Literally cannot say enough great things about Southern Cross Ranch. It has become kind of a…read moretradition for me to go on a trail ride for my birthday with my husband (who also shares my birthday) and my kiddo the last two years. Southern Cross is absolutely beautiful from the moment you pull in the drive you know it's a special place. We checked in at the main house and drove over to the barn where my family and I were able to meet all the horses love on them a little, meet the doggies and just take our time. When it was time for our ride we went and got the horses ourselves, brushed and loved on them, got them dressed and ready all by ourselves my kiddo was a beast picking up that saddle and carrying it she did fantastic!! The people guiding us were so nice letting us know what we needed to do and when but letting everyone do it mostly themselves. I loved it and ended up bonding so well with my horse, Borris. He was an absolute love bug and when I go back I hope I can ride him again he's the best! My kiddo had Troy and my husband had Amos who was gorgeous! We even got to see a mama and baby horse my daughter was smitten! We had such a great time and it was a relatively easy ride with no large drops or tight places. We rode through a creek which I thought was the best part of the whole ride hearing the horses hooves splashing through the water was so cool! Even my kiddo who has only gone riding one other time before loved it and is already planning her next trip back! Definitely THE place to go if you love trail riding and beautiful scenery. They cater to beginner, intermediate and advanced riders. If you love riding or want to try it for the first time this place is the best check it out!!

What a wonderful place, stayed one night on a mother/daughter trip. The place is a hidden gem in…read moreGeorgia. They have about 100 horses and do a fantastic job of caring for the horses and property. They rotate the horses that ride in order to give them plenty of down time to rest and enjoy. It is a family run business and they make you feel so welcomed. They offer various packages on your stay. You can choose bed and breakfast, all three meals and stay, or two horse back rides a day and stay. Each room comes with its own bathroom and everything was comfortable. You feel like you are coming home to your mom's house. Horse back riding was around 9:15am and 2:15pm each day. Meals times change per season by was 8am, 1pm, and 6pm. Food was good and unlimited soft drinks and tea. If you want to bring alcohol, they make available refrig to store. They also have a kitchen in the main house that you can store your items needing refrig or frozen. You can walk the pasture and/or hang out at the barn. They welcome feeding behind the fence as well and have food for you to feed the horses in the barn. The riding was great, they have you saddle up the horses and still give you about two hours ride time. Beautiful property. Depending on your riding ability they let you go on your own to ride too. It was such a wonderful stay and plan to be back again for another visit in the future. This was the highlight of our trip.

We had such a wonderful time camping here. The employees at the trading post are beyond friendly…read moreand helpful. And so very patient in assisting us. The campground itself is wonderful. The sites are well maintained and there are plenty of sites that accommodate our 43 foot camper. There are some premium sites that pull through. Just exercise caution with some of those because you could see where some campers dragged trying to get into those. The bath houses are very clean and modern. They also have 20 cabins you can rent. A fair number have been remodeled and those are really nice. We had a great time and are already planning our next trip.

Most dilapidated hiking spot in GA. Green trail just disappears at times. Arrows are torn off of…read moretrees pointing no where. Looks like they haven't taken care of the trail in six months. Trees have fallen everywhere. Overgrowth covering the trail where you have to duck and squeeze through the foliage and like I said trail just ends going no where; thankfully I had all trails to point me the right way. This absolutely disgrace of tax payer money and $10 dollar parking is a waste of your time. You have a better chance parking in front of a random forest and walking in with hopes and prayers. Avoid at all cost.

Hill Park in Madison, Georgia is a four-acre neighborhood park with pickleball and tennis courts, a…read moreplayground, picnic areas, and open green space. It's the city's oldest public park, donated in 1919 by Belle Hill Knight. Situated on South Main Street between Park Lane and Crawford Street, Hill Park blends recreation with community charm. Belle Hill Knight, daughter of Senator Joshua Hill, gifted the land to Madison in 1919, establishing its first public park and rooting it in local history. Today, the park is especially known for its six outdoor pickleball courts, with permanent nets and concrete surfaces. These free courts draw regular players from the area. The park also includes two tennis courts, a playground, grills, picnic tables, and on-site parking--making it a flexible space for families, athletes, and gatherings. A light drizzle kept the courts empty today, though a few walkers circled the loop. Hill Park is open daily from dawn to dusk. [Review 1267 of 2025 - 836 in Georgia - 24819 overall]

This is the best lake, hands-down. The views are incredible and there is just the right amount of…read morecalm and action. Reynolds has beautiful neighborhoods that surround a lot of the waterfront homes.

