Alexander Wildlife Management Area
Located in the Upper Coastal Plain, Alexander Wildlife Management Area sits on 1,300 acres of state-owned property. With a mix of habitat types, this WMA offers great opportunities for wildlife viewing. In the piney uplands, you may hear the squeaky-toy call of the Brown-headed Nuthatches, and in the scrub-shrub, perhaps the short trill of a Loggerhead Shrike.
Big Dukes Pond Wildlife Management Area
Big Dukes Pond Wildlife Management Area is a conservation area situated on 1,692 acres of coastal plain with a Carolina Bay near Millen. This WMA offers multiple habitat types, including open fields, forest, and shrub-scrub. Horses, camping, and ATVs are prohibited.
Big Haynes Creek Nature Center
Located within the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Big Haynes Creek Nature Center spans approximately 173 acres of managed natural lands just 20 miles east of Atlanta. It offers a mosaic of habitats—from open meadows and woodlands to wetlands—making it a fascinating destination for nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers alike.
Blue Heron Nature Preserve
The Blue Heron Nature Preserve is a 30-acre greenspace located in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. The grounds are open every day, and parking and use of the trails is free and open to the public from dawn to dusk. Stroll the trails, keeping an eye out for a variety of birds and wildlife. The Preserve includes 3 miles of trails that wind through 4 distinct habitats; meadow, wetland, woodland and riparian.
Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center
The wide range of habitats found at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center provide critical habitat for many bird species, both common and rare. Over 200 bird species use these diverse habitats. Therefore, CEWC was designated an Important Bird Area in 2002. Bring your binoculars and field guides, and see how many species you can find! Bird Species Checklists are available at the Visitor Center or the online bird checklist.
Chattahoochee Nature Center
The diverse habitats found across CNC’s campus support over 100 bird species. Belted Kingfisher and Great Blue Heron are abundant (and seasonally nest along Kingfisher Pond); Bald Eagle, Osprey, waterfowl, swallows, warblers seasonally make their way through the forests and wetlands of the area. The center’s Wildlife Walk features several aviaries with non-releasable wildlife: hawk and owl species, as well as Bald Eagles!
Clybel Wildlife Management Area
Located in Mansfield, Clybel WMA sits on 6,700 acres and is home to the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center and Marben Public Fishing Area (PFA). Visitors of all ages can find something to do at this WMA, from visiting the nature center to walking one of the hiking trails. Clybel Wildlife Management Area has diverse habitats that are home to a variety of wildlife.
Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve
Besides the pond and wetlands, the preserve includes emerging pine forest, wooded uplands containing mature trees, and low shrub meadow in the floodplain bordering South Peachtree Creek. These diverse habitats are home to beavers, foxes, turtles, snakes, frogs, rabbits, and dozens of species of birds. To date, 184 species of migratory and resident birds have been identified, including Wood Duck, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Cooper’s Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, and Barred Owl.
Di-Lane Wildlife Management Area
Di-Lane Wildlife Management Area features 5,000 acres of early successional upland habitat as well as roughly 3,000 acres of creek bottom and isolated wetland habitat. Bird abundance and diversity is great, and includes breeding: Northern Bobwhite, Blue Grosbeak, Pine Warbler, Field Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, Bachman’s Sparrow and both Indigo and Painted Bunting. Additionally, throughout the year, numerous species of waterfowl, warblers, and waterbirds can be seen in the Wildlife Management Area.
E.L. Huie Ponds
The E. L. Huie Jr. Holding Pond Complex is a storage area for excess treated wastewater that the Huie constructed wetlands site cannot handle. There are five ponds, four of which have varying levels of water depending on the time of year and recent rainfall events. The habitat is used by a variety of waterfowl species in the winter including Blue and Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintails, American Wigeons, Mallards, and Gadwall.
