OGLETHORPE COUNTY, Ga. — A long wooden structure is the namesake for Watson Mill Bridge State Park.
Head Ranger Lori Hamby says the place is a hidden gem.
"The magic of the park itself is the bridge," she said. "A lot of people think more of the New England states with covered bridges but they don't really think of Georgia with a covered bridge."
The bridge itself stretches 229 feet over the creek.
"It's the longest used covered bridge in the state of Georgia," Hamby said.
The bridge is made up mostly of mature heart pine. The craftsmanship dates back to 1885. When it was built it cost just over $3,000.
"This covered bridge was bult by William W. King who is the son of the famous bridge maker Horace King," Hamby said.
Horace was enslaved and earned his freedom by building bridges.
"I love the way it's put together with the wooden pegs and just the design of it's interesting too," Shannon Mason said.
Shannon and Michael Mason are retired and loved reading up on the history of the bridge and getting the unusual experience of driving through the timbers.
"The covered bridge, I enjoyed that. I've never actually seen one so it was very different for me," Michael said.
Of course, when you come to the state park you are going to drive through the covered bridge but make sure to take the time to get out the car and walk through.
The bridge has a great scent to it. It's kind of a historic industrial smell.
"How the wood was preserved when they built it was kind of like what they had motor oil or transmission fluid and stuff that they has laying around at the farm," Hamby said.
The bridge practically sits on a dam and the rushing water provides shoals for you to explore.
"People bringing their family and getting out and playing and saying 'hey I was here when I was a kid and this is where we would come and have our summers,'" Hamby said.
The site has two campgrounds. A typical space and one to accommodate your four-legged friends.
"We have 22 horse stalls and 22 equestrian campsites," Hamby said. "They can come with their horses and then enjoy the fifteen miles of equestrian trails we have at the park."
If you'd rather get out on the water, they have kayaks and canoes to rent over the summer so you can paddle up river and do some fishing.
"There was a four pound bass that was caught here," Hamby said.
Taking a trip to this state park is a catch no matter which avenue you explore.
The park is open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. 7 days a week.