Amazing views. Several beach areas. Picnic tables, garbage cans and some grills. $5 a day to get in.read more

This verdant area next to the dam offers a variety of activities including swimming beaches, picnic…read moreareas, and a trail. I abandoned the trail after a mile and a half because a snake was giving me the evil eye and wouldn't move, but it was a nice quiet forest. The trail passes various campgrounds and roads and the area still feels a bit urban, but for those without the time to go deep into the wilderness it is a nice option reasonably close to Augusta.

This is my 11th year bringing a groups of university students to learn about soils. Ruth Mead is a…read moresuper awesome person. She loves her job!

The name would be an ace Scrabble play if it weren't a proper noun (I assume; I see no explanation…read moreof where this word comes from on their website). The park scores high on its own merits, however. The area is substantial, and includes both boardwalks through some classic wetlands, an educational complex that includes a lab and a conference center, a playground, and a series of artificial wetlands created as part of a reclamation project. Despite the nearby local airport, I experienced minimal distractions. Though it wasn't the greatest weather day, I did see wildlife, including some fairly horrific-looking spiders and a raptor of some sort that allowed me to get unusually close (I stumbled on it before carefully walking away). Alligators were not visible, and in my experience they do tend to hide on colder days, but I definitely believe there were some around. It's a great resource for the community, and it's free. If I were local, I would be checking out the event calendar.

This extensive tract of land open for visitation is barely a minute from the center of town, most…read moreof that minute spent driving on a short dirt road. The woods are open to pedestrians and people on horses, though I did not see any horses. The trails are extensive and on foot it would take a full day to cover them all, particularly given the fact that they are quite sandy. What were marked as streams on the map seemed just to be sand as well with no water; these must be transient streams. The main paths were quite large, while some of the more peripheral trails meant for humans only were more solid ground and less sand, but were a bit overgrown. No facilities were available, but the place was free and was no trouble to get to.

Hitchcock woods has changed their policies and no longer allows commercial trail riding ventures…read moreinto the multi thousand acre woods. Since I do not own a horse, and since my two legs only take me so far, the crown jewel of Aiken is essentially unavailable to me, a non horse owner. Who needs more elitist policies?

Such a beautiful place to walk on a far and for pets. The loop is pretty strait forward and…read morebeautiful. Also, if you want food you can stop at a shop or restaurant halfway thru the trail. There is plenty of parking and well lite with cameras.

Great little walking loop, it gets hot though so be sure to get there early or late on summer days…read more Pretty nice to walk around the pond though. We also like that it runs by the brewhouse so we usually stop for a drink. FYI there is a walking trail through the woods on the southwest side of the lake that will get to the coffee & book place.

Still appears to be closed permanently/ indefinitely. The entrance in locked and looks abandonedread more

Trail is 1.5 miles and you can do the loop twice for 3 miles total. The parking lot is small. Can…read morefit only 8 cars max. The hill back to the parking lot is the real challenge when hiking back

Congaree National Park preserves the largest old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the…read moresoutheastern United States, which is what makes it a National Park. It is a primeval floodplain ecosystem, which is what makes it so beautiful! There are 11 trails at Congaree National Park, all featuring beautiful scenery and the value within nature. Beware of the mosquitoes! Because of this floodplain (body of water), this is a prime home for mosquitoes. They are known for their "Skeeter Meter," which is helpful in gauging the presence of mosquitoes. If you want to avoid the mosquitos, try to come during the Fall & Winter seasons, or during a drought. This park is 100% dog & RV friendly, and is a great place to take your kids!! Have fun, and take in the scenery!

What a beautiful National Park. To begin with entrance to the park is free. Drove in and headed to…read morethe visitor center. Bought a few souvenirs. We also watched a wonderful movie explaining the history of the park. From the visitor center we headed out on the wooden board walk that leads to the water about a mile and a half. Had a picnic lunch on the bench. Due to construction we ended up taking a dirt road back. Such a beautiful walk amongst the trees. If you have a dog this park is for you. We saw many people hiking with there dogs.

