Quick stop over in Georgia
Our next stop heading north is F. D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia for a quick 4-night stay.
We’ve heard from several RVing friends that this is a favorite of theirs. While we found it a very nice campground and we did enjoy our waterfront view, we wouldn’t say it’s a “favorite” but we did agree we would come back to experience a few things.
The Park
F. D. Roosevelt State Park is Georgia’s largest State Park coming in at 9,049 acres and spanning two quaint towns; Pine Mountain and Warm Springs.
The park is considered a hiker paradise with 40 miles of trails that wind through hardwood and pines, over creeks and past small waterfalls. There is even challenging terrain with climbs which surprises some folks considering you are just 80-miles outside the metropolis of Atlanta.
The park is named for former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who sought a treatment for his paralytic illness in nearby Warm Springs at his estate aptly named, the Little White House. FDR made a huge impact on this small community that you can still see and feel today.
Things we did:
Tour of the Little White House
Poignant and profound, Roosevelt’s Little White House stands as testimony to the neighborly association of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the citizens of Georgia, the nation and the world, bears witness to his battles against the dreaded illness of polio, economic depression and world tyranny, and stands as a moment frozen in time when the world heard of his death there on April 12, 1945.
Georgia State Park website
This quote couldn’t be more true nor more moving, which is what we experienced while walking through the halls of history at this State Park Historic Site. We met friendly and knowledgeable rangers eager to tell the proud heritage of the tiny town (Warm Springs) and the larger than life FDR.
If you are in the area, this is a definite must see!
Hiking
Because of our short stay, we cherry-picked the recommends from All Trails which led us to these two “walks in the woods”.
Pine Mountain Trail to Cascade Falls. Although the entire Pine Mountain Trail is the premier trail and spans the entire length clocking in at almost 40 miles, there are several off-shoots or loops that us moderate day hikers can enjoy.
For our first hike we chose the 4.6-mile out/back trail to see three different waterfalls. (Cascade Falls, Slippery Rock Falls, Big Rock Falls). The hike was peaceful and easy.
The trees had their new green leaves and the mountain laurel were just starting to bloom. Overall, it was a pleasant day of hiking.
Dowdell Knob and Boot Top Trail Loop. This trail is a moderate 5-mile loop with signage that is easy to follow and a few climbs. All Trails considers it “moderate” and I’m guessing it is for the climbs as well as the rocky terrain you will encounter. There are a few sparse big views but generally you will experience a pleasant hike in the woods.
For us, the bests view is from the parking lot and the most memorable was arriving at the trail head to the statue of FDR, the American Flag and the information explaining that this was a favorite spot of the former president to picnic.
Callaway Gardens
Next, we gave a full day to Callaway Gardens! We were desperately hoping to catch the azaleas 🌺in bloom but alas….a cold snap just before our arrival did them in 😔. Albeit, the gardens weren’t in full bloom, it was still a beautiful place to visit.
Some of our more memorable highlights were:
- Cecil B. Day Butterfly Garden
- Birds of Prey Exhibit
- Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel
- Mega Bugs [near the Playground]
And so much more!
For some reason we were under the impression you weren’t able to bring electric assisted bicycles into the park (we later learned that you can) having paid for the rental we thought 💭“how bad can they be”, well….. famous last words! 😁 We definitely got a workout traversing the 10+ miles of trail system. If you aren’t so inclined to peddle your way around the park, you are allowed to drive to trail heads and then walk short distances to the highlights.
A couple of notable things to add: If you purchase admission and add-ons in advance you get a substantial price break. We chose a package that included entry ticket $20, bike rental $10 and a box lunch $11 which saved us almost $25 per person than if we had purchased at the gate.
In Closing
We enjoyed our visit to Pine Mountain Georgia. It was a great way to ease into our 2023 travels and we’d like to come back at different times of the year to experience the various flora in different seasons.
Stay tuned for lots of posts and more importantly….. photographs by James Frazier (aka Mike).
Dream Big….Travel Far….Live Well
Photography
Many of these highlighted photographs can be purchased through our website and made into wall art, tapestries, t-shirts and more. If you see something you like without a link, please go here to our Georgia Photography website page Nspired Eye Photography
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