One of Georgia’s smallest state parks is also one of its most popular. Moccasin Creek State Park is less than 35 acres – and consists mostly of campground. But it is located in the foothills of the mountains in North Georgia, with access to beautiful Lake Burton.

“A lot of people use it for a base camp for their activities in the area,” says park manager Brian Nichols. Located along Hwy. 197 as it twists and curves along the lake, the park is close to the many activities in the Chattahoochee National Forest as well as the mountain towns of Clayton, Dillard and Tiger. There are waterfalls, hiking trails, (Hemlock Falls Trails is .4 miles from the park) mountain biking – even the Chattooga River is less than 45 minutes away.

The property for Moccasin Creek State Park was given to the state in 1963 and it became a park in 1966. It was originally a cornfield, so the white pines and other large shade trees here were planted by the state all those years ago. Nichols says people tell him they remember when the trees were just head-head. Others who remember fishing in the creek as children are now bringing their grandchildren to the park.

Younger children especially enjoy the wildlife trail of about a mile in length that is wide, flat and well-drained, but not paved. In keeping with the state’s new Geocaching adventure, there is one hidden in the park. (There’s also one hidden on Hemlock Falls Trail.)

“The big draw is trout fishing and access to Lake Burton,” says Nichols. Campers or visitors can tie their boats at the park docks, or rent the park’s canoes or Jon boats. Moccasin Creek separates the park from the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery, where children are always amazed at the size and colors of the rainbow trout growing there. The fish are used to stock Georgia’s trout streams – and one of those is Moccasin Creek. Fishing is restricted to children under 12, seniors over 65 and those with disabilities The park is especially accessible with concrete paths along the creek and special docks that allow wheelchairs to get close to the water. This particular creek is unusual in that it is year round rather than seasonal, and the fish can be kept, rather than released back to the wild. A Junior Fishing Rodeo is held the second Saturday in June every year, and a Senior Fishing Rodeo is scheduled the last Saturday in April.