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Thursday, November 3, 2016

Dog-Friendly Days & Nights at Indian Springs State Park

On our most recent trip to Georgia, we stayed at Indian Springs State Park. Though we usually tent camp during our adventures, we were excited to learn about and stay at a pet-friendly cabin within the park.

oz at dog-friendly indian springs state park, georgia

Cabin Glamping
Nearly 30 Georgia State Parks offer cabins with at least one cabin designated as pet-friendly. Cabins can be one, two or three bedrooms and in most cases, are located on lakes or hillsides to provide spectacular views of nature. All cabins have both heat and air-conditioning making them great for any time of year.

Our cabin at Indian Springs, pet-friendly Cabin 2, had a screened front porch with three rocking chairs, a fully equipped kitchen (stove, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, coffee pot and toaster), a separate dining area, two bedrooms, one bathroom and a nice size living area with a fireplace and a flat screen television. The back deck and stairs lead down to a picnic table and our favorite, the fire pit which is where we spent our evenings relaxing and listening to the critters in the surrounding forest.

indian springs state parks offer pet-friendly, fully equipped cabins

We loved our cabin camping experience at Indian Springs and would highly recommend Georgia State Parks pet-friendly cabins to anyone who asks us about them. If you are not “outdoorsy” enough for tent camping but enjoy the peacefulness of the forest, Georgia State Parks cabins and cottages are a must-try! NOTE: There is a nonrefundable pet fee of $45 payable upon check in to your cabin just in case of damages.

About Indian Springs
Indian Springs State Park is one of the oldest state parks in the U.S. The park is named for several springs which the Creek Indians used for centuries to heal the sick and visitors can still sample the spring water flowing inside the stone Spring House built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.

oz at lake mcintosh, indian springs, georgia

Within the park is the beautiful McIntosh Lake, named for Creek Chief William McIntosh who signed an illegal treaty deeding land to Georgia in 1825. During our visit, Lake McIntosh’s water level was low as the park is making repairs to the dam. However, when the Lake is full it offers fun activities like a beach, swimming and wading, fishing as well as kayak, canoe and aquacycle rentals.

Hiking and Exploring
We arrived well before the official check-in time for our cabin, so we spent the early afternoon walking and exploring the park. The first “trail” we found was near the day-use area which followed a little stream back into the woods. It was short and stopped in a dead end but it was Oz’s first romp through the fallen autumn leaves which was fun. We then found the nature trail and hiked up and down in the hilly forest.

indian springs state park offers many activities including hiking

The next morning we hiked the Indian Springs Multi-use Trail. The Multi-use Trail is a hiking and biking trail that connects Indian Springs to Dauset Trails Nature Center. It is a 6 mile out and back trail with a rating of moderate for its rocky terrain and lots of hilly ups and downs. We hiked over 1.5 miles in and then turned around as 6 miles seemed a bit too much for Oz. Along the way the trail gives hikers an obstructed view of Lake McIntosh and the park.

Wildlife Visitor
Each night, as we relaxed by the outdoor fire we had a special visitor. We could hear him coming long before we could see him. Oz was so tired from hiking every day that he didn’t even mind as Lieutenant Dan the Army-dillo trampled through the fallen leaves searching for food.  We didn’t want to get too close and disturb him; we got just close enough for a photo or two.

armadillo spotting at indian springs state park

Autumn at its Best
Indian Springs State Park is a great park for spending pet-friendly days and nights. The park is clean, quiet and beautiful especially when decorated in autumn colors. The pet-friendly cabins are a home away from home, situated in their own peaceful campground where you can enjoy the sounds of nature. If you are ever in central Georgia, we highly recommend you visit this park.

spend dog-friendly days & nights at indian springs state park, georgia








18 comments:

  1. oh you even saw an armadillo! is the famous one from the daim commerical?

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  2. Oh I sooooo want to come hiking wiv you Oz, you find the most AMAZING places to go and look...an Armadillo, I haf nefer seen one of those in the furs!!!!
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  3. there was quite a parks like that in Arkansas too

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  4. Oz that's a beautiful park. We've never stayed in a cabin at the parks but some in VA have them too. So far we do fine with our tent - especially since buying the queen size air mattress to put under the sleeping bags - BOL! I'm so envious of you being able to watch an armadillo every day. They are so cute - the education dept. at the zoo has a few for programs and they're a big hit with the children.

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  5. Ohhh, I've seen LOTS of those army-dillo guys. It was nice of him to come visit you!

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  6. We have lots of army-dillos around the bayou. I would love to camp in a cabin with the boys.

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  7. How about a list of pet unfriendly places to avoid?

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  8. ARMADILLO!!!!!!!!
    That looks like fun! Our mom likes the kind of camping that involves indoor plumbing, a queen-sized bed, and room service. Come to think of it ... that sounds pretty good to me, too.
    Cammie!

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  9. That cabin sounds amazing! Very Glamper-friendly.

    Love and licks,
    Cupcake

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  10. OMD..Army Dillo looks like he kept your folks safe while you snoozed, Oz!! Our pawrents are going to look into cabins like that here on the west coast...they look like the perfect place to spend some time communing and sniffing nature!!
    Thanks so much for sharing!!
    Smileys!
    Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
    PeeEss...we got our Sleepypod products and Mama LOVES them!! Thanks again! Mama will be showing them off as soon as Arty goes on his next adventure.

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  11. Wow looks like a wonderful place for a great getaway
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, hazel & Mabel

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  12. That sounds like such a nice place! The roughest we ever got when camping was a pop-up camper, cabins like this are much more up my alley!
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  13. It looks pretty there. We saw one of those prehistoric creatures in Florida once. They are odd looking.

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  14. Wow, what a fun place! We have never seen an Army Dillo!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  15. What a great park! Glad you had a nice weekend!
    Your pals,
    Diane and Rocco

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  16. That's a nice place to camp! Our mommy doesn't do tents or anything close to being rustic but she thought this sounded really nice!

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  17. Thanks for sharing your great visit! Sure is a pretty place

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  18. That looks like a great place to visit and explore! We haven't been there. Must add it to the list!

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Thank you for stopping by and leaving a pawprint. I enjoy reading each and every one!
Cairn cuddles,
Oz the Terrier