Georgia’s scenic mountains, lakes, rivers, and coastal areas offer a wide range of recreational opportunities. Many of the recreational facilities are located in the numerous state parks. There are also a number of historic places of interest in Georgia, many of them associated with the American Civil War (1861-1865). Other tourist attractions include the picturesque Sea Islands, the Blue Ridge, and the health resort of Warm Springs.

National Parks

The National Park Service administers several units in Georgia. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park lies in northwestern Georgia and in southeastern Tennessee. The Georgia section marks the site of the Civil War Battle of Chickamauga in 1863. Another Civil War engagement, the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, in 1864, is commemorated in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, near Atlanta. Fort Pulaski National Monument, near Savannah, contains the restored walls of a Confederate stronghold. Andersonville National Historic Site, in west-central Georgia, commemorates the thousands of Union soldiers who were imprisoned and died at the infamous Andersonville prison during the Civil War. In 1998 the National Prisoner of War Museum was opened at the Andersonville National Historic Site. The new museum examines the experiences of prisoners in the Civil War as well as many other conflicts.

In Ocmulgee National Monument, near Macon, are the ruins of Native American villages and prehistoric ceremonial mounds. Fort Frederica National Monument, on Saint Simons Island, one of the Sea Islands, contains the ruin of an early 18th-century British military post. The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, in Atlanta, contains the birthplace, church, and grave of the civil rights leader. A visitor center at the site offers films and exhibits on Dr. King and his involvement in movements for racial justice. The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, in Plains, contains the 39th president’s residence, boyhood home, and high school in addition to exhibiting rural southern culture.

Other areas within the state that are administered by the federal government include the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, a wilderness tract 1,600 sq km (620 sq mi) in area in Okefenokee Swamp. Seven wildlife refuges are administered under the umbrella of the Savannah Coastal National Wildlife Refuges, protecting wildlife environments from Hilton Head, South Carolina, to Wolf Island near Darien, Georgia. Wassaw Island and Little Wassaw Island, situated at the mouth of the Savannah River, is a wildlife refuge restricted to those doing scientific observation. Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, near Round Oak, is a reforested tract near the center of the state containing a complex environment of wetlands. The Cumberland Island National Seashore, accessible only by tour boat, preserves a large section of coastal island, including unspoiled beaches, marshes, and freshwater lakes.

National Forests

The two national forests in Georgia contain numerous recreational areas, many of them with facilities for swimming, picnicking, and camping. Chattahoochee National Forest is a scenic area of mountains, lakes, and forests in northern Georgia. Within the park lies Brasstown Bald Mountain, which is the highest peak in the state. Oconee National Forest is situated in central Georgia.

State Parks

Georgia has 59 state parks and historic sites. Most of the parks have been developed as recreational areas with picnicking sites, cottages, bathhouses, and playgrounds. The largest state parks, each with an area of more than 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres), are Hard Labor Creek State Park in north central Georgia and Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in western Georgia. Vogel State Park, which is within Chattahochee National Forest, is crossed by the Appalachian Trail. It lies in a scenic area of the Blue Ridge that was once inhabited by the Cherokee. Indian Springs State Park in north central Georgia is the site of a mineral spring once used by the Creek and from which people still collect water daily.

Alexander H. Stephens Memorial State Historic Park, in north central Georgia, was named in honor of a famous Georgian statesman who was vice president of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Among other state parks are Magnolia Springs State Park, and Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park. Kolomoki Mounds State Park centers on a huge Native American mound and is the site of other mounds. There is also a museum in the park (see Mound Builders).

Museums

The noted High Museum of Art, in Atlanta, has an important collection of works by European masters, in addition to paintings by early and contemporary American artists. There are also collections of American paintings in the Georgia Museum of Art of the University of Georgia and in the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, in Savannah. Other notable museums in the state include the Atlanta History Center and SciTrek, a science and technology museum, both in Atlanta, and the Augusta Museum of History, in Augusta. The Atlanta History Center maintains one of the largest urban museums in the country, with permanent exhibits on the Civil War and the history of the city. Atlanta is also home to the Carter Presidential Center, dedicated to the presidency of Jimmy Carter. The center includes a library and museum.

Other Places to Visit

The Cyclorama Building, in Atlanta, contains a three-dimensional painting-in-the-round some 109 m (385 ft) long of the Battle of Atlanta. The painting, said to be one of the largest murals in the world, depicts a panoramic view of the Civil War battle and forms the background for lifelike models of soldiers arranged in a battle setting. Stone Mountain Memorial Park, northeast of Atlanta, is the site of a huge memorial to the Confederacy, with images of Confederate leaders carved on the face of Stone Mountain. Also in the park are a museum and a scenic railroad.

The African-American Panoramic Experience (APEX) is a museum dedicated to black American history. It is noted for its rare collection of records and documents on black history.

Jefferson Davis Memorial Park, north of Irwinville, marks the site where Davis, president of the Confederacy, was captured by Union troops in 1865. In addition to the home of native Jimmy Carter, Georgia also contains another well-known site associated with a U.S. president. The Little White House, at the city of Warm Springs, was built for the use of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He died there, and the structure and grounds, including a museum, now serve as a memorial in his honor. The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta includes a full-size replica of the White House’s Oval Office.

Other sites associated with famous people include the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, which is maintained by the Girl Scouts as a memorial to the organization’s founder. Wren’s Nest, in Atlanta, was the home of Joel Chandler Harris, author of the popular Uncle Remus stories. Zoo Atlanta was completely renovated in the 1980s and now features animal exhibits in natural settings. Callaway Gardens is a botanical garden open year-round for educational as well as recreational use. The large garden complex is located north of Columbus in Pine Mountain.

Dahlonega, in northern Georgia, was the site of one of the country’s first important gold discoveries. It is now the site of a museum where gold-mining equipment is displayed. Visitors may try panning for gold.

Etowah Indian Mounds, near Cartersville, is the site of at least six large mounds and other remains of a Native American village. One mound, covering about 1.2 hectares (about 3 acres) is one of the nation’s largest known.