What's There To Do in a Georgia State Park? Lots!

 Having been born and raised in Georgia, it took me quite a few years to learn that as a child, I was deprived of a few things.  Now before you think this post will be one in which I go for an all out assault on the failings of my parents...think again.  In fact, I'm extremely grateful for their guidance and support.  Without them and their examples, I wouldn't be half the man, or father, that I am today!  No, as a father, I understand that there are many things that we shield, or deprive (depending on your perspective), our children from.  Most of these things are for their own good...their protection.  The gist of my post today is, and I say this with a bit of a chuckle, is that my parents deprived me of our wonderful Georgia State Parks!  Shame on them..LOL!  How dare they?!  Instead of chasing me around the Little League parks and the Midget Football fields, they could have taken me hiking, camping, or fishing!  In spite of working 60 hour weeks and raising two boys, couldn't they have found time for that?  Oh well, I'll just have to find it in my heart to forgive them for that slight oversight...I guess.

Okay, on a more serious note now....I have to admit that I'm amazed at how many times I've mentioned the fun that we have in our Georgia State Parks to friends and family only to get a somewhat puzzled look as a response.  It's as if they are wondering, "What's there to do in a Georgia State Park?"  Well...there are lots of things to do in our state parks!  Let's examine a few.  Shall we?

One of the first things, and perhaps the most simple thing to do in a Georgia State Park is to have a picnic.  Yes!  A picnic!  Have you had one lately?  Why not take your family out to a nearby state park and have a picnic.  While you are there, check out the lake, the campsites, and the trails....make a day of it.  How hard is it to pack a picnic anyway?  You'll find that all of our Georgia State Parks are very accommodating for picnics.  And talk about the atmosphere???  No stuffiness here, just the beauty of nature!

Another wonderful thing to do in a Georgia State Park is fishing!  Oh yes!  Catch a big one in one of Georgia's beautifully maintained lakes.  And if you're not sure where the hot spots are, be sure to talk to one of the friendly Rangers.  They will be more than happy to help you catch as many fish as you want.  Fishing from the bank or a boat is always a great thing to do in a Georgia State Park!

Have you ever been geocaching?  Well, it is a relatively new hobby that I've posted about often and you can do that in a our state parks too.  Built in to the fun of geocaching is the fact that you have to get out on the trails and into the woods to find the prize.  All the while that you are challenging your sleuthing skills, your getting great exercise!  How convenient?!  Yes, our Georgia State Parks are great friends with the Geocaching community.  Currently, over 42 of our parks have state sponsored caches in them.  So if you've never tried geocaching, why not make your first geocaching experience in a Georgia State Park?  For more information about geocaching, read some of my previous posts, or check out the website www.geocaching.com

Hiking is a great activity offered in Georgia's State Parks.  Many parks offer multiple trails with varying degrees of difficulties.  Whether you're out for a leisurely "nature trail" type of hike, or a more challenging "Bear Hair Gap Trail", you'll find your pleasure in our Georgia State Parks.

Take pictures...lots of pictures!  While our Georgia State Parks present some outstanding sightseeing opportunities from waterfalls to Indian Mounds to mountain tops, you should be prepared to capture some of those moments so that you can share them with others.  Much of what you'll see in our state parks are historical in context, so in addition to taking some spectacular photos, the sights themselves may even lead you to enjoy doing a bit of research to further enhance your trip.  Who knew you could learn so much in a Georgia State Park?!

Finally, I saved my most favorite thing to do in a Georgia State Park for last!  My most favorite, best, coolest (insert any other adjective that means "lots of enjoyment or fun" here) thing to do in a Georgia State Park is CAMPING!!!  I love to camp in our state parks!  And why not?  Have you seen some of our fantastic campgrounds?  The amenities are second to none and we have the best hosts in the world!  Everyone from the campground hosts to the volunteers that keep the parks clean...they are the best!  You're sure to have a pleasurable experience in one of our Georgia State Park campgrounds.  Personally, we prefer tent camping, but if you're into RV camping, you'll find ample hookups in our parks.  If you've never camped in one of our Georgia State Parks, you're missing out...just do it!

While there are many other things to do in our parks, this is my list, my unashamed solicitation to you for our Georgia State Parks and all that they have to offer.  The Life Outside My Door family loves our Georgia State Parks and we're sure that you will too.  Find one today!

For more information on Georgia State Parks, please visit their website by clicking here:  Georgia State Parks