- Unicoi State Park
Unicoi State Park & Lodge is a 1,050-
acre (4.25 km2)state park located immediately north-northeast ofHelen, Georgia in the northeastern portion of the state. The centerpiece of the park is 53-acre (21.4-hectare) Unicoi Lake on Smith Creek. The park is especially popular inOctober , when theautumn leaves in theforest change colors. [ [http://www.gastateparks.org/info/unicoi/ GA State Park] ]Entry to the park is from
Georgia 356 , just off ofGeorgia 75 (NorthMain Street in Helen). Georgia 75 Alt allows visitors coming from the south viaCleveland, Georgia to bypass the massivetraffic jam s on 75 through the town during weekends, holidays, andOktoberfest . The park also allows access toAnna Ruby Falls , owned by theU.S. Forest Service and run by the non-profitCradle of Forestry . Separateparking fees must be paid for the park and the falls.In
August 2005 , some damage occurred to the park when atornado spawned byHurricane Katrina touched-down in part of the town of Helen, and then traveled north through the park. According to signs posted, some relatively minor damage occurred to thelodge , and 15 acres (six hectares) oftree s were downed. The trees were logged fortimber , and smallcontrolled burn s were used to eliminate excessive deadvegetation , while the branches from the timber were turned intomulch used in the park.As of 2008 , any remaining damage is not obvious.Facilities
*82 tent, trailer,
RV campsites
*33 walk-in campsites
*Squirrel's Nestcamping shelters
*30cottage s
*100-room lodge andconference center withwireless Internet service
*Restaurant
*53-acre lake and beach
*4tennis court s
*6picnic shelters
*Meeting facilitiesActivities
*
Hiking - convert|12|mi|km of trails
*Mountain biking - convert|8|mi|km of trails
*Fishing - accessible docks
*Swimming
*Canoe andpedal boat rental (seasonal)Annual events
*Visiting Artist Series (September through November)
*Saturday Evening Music Concerts (September through November)
*Outdoor Adventure Day (September)
*Deck the Halls (December)References
External links
* [http://gastateparks.org/info/unicoi Official website]
* [http://www.unicoistatepark.org/ General info]
* [http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Unicoi_State_Park/ Ngeorgia.com]
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