Georgia May Get Its First National Park Soon-and It Offers More Than Just Scenic Hiking Trails

"Taking its name from the word for "boiling waters," Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Georgia dates back more than 12,000 years and features Indigenous earthen mounds used for burials and ceremonies. Today, it's in talks to be designated a national park with expanded acreage. "This was a capital city for the Creek Confederacy," says Tracie Revis, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI)."

"The Ocmulgee Mounds have been protected since 1936, when, under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 678 acres were designated under the Antiquities Act. It was also the site of the largest archaeological dig in American history, which unearthed artifacts from the early days of settlement, many of which are now on display inside the park's museum. Should Congress approve the new designation, Ocmulgee Mounds will be the first national park in the United States to be co-managed by a removed tribe."

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park takes its name from the word for "boiling waters" and dates back more than 12,000 years. The landscape contains Indigenous earthen mounds used for burials and ceremonies and served as a capital city for the Creek Confederacy along major trade routes below the Fall Line. The site holds deep significance for the Muscogee (Creek) people who were later displaced on the Trail of Tears. The park was protected in 1936 under the Antiquities Act and hosted the largest archaeological dig in U.S. history, producing artifacts displayed in the park museum. Current efforts seek expanded acreage and potential designation as a national park with tribal co-management. The site lies near Macon, Georgia, and offers free public entry.

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