Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park - Pine Mountain, Georgia
Dowdell's Knob
President Roosevelt's stone grill
can still be seen on Dowdell's
Knob. The landmark was one of his
favorite picnic spots.
Cottage on Pine Mountain
Stone cottages are part of the
scenic charm of the mountain and
can be rented for overnight stays.
Reservations are recommended
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT STATE PARK
Pine Mountain, Georgia
Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
The overlook behind the visitor center provides
a beautiful view from the crest of Georgia's
historic Pine Mountain.
Presidential History in Georgia
Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park at Pine
Mountain, Georgia, was a favorite project of
the President for whom it is named. The park
is a beautiful memorial to the man that held
America's highest office longer than any
other.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was seeking
relief from devastating disability caused by
polio when he arrived in nearby Warm
Springs in 1924. He quickly fell in love with
the gentle slopes and scenic views of Pine
Mountain.

Roosevelt came for the therapeutic pools of
naturally warm water at Warm Springs but
spent a great amount of time exploring the
rural roads and vistas. Dowdell's Knob was a
favorite picnic spot and his stone barbecue
grill an still be seen there.

As he guided the nation through the dark
days of the Great Depression and World War
II, FDR often spent hours alone at Dowdell's
Knob. It became a place of solitude and
contemplation for him and his statue is a
touching part of the landscape today.

It was from the rural and often impoverished
people that he met around Pine Mountain
that President Roosevelt learned of the true
impact of the Great Depression on American
citizens. The conditions under which they
suffered inspired many of the ideas behind
his "New Deal" plan to help Americans.

Had FDR never visited Warm Springs and
Pine Mountain, he visions of rural electricity,
improved highways, better schools and a
nationwide system of public parks might
never have developed.

The President often drove the rocky and
rough roads on and around Pine Mountain in
his hand-controlled Ford car, now on display
at the nearby Little White House.  He fell in
love with the mountain and its scenic vistas
and predicted that it would one day become a
great resort for the people of the Coastal
Plains of the Deep South.

His vision has been realized. FDR State Park
and Callaway Gardens attract hundreds of
thousands of visitors to Pine Mountain each
year.

The President himself had much to do with
the realization of his dream. The creation of a
state park at the mountain was one of the
projects undertaken by the Works Progress
Administration (or WPA) during his years in
office. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
workers built roads, bridges, campgrounds,
stone cottages, trails and picnic areas during
the 1930s. Their handiwork is beautifully
preserved today.

Thanks to their efforts and FDR's vision,
Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park is a major
Southern landmark and one of the most
beautiful locations in the Deep South.

The park features numerous points of
interest. Interpretive panels and historic
markers detail the importance of the Pine
Mountain's history and visitors can still picnic
at Dowdell's Knob and absorb the same
views once enjoyed by FDR himself.
There are several ways to explore the 9,049
acre state park. The roads that access the
park are among the most beautiful in the
state, plus more than there are more than 40
miles of hiking and equestrian trails

Georgia Highway 190 runs along the crest of
Pine Mountain from the Callaway Country
Store & Restaurant at the south end of the
park to Warm Springs and FDR's Little White
House. The highway features a number of
overlooks as well as access to the Visitor
Center and historic Dowdell's Knob.

The outstanding trail system provides a
series of trails of varying difficulties. They
provide a great way to do some mountain
hiking more than 80 miles south of Atlanta.

The best known of the park's trails is the
23-mile Pine Mountain Trail. It can be hiked
in sections or its entirety and passes rock
formations, waterfalls and unique mountain
ecosystems. Please click here to learn more.

F.D. Roosevelt State Park also offers a visitor
center, cottages, campsites, picnic areas
and more. It is convenient to Callaway
Gardens, FDR's Little White House and his
adopted home of Warm Springs. The town of
Pine Mountain is a gateway to the park.

The park is open daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m. There
is a $5 parking fee.

The primary address is 2970 GA Highway
190, Pine Mountain, Georgia. Coordinates for
GPS are N 32.837533 | W -084.815616.

Please click here to visit the official state park
website for more information.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Bridge
The historic FDR Bridge is crosses
a mountain gap and is one of the
landmarks of Franklin D. Roosevelt
State Park.
View from Pine Mountain
Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
offers public access to mountain
scenery once enjoyed by FDR. He
visited often during World War II
and the Great Depression.
Copyright 2011 & 2014 by Dale Cox
All rights reserved.
Last Updated: September 12, 2014
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FDR State Park
Some of the southernmost mountain
scenery in the South can be found at
Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park on
Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Great Places in Georgia