Recreation
Lake Jackson
Lake Jackson, one of the earliest reservoirs in 
Georgia, was formed in 1910 when the Central Georgia Power Company completed a dam and hydroelectric plant at Lloyd Shoals on the Ocmulgee River. Lake Jackson covers approximately 4,750 acres and has 135 miles of shoreline. Its waters are fed by the South, Yellow, and Alcovy Rivers and by Tussahaw Creek. Lake Jackson is surrounded by Jasper, Newton and Butts Counties. There are several marinas on the lake and various services provided. There are no limitations on the type or horsepower enginer permitted on the lake. The only exclusions include vessels with no sleeping quarters and no restroom faciulities.
Oconee National Forest
The Oconee Forest , composed of 115,000 acres, is the only National Forest within the Georgia Piedmont and has something fore everyone to enjoy. Managed under multiple us principle, it provides opportunities for recreation, wildlife, wood, range, heritage resource, fisheries, and soil and water conservation.
Oconee National Forest
1199 Madison Road
Eatonton , Georgia 31204
706-485-7110
For more information: Chattahoochee-Oconee
History
The Creek Indians inhabited much of the forest before the early 1800's. European settlers established communities throughout the land in the early 1800's and by the mid 1800's replaced the forest with cotton farming. When farming ended in the 1930's, the Soil Conservation Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps replanted the eroding landscape in 1959, the National Forest was established. Today, visitors can see remnants from the past activities, such as standing chimneys, wells, cemeteries, and field-clearing rock piles as they walk through the forest.
Wildlife
Wildlife species are plentiful. A variety of birds share the forest with deer, turkey, rabbits, squirrels, and other animals. The forest is also home to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, a bird that builds its home inside live pine trees. Approximately 70% of the forest is composed of pine habitat, while the remainder is a variety of hardwood species.Recreation
Many visitors enjoy Oconee 's recreation facilities. There are camping areas; trails for horses, hikers, and all-terrain vehicles; boat launches, picnic areas; and wildlife viewing areas.
Annually, the Oconee hosts a Kid's Fishing Rodeo to promote outdoor activities for young people. Come and visit some of the more popular sites, such as Skull Shoals Historic Area, Dyar Pasture waterfowl habitat, Falling Creek beaver pond, and the newly restored Miller Lake.
Monticello Crossroads Scenic Byway
Pine forests and rolling pastures dominate the views along the Monticello Crossroads Scenic Byway as it runs through Jasper County . This 29-mile Byway emphasizes the rural and historic qualities of the area as it follows State Highways 11 and 83 heading north from the town of Monticello . Native Americans as well as evangelical Methodist Circuit Riders once used these routes as they crossed the state. Highway 83 was also part of the Seven Island Stagecoach Road that ran from Augusta to New Orleans and the Natchez Trace. Several individual structures as well as the central business district of Monticello have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Monticello Crossroads Bicycle Route
Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center
Nestled in the quiet solitude of the 6,400-acre Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Jasper and Newton counties, the Charlie Elliott Conference Center (CECC) is the “natural” choice for outdoor education programs, meetings, or other functions.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) operates CECC and offers wildlife education programs to Georgia ’s youth as well as natural resources training for teachers and other educators. The facility also is available for other functions based on availability.
This unique environment is conducive to a relaxed experience. Twenty-eight lake view, hotel-style guest rooms, a dining hall and expansive meeting spaces are equipped to handle up to 250 people. All of the CECC buildings are surrounded by stunning natural scenery, which is visible from indoors through large walls of windows.
The spacious 9,000 ft 2 main dining hall offers a variety of buffet menus and has a massive stone fireplace that also is visible from the adjoining 2,500-ft 2 deck. At the lodge, the central meeting room (The Covey) provides 3,000 ft 2 of open space and a covered patio deck. An additional conference room is located in each of the two lodge wings, each accommodating approximately 30 people.
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.fws.gov/piedmont)
Piedmont is one of over 540 refuges scattered across the United States. It is located in central Georgia, approximately 25 miles north of Macon and 18 miles east of Forsyth. The refuge may be visited by exiting I-75 at Exit 186 in Forsyth and driving east along Juliette Road for 18 miles to the refuge office andvisitor center. An alternate route is State Highway 11, between Gray and Monticello. Just north of Round Oak on Hwy 11, turn west on Juliette Road and proceed for 3 miles to the office/visitor center.
Piedmont NWR was established in 1939 as a "combination wildlife and game-manangement demonstration area" to demonstrate that wildlife could be restored on worn out, eroded lands. Ira Gabrielson, Chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey, predecessor agency of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, selected Piedmont from a list of Resettlement Projects. He stated that if the Bureau could take a piece of completely worn out and useless land, like Piedmont was at the time, and make it into a productive wildlife area, then he would know that any kind of land could be managed for wildlife.