Putnam is best explored through a blend of archaeological forms, lakeside scenery and regional history. The Rock Eagle Mound is especially striking: a stone effigy shaped like a recumbent bird, formed from milky-white quartz stones. Two lakes at opposite ends of the county and a historic scenic route also shape discoveries in the region.
A route through forests, rivers and history
The Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway runs for 82 miles through Putnam and Hancock counties. The route passes through the Oconee National Forest, crosses the Oconee River and the Ogeechee River, and winds past rolling farmland. Nature and cultural landscapes sit side by side along this route, whose stops are not limited to a single theme.
Among the places along the byway are Rock Eagle, the Uncle Remus Museum, the Shoulderbone Mounds and the Ogeechee Grist Mill. Numerous historic houses and buildings are also among the route’s attractions. Those interested in regional history will find not only individual landmarks, but also a broader historic setting along the way.
The Rock Eagle 4-H Center encompasses nearly 1,500 acres of wooded land, including a 110-acre lake, and is located next to the Oconee National Forest. The center also hosts year-round public community programs under the name “Saturday @ the Rock.” The woodland and lake give the place a strong connection to nature; the program adds public offerings throughout the year.
Stone effigies and cultural traces
The Rock Eagle Mound was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1978. Indigenous peoples probably built the effigy about 2,000 years ago. It is shaped like a recumbent bird and made from milky-white quartz stones. The stone figure is eight feet high at the breast. Rock Hawk is the other recognized stone effigy mound east of the Mississippi and is located in Putnam County near Lake Oconee.
Fifteen miles of trails wind around Rock Hawk and lead to it, with numerous educational stations along the way. The trails make it a destination where archaeological forms and interpretive stops are both central to the experience. The county’s history of effigies offers another cultural perspective: members of the Muscogee-Creek Tribe created two effigies here.
Lakes and trails in Putnam County
Lake Sinclair lies at the southern end of Putnam County, and Lake Oconee at the eastern end. At the Lake Sinclair Campground, visitors can picnic, hike, boat, fish and swim. Lawrence Shoals Park, which adjoins Rock Hawk Park, has a fully equipped campground, nature trails and a swimming beach.
The 12-acre Oconee Springs Park is also on Lake Sinclair, in Putnam County’s wooded areas. It is a fully equipped park with camping facilities, a camp store and cabins. It also has a boat launch and an RV site. A different, historic visitor experience is associated with Oconee Springs Resort: travelers could bathe in natural springs on the property.
Eatonton: literature, museums and butterflies
For more than half a century, the Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton has preserved the early years of Joel Chandler Harris’s life. It also shares the African American animal tales that Harris heard while working at Turnwold Plantation and made famous through the character Uncle Remus. The Plaza Arts Center is housed in a renovated elementary and high school building; it contains a theater and the Old School History Museum.
Nature also has a place to explore in Eatonton: Butterflies & Blooms in the Briar Patch has a pollinator habitat that supports the reproduction of native butterflies. A quarter-mile walking trail, picnic tables and benches are also part of the site. A visit to cultural attractions can thus be rounded out with a short walk through a habitat dedicated to native butterflies.
Dairy farming is another part of the region’s history. After Benjamin Hunt established it in Putnam County, the county soon became known as the “Dairy Capitol of Georgia.” The name recalls a defining agricultural past and adds another aspect of local heritage to the stories of effigies, museums and historic buildings.
Discover more destinations: Eatonton, Mitchell County, Fannin County, Jackson County, White County, Bulloch, Polk County, Carroll County.
For the broader travel overview: Georgia.
