35 Natural Wonders

Wonderful article in the AJC by Charles Seabrook. Many of these places have been featured on Georgia Outdoors. When our GPB website is back up and running at full capacity I'll come back and link these places with Georgia Outdoors episode that features them. Check back soon!

Originally printed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on 02/03/08

Bookstores are filled now with such titles as "1000 Places You Must See Before You Die" and "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die." Everywhere you turn, in fact, there are lists suggesting things you should do, see, read, taste or listen to before you die. So, I've come up with my own list — 35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See Before You Die. You might have candidates of your own, but here are mine:

1. Okefenokee Swamp. World-famous wetland.

2. Marshes of Glynn. Far-as-the-eye-can-see coastal salt marshes that inspired poet Sydney Lanier to write his famous poem.

3. Cumberland Island National Seashore. Former President Jimmy Carter called it one of his most favorite places on Earth.

4. Ossabaw Island. Unspoiled barrier isle; amazing natural beauty.

5. Cabretta Beach, Sapelo Island. One of Atlantic coast's most beautiful undeveloped beaches.

6. Woody Pond, Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge (McIntosh County). In spring, thousands of egrets, herons and endangered wood storks form spectacular nesting colonies.

7. Ebenezer Creek (Effingham County). National Natural Landmark; harbors 1,000 year-old bald cypress trees with huge buttresses eight to twelve feet wide.

8. Altamaha River. Lower Altamaha called "Georgia's Amazon" for the lush, jungle-like growth along its banks; river's entire 137 miles unfettered by dams.

9. Broxton Rocks Ecological Preserve (Coffee County). Rugged sandstone rock outcrop deep in South Georgia; sculpted over centuries by water into fissures and shallow ravines that are now havens for many rare plants.

10. Ohoopee Dunes State Natural Area (Emanuel County). Sometimes called "Georgia's Desert" because of its dry, sandy soil and scrubby vegetation. Biologists call it an "enchanting environment."

11. Wade Tract Preserve (Thomas County). Privately-owned 200-acre swath of old-growth long leaf pine and wire grass; one of few remaining examples of great long leaf forest that once covered Coastal Plains region.

12. Providence Canyon State Park (Stewart County). Eroded land that transformed into a place of great beauty; sometimes called Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon."

13. Doe Run Pitcher Plant Bog Natural Area (Colquitt County). Lush growths of carnivorous pitcher plants in spring.

14. Pine Mountain (Harris County). Spectacular view from Dowdell's Knob of valley below; President Franklin D. Roosevelt often came here to picnic and meditate.

15. Warm Springs (Meriwether County). Naturally warm, soothing water bubbling from Earth; FDR came here for treatment of polio.

16. Oaky Woods Wildlife Management Area (Houston County). See for yourself why conservationists are intent on saving from development this place of roaming black bears and rare wildflower habitats.

17. George L. Smith State Park (Emanuel County). Bald cypresses growing in pond are magnificent in fall when they take on their orangish-bonze tints.

18. Sprewell Bluff State Park (Upson/Talbot counties). Little known gem on Flint River, which is one of South's most beautiful and interesting streams; 3-mile trail offers superb views of river and rocky cliffs.

19. Palisades unit, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Spectacular greenspace in midst of sprawling, bustling metro Atlanta.

20. Graves Mountain (Lincoln County). Rockhounds from all over world come here for amazing array of rocks and minerals.

21. Stone Mountain/Arabia-Davidson Mountain/Panola Mountain. Huge geological wonders that sport some of Georgia's most colorful arrays of wildlflowers in spring and fall.

22. Tallulah Gorge (Rabun County). Hard granite walls fall perpendicular to land above, forming steep cliffs.

23. Amicalola Falls State Park (Dawson County). Falls plunge 729 feet in seven cascades; highest waterfall east of Mississippi River.

24. Richard Russell Scenic Highway. 14-mile-long road is not natural, but it winds through some of the most splendid mountain scenery in the Southeast. Along the way are trailheads to waterfalls and scenic spots.

25. Cloudland Canyon (Dade County). One of Georgia's most scenic state parks; rugged geology and beautiful vistas.

26. Brasstown Bald (Chattahoochee National Forest). At 4,784 feet above sea level, it's Georgia's highest mountain; four states can be seen from top.

27. Rabun Bald (Chattahoochee National Forest). Rivals Brasstown Bald in elevation and spectacular views.

28. The Pocket, Pigeon Mountain. (Walker County). Lush growths of colorful spring and fall wildflowers in a beautiful setting.

29. Rocktown, Pigeon Mountain. Stunning, house-size boulders make it a rival of its famous cousin, Rock City near Chattanooga.

30. McLemore Cove (Walker County). One of Southeast's most picturesque mountain valleys.

31. Chattooga River (along Georgia-South Carolina border). Untamed and unimpeded; wild and rugged.

32. Sosebee Cove (Chattahoochee National Forest). High elevation, north-facing cove forest; rich diversity of shade tolerant trees, shrubs and wildflowers.

33. Cooper Creek Scenic Area (Chattahoochee National Forest). Harbors large hemlocks and white pines, some with bases as big as four feet in diameter.

34. Raven Cliffs Falls (Raven Cliffs Wilderness Area). Splendid waterfalls; trail to them almost equally stunning.

35. Anna Ruby Falls (Unicoi State Park, White County). A must-see for visitors.