President Jimmy Carter’s impact on Georgia state parks and historic sites

ATLANTA - The next time you’re marveling at the ruins at Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs or standing in awe of the place known as "Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon," you might want to whisper a simple "thank you" to President Jimmy Carter.

During his time as Georgia’s 76th governor, Carter made preservation a priority. He consolidated 38 agencies to create the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and quickly signed a bill making Lumpkin’s Providence Canyon a Georgia State Conservation Park.

"It was 1971, right when he hit the ground running as governor," says interpretive ranger Josh Snead. "The state acquired the land, and he established that. Of course, Providence Canyon’s not really too far from where he grew up in Plains, Georgia."

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Other state parks with strong ties to Carter include Panola Mountain State Park in Stockbridge and Sweetwater Creek State Park. Later in life, Carter helped get the popular and unique Sam Shortline Excursion Train chugging between Cordele and Plains.

"We call it a ‘rolling state park.' It’s a train experience that takes you right through the heart of Georgia, and even to Jimmy Carter’s hometown of Plains," says Snead. "He had an influence on getting that established so that people can go out, get on a train, see that part of rural Georgia and experience how special that is."

Adds the interpretive ranger, "There are so many sites that were influenced by him directly — some indirectly — and so you never know when you’re on a trail that might, in some way, have his legacy attached to it."

For more information on Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, click here.