Smithgall Woods Conservation Area
State park in Helen, Georgia, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Smithgall Woods Conservation Area and Lodge is a 5,844 acres (9.13 sq mi; 23.65 km2) Georgia state park, lodge and protected wilderness area near Helen, Georgia. It contains old growth forests, 12 miles of trout streams, and populations of wild turkeys, bears and deer.[1]
| Smithgall Woods Conservation Area and Lodge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
The Lodge at Smithgall Woods | |
 Interactive map of Smithgall Woods Conservation Area and Lodge | |
| Location | White County, Georgia, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Helen |
| Coordinates | 34°41′28″N 83°46′05″W |
| Area | 5,844 acres (9.13 sq mi; 23.65 km2) |
| Operator | Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites |
| Website | gastateparks |
The area is named for Charles A. Smithgall Jr., a Georgia publisher, broadcaster and philanthropist who sold the property to the state in 1994 for half its appraised value. He had assembled the acreage in the 1970s and had a team clear trash, restock streams and plant thousands of trees. In a 1988 interview Smithgall was quoted, "At some point, a man has to put something back. I hate to see people just take from the land and never put something back."[1]
Facilities
- Picnic Shelters
- Campground - for youth groups only
- Hiking Trails
- Visitor Center
- The Lodge at Smithgall Woods
