PLOT SUMMARY: Georgia’s first state park for African Americans was created on Lake Allatoona in 1950, when John Loyd Atkinson, a Tuskegee Airman in World War II, sought a recreational facility for Black Georgians. The nearest African American recreational site, American Beach, was a 700-mile round trip from Atlanta. He had tried unsuccessfully on his own to get permits to establish a park, but with the creation of Lake Allatoona, Atkinson’s campaign was rewarded. Georgia State Parks leased 1,457 acres that became Red Top Mountain State Park, plus an additional 345 acres to create George Washington Carver State Park.
George Washington Carver Park is a site on the Bartow County African American Heritage Trail.
The beach and grounds are available for rent.
ADDRESS: 3900 Bartow Carver Rd SE, Acworth, GA 30102
PHONE: 770-387-1357
PLOT YOUR NEXT MOVE: https://visitcartersvillega.org/remembering-georgias-first-state-park-for-african-americans/
