McIntosh Reserve is an outdoor recreation area along the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...

located in Carroll County, Georgia. The park is operated by the Carroll County Recreation Department and supports outdoor activities including

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

, hiking, fishing, and others. The park is open year-round, closing only on

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

, Christmas, and New Year's Day.Carroll County Parks and Recreation
Accessed April 27, 2008. McIntosh Reserve is named for William McIntosh Jr., a prominent Creek Indian leader

History

The Reserve is named for William McIntosh Jr., a prominent Creek Indian leader and planter. The plantation was known as ''Lochau Talofau,'' which in English means "Acorn Bluff". It is adjacent to Acorn Creek. McIntosh lived in a modest home, a two-story log house with a central, open "dog run" passage on both floors. The house doubled as an inn for travelers. A reconstructed house is open to park visitors today.BBC - McIntosh Reserve
Accessed April 28, 2008. In 1825, McIntosh signed the second Treaty of Indian Springs. The treaty essentially sold all Creek lands in Georgia and Alabama to the United States government; McIntosh was allowed to keep his plantation in exchange for signing the treaty. The treaty had been opposed by the Creek National Council and it violated the Law, the Code of 1818. The Council ordered the execution of McIntosh and other signatories for having committed a capital offense against the government by ceding communal lands, and he was executed at his home in 1825. McIntosh's single-plot, military

grave A grave is a location where a cadaver, dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is burial, buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of buria ...

may be found just across the road from the reconstructed house. Carroll County acquired Lochau Talofau in 1978; the plantation now lies within McIntosh Reserve boundaries. McIntosh Reserve Park was closed for several months in 2009 and 2010, following the September 2009 flooding on the Chattahoochee River. The park was scheduled to reopen for Memorial Day weekend, 2010.

Activities and events

McIntosh Reserve features over of trails which may be traveled on foot or via bicycle or horseback. A large, flat grassy area is frequently used by model airplane hobbyists or groups seeking an open gathering place. The park also maintains several primitive campsites. The park also features a splash pad with covered enclosures, grills, tables and a scenic river overlook for more family friendly fun and enjoyment. The splash pad features several water sprinklers, and colorful play stations, which allow children of all ages to cool off during the hot summer months. The park features two ponds and lies along the

. Fishing is allowed in the park; the nearby town of Whitesburg, Georgia provides access to the river for

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

and

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

. Annual events such as the Easter Festival,

Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...

Carnival, and Santa Program draw visitors to the park. An annual Fall Festival features a "Native American Pow-Wow," a traditional Native American music and dance performance. The Chattahoochee Challenge

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and various club-, hobby-, or

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-related events also take place in the park. Polocrosse, a fun game played on horseback and great for a wide variety of ages, is practiced on most Sunday afternoons, weather permitting.

References

External links

Carroll County Parks and Recreation: McIntosh Reserve

McIntosh Reserve
historical marker {{Protected areas of Georgia (U.S. state) Protected areas of Carroll County, Georgia Parks in Georgia (U.S. state)