open Daily. Free parking. Located on GA Hwys 16 & 212, In Monticello, Georgia
 Lake Juliette - With 3,600 acres strictly for fishing, the lake prohibits boats with engines greater than 25 horsepower, as well as personal watercrafts. Open March - October. Free parking. Located in Juliette, Georgia
Lake Oconee - Enjoy boating, fishing, and golfing along lovely Lake Oconee. Open: Daily from Dawn-dusk. Free parking. Located in Eaton, Georgia
Lake Sinclair in Eatonton is 417 miles of scenic shoreline with public boat ramps, tailrace fishing and various other activities for your enjoyment. Daily. Free admission. Amenities: Parking and Public Restrooms. Phone: 706-485-7701 – Located in Eatonton, Georgia 31024
Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville is an idyllic setting for boating, fishing and lakeside leisure. Daily. $3 vehicle parking. Free admission. Located in Milledgeville, Georgia
Turner Lake Complex houses a multitude of public facilities. Visitors can hike, fish, picnic or simply sit quietly beside a beautiful lake. There are four state-of-the-art balls fields, a gymnasium, indoor walking track, conference room and scenic nature trails. The Senior Center is also at Turner Lake. Seniors enjoy games, needlework, billards, ceramics and music. Need a valid Georgia fishing license to fish. Open everyday from 8am-8pm. Amenities: Restrooms, Accessibility for mobility-impaired. Free admission and parking to lake area. However, there is a fee for some of the indoor park amenities and sports teams. Phone: 706-786-4373 - Address: 6185 Turner Lake Rd, Covington, GA 30014 |
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| Outdoor Walking & Driving Tours - Many are Historic Sites |
Alice Walker Driving Tour self-guided driving trail takes the visitor to various points of interest applicable to Eatonton native, Alice Walker and her family members. Alice Walker is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the novel "The Color Purple." Places along the driving tour include the Wards Chapel A.M.E. Church were Alice was baptized and attended services. The church is currently undergoing a restoration. Other attractions include the Wards Chapel Cemetery, her childhood home, her birthplace and the birthplace of her mother, Grant Plantation. Brochure available for distribution at the chamber's office. Hours are Mon-Tues and Thurs-Sat at 10am-4pm. Phone: 770-485-7701 – Address: Chamber Office, 305 North Madison Avenue, Eatonton, Georgia 31024
 Andalusia Farm - Tour the home of beloved American author Flannery O'Connor. See Flannery O'Connor Memorial. Amenities: Parking and Public Restrooms. Open Thursday-Sunday at 10 am - 5 pm. Limited Handicap Accessibility. Phone: 478-454-4029 - Address: 2628 N Columbia St, Milledgeville, GA 31061
Barnesville Walking Tour is where you will enjoy the charm of small-town Barnesville with its many Victorian homes, quaint shops and picturesque neighborhoods. Phone: 770-358-5884 – Address: downtown Barnesville, Georgia 30204
Double-Barreled Cannon - This weapon, still pointing north, may be one of the most unusual from the Civil War. It was built at the foundry in 1862 when the community feared attack. Only one of its kind in the world. Failed to fulfill its mission of simultaneously firing two balls connected by a chain. Open: Daily. Free to see. Address: 301 College Avenue, Athens, Georgia 30601 |
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Elder Mill Covered Bridge in Watkinsville, was built in 1897, is 100 feet long, and one of the last such bridges in use on a public road. Phone: 706-769-5197 Located in Watkinsville GA
Rockdale County Covered Bridge in Conyers is open to traffic. It was built in 1997 and is 150 feet long. Address: 4400 Haralson Mill Rd, Conyers, GA 30013
Forsyth Historic Commercial District Tour is a self-guided walking tour. Features Courthouse Square and surrounding 8 blocks have 61 structures of mostly mid-to-late 1800's construction listed on the National Register. Courthouse features pressed metal ceiling. Amenities: Parking, Restrooms and Accessibility for mobility-impaired. Phone: 478-994-9239 - Located at Johnston, Lee, Jackson, and Main Streets in Forsyth, GA 31029
Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway Drive Route - Traveling through Putnam and Hancock Counties, the Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway stretches for 82 miles. From the Rock Hawk effigy, built by Native Americans thousands of years ago, to Glen Mary Plantation and other antebellum homes, this route reveals a region of Georgia that is rich in historic and cultural qualities. The scenic and natural beauty of the Piedmont is also on display as the byway travels through the Oconee National Forest, across the Oconee and Ogeechee Rivers, and past acres of rolling farmland. Scenic Byway Driving Tour picture, map and more info. |