Euchee Creek Greenway
Grovetown’s Euchee Creek Greenway elevates visitors along this route in East Georgia on a series of boardwalks. Located in metropolitan Augusta, the trail follows a creek named for the Indigenous Yuchi people (also spelled Euchee and Uchee) who lived here in the 17th and 18th centuries before they were forced to relocate to Oklahoma in the 1830s.
Fernbank Forest
Fernbank Museum located in Dekalb County offers all-season nature experiences for all ages, including direct access to Fernbank Forest. A museum ticket is necessary for access to WildWoods and Fernbank Forest. You’ll discover something new each time you visit. You don’t have to drive north to enjoy the fall colors — Fernbank Forest and WildWoods come alive with dramatic yellows and oranges as the leaves change each November. In the winter, the evergreen trees and shrubs are the standouts. Once the temperatures begin to rise, wildflowers bloom throughout the spring and summer, from trilliums to native rhododendrons.
Henderson Park
Henderson Park consists of approximately 111 acres and is accessible on two sides which are connected via walking trails. Park amenities include Lake Erin, a waterfall, soccer fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, picnic shelters, paved and unpaved hiking trails, a dog park, the Native Plant and Wildlife Walk and Henderson Park Community Garden.
Joe Kurz Wildlife Management Area
Located in the Piedmont region, Joe Kurz Wildlife Management Area is 3,700 acres and offers various habitat types. The WMA consists of fallow farmland, hardwood bottoms, and some mixed pine/hardwood upland habitat. Much of the old farmland is open fields managed for early successional habitat. The terrain is fairly flat with some small rolling hills.
Lake Peachtree
Lake Peachtree is known as a great location for swimming, walking, running or fishing. The multi-use path that runs around the perimeter of the lake is just short of 4 miles and makes for a great jog or walking route. There are several public access areas to the lake including Battery Way, Drake Field and the All Children’s Play Park. Non-gasoline-powered boats are permitted via the public launch on Battery Way.
Line Creek Nature Area
This popular Nature Area offers a mix of habitats – an upland hardwood forest, beautiful creekside granite outcroppings, and a rushing stream bordered by native azaleas. Visitors will enjoy a fishing dock on a small pond, a gazebo, and almost three miles of nature trails. Keep an eye out on the trails for a few historic sites!
Marben Public Fishing Area
The aquatic habitats include impoundments and woodland streams, that support numerous species, including Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant, Osprey, Wood Duck, and more. A diverse range of terrestrial habitats include upland hardwoods, bottomland hardwoods, mixed pine-hardwood forests, pine plantations, and fields that support Indigo Bunting, numerous woodpecker species, and more.
McDuffie Public Fishing Area
McDuffie Public Fishing Area is a rewarding destination for birders, offering a diverse mix of habitats that support an impressive range of resident and seasonal bird species. Beyond its fishing opportunities, the area’s sandhills, wetlands, grasslands, and ponds create excellent conditions for birdwatching throughout the year.
Mead Farm Wildlife Management Area
Mead Farm Wildlife Management Area is a 200-acre property located in Burke County, southeast of Augusta. The WMA consists of approximately 90 acres of wetlands and 110 acres of uplands, offering hiking, wildlife viewing, and seasonal hunting opportunities.
Morgan Falls Overlook Park
Home to everything from songbirds to waterbirds, the park is a premier destination and hotspot for birdwatchers. Visitors have the chance to spot a number of species, including Belted Kingfisher, American Goldfinch, Red-tailed Hawk, and Bald Eagle. The secluded arteries feeding Bull Sluice Lake provide ideal vantage points to watch for dive-bombing Osprey and Great Blue Heron trolling the shallows.
Murphey Candler Park
Located in the City of Brookhaven, Murphey Candler Park is a 135-acre regional destination. At the heart of the park, a serene lake anchors a landscape of scenic marshland and forest, encircled by a two-mile loop trail ideal for peaceful walks, birdwatching, and fishing.
