After months of much-needed renovations, all hiking trails at Sweetwater Creek State Park have re-opened. Extensive work was done to improve safety and access to areas that had become eroded, including the bridge, stairs, overlook and decking. Hikers are welcome to explore this scenic park just west of Atlanta, best known for Civil War-era mill ruins. Upcoming ranger programs include a reptile reception on April 14, Civil War demonstrations on April 20, and a salamander meander on April 27. Yurts and tent campsites are available for overnight adventures.

Join park rangers to celebrate the great outdoors over Earth Day weekend. On April 20, Fort McAllister has planned an Earth Day Expo, Black Rock Mountain will highlight native plants, and Fort King George will host a hike to look for alligators, turtles and other wildlife. On April 21, Cloudland Canyon will offer a ranger-led hike and Sweetwater Creek invites you to build a bat house. Find more Earth Day programs on GaStateParks.org.

Travel back to the late 1800s at General Coffee State Park’s annual Pioneer Skills Day. On April 13, you can watch demonstrations from yesteryear, like spinning, sheep shearing, weaving, cast iron cooking and more. Be sure to explore the park's Heritage Farm with barnyard animals, as well as nature trails and a fishing lake.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is focused on creating adaptive outdoor opportunities for people of all abilities. The new Outdoors Beyond Barriers program will provide gateways for mobility-impaired Georgians to enjoy hunting, fishing and exploring the great outdoors. Guests will find all-terrain wheelchairs, adaptive kayak launches, ADA campsites and cottages, fully accessible fishing piers and more.

On April 12, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt suffered a fatal stroke while posing for a portrait at his beloved Little White House in Warm Springs. That unfinished painting now hangs in the site's museum. Join historians this April 12 at 11 a.m. for a commemorative ceremony on the historic site’s lawn, including a military band and color guard. Admission is free until 12:30 p.m. at Roosevelt's Little White House Historic Site.