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Lights on Macon Illumination Tour - Some of the city’s most resplendent homes are lit 365 days a year to showcase their unique architectural features on this free self-guided tour. Year round, nightly at dusk. For more information, call the Historic Macon Foundation at 478-742-5084 or the Macon-Bibb County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-768-3401. Tour goers will need to make reference to the Self-guided Tour brochure and map, which can be picked up at the downtown visitors center. Hours are daily at 8-11pm. Location: historic downtown Macon, GA
Memory Hill Cemetery was one of the four public squares in the 1803 town plan. Aughor Flannery O'Connor and Congressman Carl Vinson are among those buried here. Open daily. Phone: 478-452-4687 or toll free 800-653-1804. Address: 300 W Franklin St., Milledgeville, GA
Milstead 104 Dinky Steam Locomotive - The Dinky is a 1905 Rogers steam locomotive that hauled cotton bails from the main line to the textile mill on the Yellow River. It is permanently located across the tracks from the Conyers Depot. The locomotive once ran rail service between Conyers to the neighboring mill town of Milstead along 3.5 miles of rail. The engine is one of three left in the world. Visit any day, anytime. FREE parking. Open daily. Phone: 770-602-2606 or 800-266-9377 - Located at Main, Center, Commercial & Railroad Streets in Conyers Georgia
Monastery of the Holy Spirit - Founded in 1944 by a group of monks who practice self-sufficiency, cultivating their own food. The 2,000-acre grounds include a bonsai garden greenhouse, lake and plenty of great walking areas. It hosts service, tours and religious retreats. Call or visit web page for hours. Amenities: Parking, Public Restrooms, Accessibility for mobility-impaired. Phone: 770-483-8705 - Located in Conyers, Georgia
Monticello Crossroads Scenic Byway Drive Route - Pine forests and rolling pastures dominate the views along the Monticello Crossroads Scenic Byway as it runs through Jasper County. This 29-mile Byway emphasizes the rural and historic qualities of the area. Native Americans and evangelical Methodist Circuit Riders once used these routes as they crossed the state. Highway 83 was also part of the Seven Island Stage Coach Road that ran from Augusta to New Orleans and the Natchez Trace. Several structures and the central business district of Monticello have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Amenities: Parking and Accessibility for mobility-impaired. Phone: 706-468-8894 Locations are GA Hwys 11 & 83. |
Ocmulgee National Monument - See burial mounds, an earth lodge reconstructed over the original 1,000-year-old floor, an outline of a colonial trading post, and a museum. Open: Daily 9a.m.-5p.m.. Call for groups. Free. Amenities: Parking, Public Restrooms, Accessibility for mobility-impaired, Party Facilities. Phone: 478-752-8257 – Located in Macon, Georgia
Old Clinton Historic District - This pre-Civil War hamlet is the “town that time forgot.” Read the history on markers and enjoy the park. Georgia's early 19th century county seat. Only Clinton has survived sufficiently free of modern development to give an idea of the layout and appearance of this early New England town. Twelve houses built between 1808-1830 and the Methodist Church, 1821, still stand. Self-guided driving and walking tours. Free. Amenities: Parking and Accessibility for mobility-impaired.Address: US Hwy. 129, historic downtown Clinton, Georgia 31032
Perry Historic Walking/ Riding Tour is a FREE self-guided walking or driving tour of historical homes and significant sites in Perry. A brochure is available at the Perry Welcome Center. You can also call to get a free brochure mailed to you. Phone: 478-988-8000 - Address: 101 General Courtney Hodges Blvd., Perry, Georgia 31069
Rock Eagle Effigy - About 5,000 years old, this prehistoric rock effigy in the shape of an eagle is believed to have been built by a tribe of Creek Indians as a ceremonial meeting place. Open: Daily. Free to see. Address: 350 Rock Eagle Rd., Eatonton, GA 31024
Rose Hill Cemetery - Many famous Macon citizens rest here, including Civil War soldiers and Southern rock ‘n’ roll legend Duane Allman. Open: Daily until Sunset. Free to visit. Amenities: Parking and Accessibility for mobility-impaired. Phone: 478-751-9119 - Address: 1071 Riverside Dr, Macon, Georgia 31204
Oxford Community & Soldiers’ Cemetery - The Oxford community has thirty structures built in the 1800s, including the home where Confederate spy Zora Fair hid, at 1005 Asbury St. She disguised herself as a black while spying on the Union army in Atlanta. Two buildings on the Oxford College campus served as hospitals during the Civil War. Also see a cemetery with the graves of 25 Confederate soldiers. Open: Daily. Free admission. Amenities: Parking and Public Restrooms - Address: 440-458 W Moore Street, Oxford College Campus, Oxford, Georgia 30054 |
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