Lake Mayers is a 170-acre lake in Baxley; the area also offers nature and cultural attractions with a range of different focuses. Baxley is the intersection of two important transportation routes. If you’re looking for a hotel in Baxley, first consider whether water activities, hiking trails, or architecture and regional history should shape your stay. Attractions range from a public beach with facilities to nature trails and wetlands, as well as collections and the history of the Appling County Courthouse.
Water and a Break at Lake Mayers
Recreational activities at Lake Mayers include fishing, boating, swimming, and water sports. The public beach area has picnic shelters, tables, grills, and restrooms. This means facilities for a break are available alongside the water activities. If you’re planning to visit the lake, check the condition of the facilities before you go. This makes it easy to combine time by the water with a picnic break.
Forest Landscape and Nature Trails
The Moody Forest Wildlife Management Area includes one of the last remaining old-growth forests in the United States. The longleaf pines are 200 to 300 years old, and the large tupelo cypresses are more than 600 years old. The area is a habitat for rare plants, birds, and animals, including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, the gopher tortoise, and the eastern indigo snake. Year-round hiking is possible on two interpretive trails totaling more than five miles; trail conditions may vary seasonally.
A. Randall Tuten Environmental Park includes streams, wetlands, two ponds, and a floating boardwalk. Its nature trail is one mile long and includes a 500-foot boardwalk. The park is used for educational tours and student groups. For comparing trail lengths, there are two options of different lengths: a one-mile trail at Environmental Park and two interpretive trails totaling more than five miles at Moody Forest.
Architecture and Regional History
The Appling County Courthouse was completed in 1908 in the Neoclassical style. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of a statewide thematic nomination of county courthouses. The dates mark two separate milestones: the building’s completion and its later addition to the Register.
The Appling County Heritage Center preserves a collection related to turpentine production, as well as agricultural equipment. It also has materials on Black history and genealogy. This brings together economic and agricultural history, Black history, and family research. Unlike the Courthouse’s architectural focus, these themes are represented in the Heritage Center’s collections and materials. A 2022 update to the New Georgia Encyclopedia entry identifies the Tree Fest and Timber Harvesting Exposition as a festival commemorating the heyday of turpentine production and river rafting; check the dates in advance.
For a broader travel overview: Appling County.
