The holidays are right around the corner, so time to start planning and shopping. Looking for a unique gift for the holiday season? Give your friends and family the gift of the outdoors. Wow them with waterfalls, lakes, and swamps; surprise them with trails, geocaching, and mountain tops; and excite them with overnight stays in yurts, cabins, and cottages. Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites have amazing gift ideas for every outdoor enthusiast this year.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications now through Nov. 30 for its 2024 Career Academy, a week-long summer camp for current 9th, 10th, and 11th graders interested in exploring careers in natural resources management.

Amicalola Falls State Park, a crown jewel for Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites, celebrated the opening of a new visitor center, thanks in part to a grant from the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program. State and local leaders, Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials, members of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund Board of Trustees, and others gathered for the ribbon-cutting at the new Amicalola Falls State Park Visitor Center.

Effective October 16, the lake at Little Ocmulgee State Park will be temporarily closed to public use. The lake will be lowered to allow construction of a new bulkhead retaining wall along the shoreline behind the park’s 10 rental cabins.

Several Department of Natural Resources employees were honored recently during the annual Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites Managers Conference. An awards ceremony was held October 3 to celebrate those who make more than 60 State Parks and Historic Sites outstanding destinations for Georgia’s citizens and visitors. They also attended training sessions and shared ideas on park operations. Below are this year’s award winners, and more information on each site can be found on GaStateParks.org.

Madison County native Ray Smith has been promoted to Assistant Director for Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, a Division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). For the last three years, Smith has been the Region Supervisor for the Thomson region of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the appointment of two new deputy commissioners: Thomas Barnard as Deputy Commissioner for Operations and Trevor Santos as Deputy Commissioner for Governmental and Public Affairs, Communications, and Grants.

“I am pleased to congratulate Thomas and Trevor on their new roles with the DNR team,” said Commissioner Walter Rabon. “Both of these individuals have a wealth of experience and expertise in their respective fields, and I am confident that they will be valuable assets to our agency as we work to protect and conserve Georgia’s natural resources.”