I get emotional when I think about Lake Oconee for many reasons. Firstly, it was the site of my…read morefirst fishing trip with my two youngest sons, but also because of memories from my past. PERSONAL STORY You see, when I was 9 years old my dad took me on a fishing trip. It was my 1st fishing trip ever and it didn't go very well. I caught most all the fish and although he never said, it seemed to upset him and he spent the remainder of the trip intoxicated. I made a promise to myself that someday when I had a son I would take him fishing and give him a better experience. My father gave us a great life, but occasionally alcohol got the better of him. I was 30 years old when he died. My sisters and mother were too overwhelmed with grief to get up & speak at his funeral, so the delivery of his eulogy fell into my hands. Forced into overcoming my resentment for his years of drinking (and my years of embarrassment), it was only then that I realized alcohol was the one flaw in a genuinely likable and hard working guy that got along with everyone. To him providing a home, groceries, education and life's necessities was being more of a father than HE ever had... and I wept. I still weep to this day with sorrow over my young and foolish attitude. I know now the pressures of living up to not only others expectations, but your own as well (especially when you don't feel capable and sure of yourself). I often think about how he must have felt as a young father doing the best he could and not have his only son appreciate him. I never gave much thought to it before and unfortunately for me my appreciation came too late. I couldn't hug him or tell him I'm sorry for not valuing him. So instead I've try to honor him by being the best father I know how to be. THE EXPERIENCE I have a good friend whom owns a wonderful property on Lake Oconee with lots of lake frontage. He gave me a set of keys to go spend time at his cabin anytime we want and one weekend we decided to make use of his generous offer. It was our first family fishing trip and we caught a total of 6 catfish over three days of fishing. Pretty pathetic huh? LOL The highlight of the trip came on our last day at the lake house. After spending a day on the lake only having caught a few small fish, my son was determined to hook a 'big' fish all by himself. He stayed on the dock for over two hours patiently waiting for a nibble. We were sitting on the porch of the cabin when all of the sudden I hear "DAD, DAD!" As he walks uphill from the lake with a plastic container, he sets the container down and grabs his fishing rod (still attached to the fish). I could tell it was a significant sized catfish by the bend in the rod as he lifted. He was so proud to have caught the biggest fish and we celebrated by skinning all the fish and cooking them for dinner. We finished the evening under the stars eating ice cream (even though it was a little too cold outside). That was 4 years ago and still one of the best weekends ever. We've also spent summer days here BBQing and just enjoying the lake with our friends. Most of my pics are from one of the residential coves where the water is a little more murky and shallow. FINAL THOUGHTS Lake Oconee was created in 1979 when Georgia Power Company built Wallace Dam in Greene County, Georgia. It is a wonderful place to unwind and disconnect from the busy-ness of life. There are excellent opportunities for boating, fishing, camping, antiquing, dining, shopping and historic sight-seeing all around the lake. In addition you can go geocaching, rent lake charters, tubing, jet skiing, kayaking and attend festivals. I will forever be grateful for the fun times we've had as family building memories on this lake. Remember to take time and honor those in your life this Holiday Season, even if they haven't been the person you wanted them to be. Maybe, just maybe they did the best they knew how. For a calendar of events, use this link: http://www.visitlakeoconee.com/whats-going-on-overview.htm Be sure to click "watch our video"

Clay shooting is amazing, first time shooting skeet, and we had a good time. Will be returning, and…read morerecommend.

wonderful place ! very well kept , great staff . This shooting venue , is set up for all skill…read morelevels , and they have skeet , trap , and 3 or 4 sporting clay courses . Bird hunting in season . A wonderful pro shop with knowledgeable staff that can fit and answer questions about anything . I give this place a thumbs up .

One of 2 options on Lake Ocone for a workout. Large spacious facilities. Open 24/7 with pass key…read more Safe anytime day or night. Very well lit parking and door entry. Complete gym package. Plenty of machines so that your options without a wait are available. "Trainers" are there if you want one as well as group classes. Monthly calendar is posted so that you can attempt to work your schedule around the class times. Most are during the day do working people can't attend. Free day care during busy hours and 2 tanning beds, that are well maintained are part of the monthly fees.

We use this gym when we are in town visiting family and have found it to be a great facility. It…read morehas facilities that can meet whatever fitness goal and capability a person might have: a variety of options for aerobic exercise from bikes/eliptical/treadmill to group activities; joint-friendly strength machines; free weights and more. What's more, you can go whenever your schedule allows.

So much fun on Lake Oconee. Great visit and so much fun with my relatives and friendsread more

I tried to play golf for the first time in 7 months. I had injured my leg last year and really…read morewanted to play. I thought, I would stay near the cart, and take it easy. Beautiful day it was 72 and sunny. It had not rained in a couple of days so the ground was dry. Everything was perfect. I walk in with my cane and payed over $200. I get to the tee box and the guy tells us cart path only. So here I am pushing my leg. I even started picking up my ball if it was not a good shot. I am extremely disappointed that they did not say anything to me in the pro shop when I walked in with my cane. One of the Rangers noticed that I was struggling and ask if they would allow me to have the blue flag if I wouldn't stay in the fairways. Answer from the manager was no. Again it was a beautiful day in the ground was not wet. I think that is pretty sad.

Mark Smith is a great guide, knows the lake and where the stripers hide out. My wife and were at…read moreReynolds for our anniversary and went out fishing on Oconee with Mark. We had a great time and caught plenty of stripers. Highly recommend Mark if you are in the area and want to fish Oconee.

Mark is so generous and fun to be around. He told us everything we wanted to know and more about…read morethe geology and history of the area.