Page 9 - Macon VG 2020

Macon:
A Haven for Ocmulgee Mounds
National Historical Park
Outdoor Adventure

Macon is an endless source of outdoor
adventure that is sure to be good for the soul.
Running through and around this dynamic city
is an extensive network of parks and walking
trails. One of these is the 11-mile Ocmulgee
Heritage Trail that connects downtown with the
Ocmulgee River.
Macon recently achieved another level of
success with the re-designation of Ocmulgee
Mounds National Historical Park – previously
known as Ocmulgee National Monument.
The park is a cultural treasure and a must-
see destination.
“Macon and this part of the state are unique
in the fact that with the archaeological work that
was done here in the 1930s, we can prove that this
area has been used since the Ice Age,” said Jim David,
retired superintendent for the park.
While it features a museum that covers
17,000 years of local heritage, earth mounds
dating back to 900 AD, the only reconstructed
earth lodge with its original lodge floor in the
world, and Civil War battlefields, the 702 acres
of fields, forest and wetlands also contain eight
miles of trails, picnic areas, boardwalks and
bridges, and a creek, river and clay pond where
fishing is allowed.
If you’d rather be on the water than by
it, outfitters in the area can supply you with
canoes and kayaks for a paddling trip down the
Ocmulgee River.
Just outside Macon, Lake Tobesofkee is
a year-round recreation area with 35 miles
of shoreline, white sandy beaches, spacious
camping and RV sites, water activities from
swimming and fishing to boating and
water skiing.
However you like to spend time outdoors,
Macon’s trails, river, lake and recreation facilities
are amazing places to enjoy the sunshine.

~by Bonnie Hunter

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