5 Notes On Visiting A.H. Stephens State Park

I’ve stopped at A.H. Stephens State Park several times, mainly because it’s right off I-20 and a perfect rest stop for stopping in and chilling before getting back on the road. Here are a few notes on visiting the Park (not the Historic site at the entrance).

The Name

Okay. We gotta fix the name. I understand that the park is there because the state of Georgia is preserving Alexander Stephens’s house. I understand that it’s impossible to erase history and that we must preserve and learn from it. But I’m talking about the name of the Park, not the name of his house’s Historic Site at the entrance.

To me, state parks are about preserving the natural history of Georgia (even though I understand naming a few of them after people who founded them or helped make them happen (e.g. Smithgall Woods) in the first place).

Even though Stephens was one complicated politician…he did ultimately choose to go full-on treason and write one of the most public defenses of evil in American history.

I understand maintaining the historic site with his home as maybe a second-tier historic site, turning it over to a University for research, and calling it A.H. Stephens Historic Site because it’s where the guy lived house. Still, the state of Georgia has got to fix the name of the Park. There’s no sense in honoring the guy. The only thing he did right was that he said the quiet part out loud when it comes to secession & the reason for the Civil War. He even leaned into the treason more after the War. The guy is not worth memorializing.

Taliaferro County and Crawfordville deserve a much more fitting state park name, especially because the state park and the land around it have such an interesting history.

The CCC built and maintained it. It preserves a rare part of Georgia Piedmont that has otherwise been developed and destroyed over the past hundred years. It is scenic and has natural features in and of itself. Hopefully, the state will try to move past the name and reinvest in the park as a state park.

Horses & Gatherings

Stephens State Park is focused on horses, Boy Scouts, and large gatherings. It has many horse trails, facilities, and horse stuff. It also has many large fields, picnic pavilions, and places for large gatherings. That’s its main purpose, so it’s not a hiking or natural history park like Cloudland Canyon or Fort Mountain. It’s a recreational park focused on horses.

Piedmont Forests

The Park has great hikes in a set of lovely Piedmont forests. Now, Just because the park is focused on horses does not mean it’s not a lovely park to visit and hike around in. I enjoyed several nice loop hikes that are completely forested and quiet since it’s not only a quiet park but it’s in a very quiet part of Georgia.

Rest Location

The Park is a perfect rest stop off I-20. It is very accessible right off I-20 from the Crawfordville exit. It makes for a quieter and less stressful stop than a gas station or interstate rest stop. It’s not too far, it’s easy to park, and there are many picnic spots, clean bathrooms, and things to see.

Lovely, Classic Park

Lastly, it is a lovely setting. Several fishing ponds are landscaped with lovely views. There are big fields, which are great for little kids to stretch their legs and run. It’s a nice place just to have a picnic and relax. It’s a classic state park…that needs a better name.