Newman Wetlands Park
Newman Wetlands Center (NWC) is a nature area dedicated to environmental education owned and operated by Clayton County Water Authority. NWC consists of a learning center with accessible restrooms, about 1.16 miles of trails, and multiple picnic areas. The habitats include second growth mixed forests, creeks, and wetlands. There are numerous observation areas, giving guests opportunities to view a wide range of bird species.
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park has an astonishing depth to its history. The land here has been occupied for more than 12,000 years by various cultures, including many different American Indian cultures. The site preserves approximately 3,336 acres and encompasses many natural features and ecosystems. This includes fields and forests, as well as wetlands along Walnut Creek and the Ocmulgee River. These diverse natural resources and habitats are utilized by a variety of wildlife, including several endangered and threatened species.
Oconee Veterans Park
Oconee Veterans Park, located in Oconee County near Athens, is a 197-acre park that features outdoor walking trails (both paved and unpaved), tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, open grass fields, and a variety of habitats. The extensive fields and surrounding open habitat attract Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Phoebe, Common Nighthawk, Killdeer, Indigo Bunting, as well as many species of sparrows and warblers. Various trees and shrubs provide cover for Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Black-and-white Warbler, and Pine Warbler.
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
Just minutes from downtown Augusta, Georgia, Phinizy Swamp Nature Park is a 1,100-acre man-made wetland preserve that blends science, nature, and recreation. Established in 1993 as part of the City of Augusta’s innovative wastewater treatment system, the Phinizy wetland system demonstrates how human ingenuity and natural ecosystems can work hand in hand. As treated water flows through a series of constructed wetland cells, it is naturally filtered while supporting a thriving habitat for an incredible diversity of wildlife.
Phinizy Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Phinizy Swamp Wildlife Management Area is located in Richmond County, near Augusta. This 1,500-acre property offers wildlife viewing and birdwatching, as well as canoeing, fishing, and seasonal hunting opportunities.
Piedmont Park
Be captivated by the peace and serenity of Piedmont Park. Piedmont Park showcases an array of habitats in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. It boasts Lake Clara Meer, an urban forest known as the North Woods, open fields, and large trees. Every year, Piedmont Park hosts major festivals, such as the Atlanta Dogwood Festival and Atlanta Pride. The 211-acre park is open year-round to athletes, nature lovers, and anyone who enjoys a good stroll through a beautiful green space.
Reed Creek Park & Interpretive Center
Reed Creek Park is an urban nature park located right in the heart of the suburbs near Augusta, GA. Located in a natural flood zone along Reed Creek, the property which was once paved over for various recreational sport courts, has since been reestablished as a nature park. With the help of resident beavers the wetland area which covers the majority of the property maintains water in the wooded swamp for most of the year. Other habitats featured at this location are a small section of forested upland, a riparian zone and Reed Creek itself.
Reynolds Nature Preserve
Located just south of the Atlanta airport in Morrow, GA, Reynolds Nature Preserve is a 146 acre natural woodland habitat with four spring fed ponds, wetlands and four miles of hiking trails. Previously farmland, the preserve boasts old farm equipment, a spring house and barn dating back to 1867. The Nature Center houses live native
Shamrock and Blalock Reservoirs & Recreation Area
These reservoirs feature expansive open water bordered by forests and wetlands, creating ideal habitat for a wide range of wildlife. The area supports abundant overwintering waterfowl and songbirds, along with active nesting by raptors and wading birds, offering frequent opportunities to observe feeding, breeding, and migratory behaviors.
Stone Mountain Park
Stone Mountain is home to a variety of native bird species. As you trek along the Songbird Habitat Trail, you can expect to encounter a range of songbirds, including Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Tufted Titmouse, and various woodpecker species. One of the highlights of Songbird Habitat Trail is the enchanting melodies filling the air. Listen for the beautiful songs and calls of the resident birds as they provide a natural soundtrack to your hike.
Yuchi Wildlife Management Area
Yuchi Wildlife Management Area is a 7,800-acre property located in Burke County. This property offers wildlife viewing, hiking, camping and hunting opportunities.