Discover Georgia'’s Great Outdoors

ATLANTA, October 8, 2008 - Outdoor adventurers revel in Georgia's breathtaking autumn views and temperate fall climate. Leaf watching, skydiving, birding, camping, quail hunting and hiking are just a few ways to experience the colors and scents of fall, delighting the senses and restoring the soul. Georgia has long been known for its beautiful autumn colors, and Blue Ridge was recently recognized by CNN Money as one of the top 5 spots for fall foliage in the nation. Color-lovers can also take the Fall Color Half-Day Hike at Panola Mountain State Park, in Stockbridge, or catch reflections off the water at Sprewell Bluff State Park's Fall Color River Hike in Thomaston. Both guided tours showcase several ecosystems and habitats as they change into their fall colors. See Georgia's hemlock trees at the Hemlock Fest in Dahlonega, where all proceeds go to help save the hemlocks from the invasive wooly adelgid, threatening near total devastation. Foliage and wildlife of every type can be seen while hiking on any of Georgia's more than 100 defined hiking and backpacking trails. Visit www.georgiastateparks.org/Leafwatch/ for daily updates on the best hikes and overlooks for fall color. The coast is always a great spot for birding, and autumn boasts the greatest diversity of bird species and wildlife among a variety of habitats. The annual Colonial Coast Birding Festival on Jekyll Island offers field trips, seminars, exhibits, presentations and more for the avid and novice birder alike. Stop by the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell for a morning bird walk, where you'll discover different birds around the park, or stop in for raptor mealtime and watch presentations on the nature center's animals, including every raptor indigenous to the state of Georgia. Or, take a course at the basics of nature photography workshop. Quail hunters are gearing up for their season, which opens in mid-November, just as anglers are enjoying their final weeks of fishing. Hit the water at the Savannah Fishing Club Inshore Tournament, or the C&R Bass Series at Lake Oconee. If you're good at catching bass, think about trying your luck at the Georgia State Championship, at West Point Lake. Known by some as the 'Quail Hunting Capital of the World,' Southwest Georgia offers numerous opportunities for individuals and groups to enjoy the great outdoors. Unwind for a weekend at the Quail Country Plantation in Arlington, Wynfield Plantation in Albany, or Southern Woods Plantation in Sylvester, where you will find true southern hospitality combined with trained dogs and expert guides. Even when the lights go out, there are still plenty of opportunities for outdoor fun. Visit Skidaway Island State Park near Savannah for a Sensory Awareness Night Hike, featuring Georgia's nocturnal wildlife and experiments that will awaken your senses. Or explore the night sky at Providence Canyon State Park's Astronomy Night, home of Georgia's 'Little Grand Canyon' in Lumpkin. Hear the night calls of owls as you sit around a campfire at one of Georgia's more than 100 campsites scattered across the state. Take a slow-paced horseback ride in Pine Mountain at F.D. Roosevelt State Park's Riding Through History event, and discover why Franklin D. Roosevelt called this 'his Georgia.' And for the thrill seekers, there is still time to go hang gliding at Lookout Mountain, or visit the Georgia Skydiving Center, the largest skydiving training center in the Southeast, where you can jump with up to 35 of your friends at the same time. Find activities that combine both adventure and accommodations: spend the night at the Len Foote Hike Inn, with a warm bed and tasty dinner, accessible only by foot over a 5 mile hiking trail originating at the top of Amicalola Falls in Dawsonville. Whatever you prefer, the serene or the extreme, Georgia has a fall outdoor adventure for everyone. Find more exciting day trips and relaxing weekend getaways at www.exploregeorgia.org. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.