HIGHLIGHTS: Fort Yargo State Park is a 1,816 acre facility that surrounds the Marbury Creek Watershed. The 260-acre lake offers a large swimming beach, fishing and boat ramps, lakeside yurts, a lakeside campground, and 18 miles of hiking and biking trails. The park’s close proximity to Atlanta and Athens make it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts in the area who compete in numerous running, hiking, and biking events each year.
In 1792, early settlers to the area built a log fort on this site for protection against the Creek and Cherokee Indian tribes. A reconstruction of the cabin and surrounding community can be seen just south of the nature center. The Bird Berry Trail can also be picked up in this area and is easily accessed from the Nature Center. The six mile loop crosses the dam, circles the lake, and can be walked in about three hours. We hiked a smaller section of this trail, but it is fairly easy and offers numerous views out across the Marbury Creek Watershed.