An awesome place where you can easily get lost when you are on the mountain and you will always…read morewant to go just a bit further to see what else there is around that strangely shaped boulder. If you like to meditate or just need a place to clear your head, this is the place. The parking is free and you can enter the park from two separate places. Watch where you walk though because the ecosystem there is fragile in places. Be sure to read the information at the beginnings of the trails as well as at separate places throughout the park. I highly recommend this park for its quiet and because it is much less crowded than other Atlanta parks.

Beautiful walk for you alone alone or easy enough with the kiddos. Great seeing the plant…read morediversity and learning.

It took me a minute to find this trailhead even with the signs, but there are enough people around…read morethat someone will point you in the right direction. If you are not an Intermediate skilled rider I would highly advise look before you leap. Literally!!! At this entrance, past the sign about 10 meters is a triple stairstep like hill going down which converges to a singletrack line in the woods then a sharp curve to the left. You can go with speed to the next obstacle or choose a very technical line because it opens up to a massive rock garden under a bridge followed by mini grand canyon of wash outs in the dirt before converging back to a single track. Note!! pay attention to the directions of the day (Clockwise or Counterclockwise). There are many little feeder paths running parallel to the railroad so stay on the path well worn (no pun intended). About .4 miles from the Canal Singletrack South Trailhead there is a storm water waste project currently being worked on. Do not make my mistake and follow the hay and dirt on the right side on the pond, it is not a trail!!! Stay to the left of the pond closest to Riverwatch Parkway and it will open up to the stormwater project area, but look for a well worn dirt hill and that will be your connection back to the trail. Had a wonderful cool ride in the forest, but lesson learned for the day was set your rebound and compression after your initial loop for a better ride.

I always start my runs here. Theres plenty of parking and nice views...though the location looks…read moresketchy, its not. Your property will be perfectly fine since it's a family area. I wish the park system would add-on a playground or a contained dog park area...that would be a wonderful addition to this system. You know, each trailhead should have its own attraction or personality. This trail meets with the Lake Olmstead Trailhead...most people think its all one trail.

On this rainy and chilly Sunday morning the park felt almost suspended in its own quiet, the kind…read moreof stillness you only get when the weather keeps everyone else home and you end up with the place to yourself. No one was camping or fishing or wandering the grounds (though I did see one park ranger pickup truck on patrol), which meant I had time with the real centerpiece of the park, the Watson Mill Covered Bridge, and the soft sound of the river underneath it carried farther than usual in the damp air. The bridge was built in 1885 by W. W. King, one of Georgia's most skilled nineteenth century bridge builders, and it remains the longest existing covered bridge in the state at 236 feet. It uses the Town lattice truss system, a design patented in 1820 that relies on a crisscross pattern of planks secured with wooden pegs, and Watson Mill is one of the best surviving examples of that method in the Southeast. The bridge once served the workers of the grist mill and sawmill that stood nearby, and it doubled as a community gathering place where people held picnics and even square dances. The Georgia Department of Transportation restored it in 1973, and the bridge became the anchor for the surrounding state park, which preserves both the structure and the landscape that supported it. The posted clearance was too low for my Sprinter van so I walked the length of the bridge instead, letting the boards creak underfoot and taking in the smell of wet timber that always feels older than the structure itself. There is no dedicated pedestrian lane, but the interior is wide enough that I could step to the side when a car approached, and the drivers moved slowly enough that it never felt unsafe. The combination of the rain, the quiet, and the long wooden tunnel made the whole experience feel like stepping back into the late nineteenth century for a few minutes. [Review 245 of 2026 - 942 in Georgia - 25434 overall]

Beautiful, just beautiful place to go hike walk enjoy peace and quiet family time or whatever you…read morewant. Lovely, beautiful place small country perfect setting.