A union of nature, history and philanthropy. Vogel State Park.
Story and photos by Alice Crann Good
When traveling, it can be fun when happenstance enters the scene and takes you in a delightful, unexpected direction. That’s what unfolded as my husband, Thomas, and I delved into our home-style biscuits, sausage and eggs at the Hole in the Wall in Blairsville, Georgia — a local breakfast hotspot in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Sitting at a table across from our booth, loud banter from a group of gruff elderly men caused us to try oh-so-hard to not listen in, but it was impossible. Then when one of the men asked us point blank where we were from and where we were headed on this March Monday morning, I smiled and shared how we were staying in a nearby cabin for a few days, and we didn’t know what we were going to do on this rainy, cloudy day.
“Well, you need to go to Vogel State Park,” said the lanky man with piercing gray eyes. “It’s beautiful and close by.”
All of his pals nodded in agreement, as did the waitress filling our mugs of coffee.
Long comical story short, that was that.
Burrowed at the base of Blood Mountain within the Blue Ridge Mountains, the beloved 233-acre Vogel State Park sits in the heart of the Chattahoochee National Forest at an elevation of 2,280 feet. It’s only about 11 miles south of Blairsville on US Highway 19, even though the winding mountain roads made it seem much longer.
But as one of our new grumpy old friends said, “If you don’t like winding roads, go back to Florida.”
After finally adapting to the roads’ hairpin rhythm, we entered Vogel State Park. Greeted by Trahlyta Lake, a 22-acre reservoir built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and named after Indian Princess Trahlyta, our day of nature and history lessons began.
Operational since 1931 and steeped in history, Vogel and Indian Springs are Georgia’s oldest state parks.
Vogel guests can visit the John B. Derden Civilian Conservation Corps Museum housed in a rustic cabin on the east shore of Lake Trahlyta, explore about 20 miles of hiking trails for all levels of hikers, enjoy swimming and boating on the lake, check out the streams and waterfall, or simply soak in mountain scenery and breathe in refreshing air.
For those who want to stick around, the park offers a wide range of camping and cabin options for every budget, ranging from a pioneer campground to charming cottages. There are also boat and bike rentals, mini golf and a beach area for summertime recreation.
During our visit, we stopped at the Visitors Center for some t-shirt shopping; I chose a design featuring Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot. Sightings and stories of the hairy creature are as plentiful as north Georgia’s winding roads.
We then headed to the CCC museum, the site my history-buff husband loved the most. I, too, greatly enjoyed this trek through oft-forgotten history.
Built in 2004 by dedicated volunteers, park staff, private and corporate donors, the museum is a must-visit. You learn all about President Franklin Roosevelt’s promise of a New Deal and his CCC pet project, one of his inspiring solutions to the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
The CCC relief program was created by the Emergency Conservation Work Act to help young, unemployed and unmarried men find work. During its 9-year run, the program provided about 3 million men with shelter, food, clothing and a regular salary.
Did you know that these CCC men, who ranged in age from 17 to 28 and hailed from cities and farms across the U.S.A., built 800 state parks (including Vogel), 63,246 buildings, 7,622 dams, 46,854 bridges, restored 3,980 historical structures, and erected, developed and improved so much more?
Enjoy Vogel State Park and all its offerings, and remember that young men were paid $30 a month, of which $25 was sent home to help their families, to build the park and hundreds more like it.
Vogel State Park
Where: 405 Vogel State Park Road, Blairsville, GA 30512
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Cost: $5 parking fee for daily entry; $50 for an annual park pass
Reservations: 800-864-7275; reserveamerica.com/explore/vogel-state-park/GA/GM
Info: 706-745-2628; gastateparks.org/vogel
