It’s Fall, Y’all! Get Ready for Leaf Season

It won’t be long before gorgeous red, gold and yellow leaves blanket our forests. Only Mother Nature knows when color will peak, but the most vibrant color is usually mid to late October through early November. Our Leaf Watch travel planner lists Top 10 Georgia State Parks for fall color, autumn events, cabins and campsites, hiking tips and more. Tag your best photos with #GaLeafWatch and #GaStateParks for a chance to be featured on Leaf Watch, Facebook and Instagram. Check Leaf Watch often for fall-color updates. 

Go Glamping in a Yurt Let’s go "glamping" this gorgeous fall season! Luxury-loving campers will sleep snugly in yurts at Cloudland Canyon, Red Top Mountain, High Falls, Fort Yargo, Tugaloo and Sweetwater Creek state parks. Made of wood and canvas, yurts feature a deck, picnic table and fire pit outside – plus futons, a heater, fan, electrical outlets and locking doors inside. Hot showers are just a short walk away. Mmmmm, s’mores, anyone?

Explore Parks After Dark After the sun goes down, take in the sights and sounds of evening during our “Parks After Dark” programs. Join park rangers for nighttime adventures such as owl prowls, full-moon paddles, campfire stories and sunset hikes. You can even explore the night sky in one of the best parks for astronomy in the country – Stephen C. Foster. Find an evening adventure near you.

Donate a Life Jacket; Save a Life Now that summer is over, we’ll help you clean out the garage and even help save lives. Georgia’s SPLASH Water Safety Campaign needs life jackets for more than 250 loaner boards at beaches, lakes and rivers. If you have unwanted Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs or life jackets) which are in good condition, you can donate them at many locations across Georgia. All sizes are needed, and they must be U.S. Coast Guard Approved. (Check the label.) Thank you for reducing drownings in Georgia!

Look Who’s In The News

Men’s Journal -- Amazing State Parks You Have to Visit During the Fall

Patch -- Fall Foliage Map 2018: When Autumn Leaves Peak In Georgia

U.S. News and World Report – 30 Destinations with Beautiful Fall Leaves

Atlanta Journal Constitution -- Head south for a star-gazing cruise, lesson in civil rights 

Cartersville Daily-Tribune -- Your State Park Day promotes volunteerism

365 Atlanta Traveler – Black Rock Mountain State Park

Atlanta Journal Constitution -- New horse trails open at state park on Lake Lanier shores

Halloween Happenings & Fall Celebrations

Celebrate the spooky season with haunted hayrides, fall festivals, trunk-or-treating for kids, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf and campsite decorating contests. Check out what’s happening in October, and find the perfect cabin or campsite with a view.

• Aesthetic Water Releases – Tallulah Gorge, Tallulah Falls – October 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 27 and 28
• Cave Tours – Clouldand Canyon, Rising Fawn – Several dates in October
• Fall Festival – Elijah Clark, Lincolnton – October 5 – 7
• Ghosts and Legends Tour – Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation, Darien – Fridays in October
• Battle of Allatoona Pass – Presented by Red Top Mountain at Allatoona Pass, Acworth – October 6-7
• Night Hike – Cloudland Canyon, Rising Fawn – October 12, 19 and 26
• Day Out with Thomas – Sam Shortline Train, Cordele – October 19, 20, 21, 27 and 28
• Haunted Stories and Campfire – Hard Labor Creek, Rutledge – October 12 and 26
• Swamper’s Guide to the Galaxy – Stephen C. Foster, Okefenokee Swamp – Fridays in October
• Crime and Punishment History Walk – Dahlonega Gold Museum, Dahlonega – October 13 and 14
• Kolomoki Festival – Kolomoki Mounds, Blakely – October 13
• Sunset Hike – Black Rock Mountain, Mountain City – October 6, 13, 20
• Pumpkin Carving Contest – Chattahoochee Bend, Newnan – October 26
• Zombie Archery – Magnolia Springs, Millen – October 26