Georgia - Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

On my way to Florida for a COVID solo trip, I decided to detour a bit to visit the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park near Macon, Georgia. I really wasn’t sure what I was going to see there, but after driving from Wisconsin all by myself, I was ready to get out and stretch.

From the NPS website:

This park is a prehistoric American Indian site. American Indians first came here during the Paleo-Indian period hunting Ice Age mammals. Many different American Indian cultures occupied this land for thousands of years. Around 900 CE, the Mississippian Period began. They constructed mounds for their elite, which remain today.

The first stop was the Visitor Center, which was mostly closed due to COVID, but was open enough for me to chat for a short time with the Ranger. She told me that the must-see thing was the Earth Lodge. I took the short walk to the mound, which looks a LOT like a lump of earth, but it was a lodge built into the mound. This one was reconstructed from what was found here during archaeological digs and was open to walk into. It is thought that this structure was used for ceremonies and other community get togethers.

This was a nice stop in southern Georgia and was a great place for a walk and to learn a bit of history.