Unicoi State Park & Lodge is a 1,050- acre (4.25 km²) state park (est. in 1954) located immediately north-northeast of

Helen, Georgia Helen is a city in White County, Georgia, United States, located along the Chattahoochee River. The population was 531 at the 2020 census. History Helen was platted in 1912, and named after the daughter of a lumber official. The town was incorp ...

in the northeastern portion of the state. The centerpiece of the park is Unicoi Lake on Smith Creek. The park is especially popular in October, when the autumn leaves in the

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

change colors. ''Unicoi'' is a name derived from the Cherokee language. Entry to the park is from

Georgia 356 State Route 356 (SR 356) is a east–west state highway located in the northeast part of the U.S. state of Georgia. Its routing is located within portions of White and Habersham counties. Virtually the entire route is contained withi ...

, just off of Georgia State Route 75 (North Main Street in Helen). Georgia 75 Alt allows visitors coming from the south via

Cleveland, Georgia Cleveland is a city in White County, Georgia, located northeast of Atlanta and southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its population was 3,410 at the 2010 census (up from 1,907 in 2000). It is the county seat of White County. Cleveland is home to ...

to bypass the massive

traffic jam Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s. When traffic de ...

s on 75 through the town during weekends, holidays, and

Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest (; bar, Wiesn, Oktobafest) is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or ...

. The park also allows access to

Anna Ruby Falls Anna Ruby Falls is located near Unicoi State Park in White County near Helen, Georgia. The waterfall is accessible via a half mile (800 m) paved trail from a public use area with a small admittance charge. The Anna Ruby Falls Trail is designa ...

, owned by the U.S. Forest Service and run by the non-profit Cradle of Forestry. Separate parking fees must be paid for the park and the falls. In August 2005, some damage occurred to the park when a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

spawned by Hurricane 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 the lodge, and 15 acres (six hectares) of

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s were downed. The trees were logged for

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

, and small controlled burns were used to eliminate excessive dead

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characte ...

, while the branches from the timber were turned into

mulch A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A mu ...

used in the park.

Facilities

*82 tent, trailer, RV campsites *33 walk-in campsites *Squirrel's Nest

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...

shelters *30 cottages *100-room lodge and

conference center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

with

wireless Internet Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

service *Restaurant * lake and beach *7 picnic shelters *Meeting facilities

Activities

Zipline A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bott ...

Hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

- of trails * Mountain biking - of trails *

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

- accessible docks *

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

Canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

and

pedalo A pedalo (British English) or paddle boat (U.S., Canadian, and Australian English) is a human-powered watercraft propelled by the action of pedals turning a paddle wheel. Description A pedalo is a human-powered watercraft propelled by the ...

rental (seasonal)

Annual events

*Visiting Artist Series (May–September) *Saturday Evening Music Concerts (May–September) *Outdoor Adventure Day (Year Round) *Breakfast with Santa (December)

References

External links

General infoNgeorgia.com
State parks of Georgia (U.S. state) State parks of the Appalachians Protected areas of White County, Georgia {{WhiteCountyGA-geo-stub