At the Milton “Buddy” Hopkins Nature Preserve, a boardwalk loop about one mile long winds around a grassy wetland. The preserve is a year-round destination for birdwatching, with about 100 different bird species.
Nature Between Wetland and River
Ben Hill County and the City of Fitzgerald maintain nine recreational parks. One river access park is located on the Ocmulgee River. The Paulk Park Nature Trail is a boardwalk loop about 150 feet long. Compared with the approximately one-mile loop at the preserve, this route is considerably shorter. The two trails therefore offer a tangible difference in the scope of nature exploration.
Ben Hill County Landing is on Mobley Bluff Road, which branches off Highway 107 East. The site offers a wooded, natural setting for camping.
Architecture and Experiences in Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald’s Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register, covers more than 26 blocks with a historic streetscape. The residential streetscape includes Queen Anne, Victorian, Neoclassical, Craftsman, Spanish Colonial, and Gothic architecture, among other styles. The variety of styles makes architecture a destination in its own right within the district.
Georgia Bike Route 20 runs through Fitzgerald. The Chicken Safari offers a different perspective: visitors can book the golf cart tour through the visitor center to see Fitzgerald’s free-roaming chickens. A route through the city and a tour focused specifically on wildlife thus offer two distinct ways to explore.
Culture and Historic Sites
The Carnegie Center is housed in a historic Carnegie Library that opened in 1915. The center offers a rotating program of visual arts exhibitions, performances, events, and classes. Here, the building’s history and a varied cultural program come together.
The Blue and Gray Museum displays a rare collection of relics and artifacts from the American Civil War. The Fitzgerald Grand Theatre, by contrast, features a restored movie theater from the 1930s. These two sites offer different ways to experience cultural heritage: a historically focused collection and a restored movie theater building.
The Ben Hill County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Charles W. Kimball House, also known as the C. W. Smith House, is listed there as well. Fitzgerald Evergreen Cemetery is a historic cemetery and the final resting place of numerous historical figures.
Spring Festivals
The Wild Chicken Festival takes place each spring in Fitzgerald’s historic Downtown District. The Ebony-in-Arts Festival and the Colony City Chase also take place annually in the spring in connection with Ben Hill County. If one of these festivals determines the timing of your trip, check the dates in advance.
Discover more destinations: Fitzgerald, Evans County, Lumpkin County, Gwinnett, Peach County, Jeff Davis County, Habersham County, Fannin County.
For the broader travel overview: Georgia.
