Best Autumn Drives #5 - Highway 190 in Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, Georgia

Overlook at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park

Highway 190, which passes along the crest of Pine Mountain through the full length of Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Georgia, is one of the most beautiful fall drives in the South.
The park takes its name from the President that led the United States through the dark days of the Great Depression and World War II. In fact, President Roosevelt died at his Little White House near Warm Springs on the northern slopes of Pine Mountain. He frequented the beautiful scenery now included in the more than 9,000 acres of the state park.

Highway 190 enters the park at the Callaway Store and Overlook just north of Hamilton, Georgia. From there it winds its way along the top of the mountain, past overlooks, the park office, cabins, picnic areas, trail heads and other points of interest until it exits the park just outside Warm Springs. The total length is just under 12 miles.

Roosevelt Statue at Dowdell's Knob

Along the way, be sure to take Dowdell Knob Road out to Dowdell's Knob, a favorite picnic spot of President Roosevelt. The knob is a hilltop that projects from the side of the mountain and provides a spectacular, panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.  During the fall it overlooks an amazing natural canvas of color, especially reds and golds.

Highway 190 itself is simply a spectacular drive in years when the leaves are good.  Along much of the route, the trees form natural arches over the roadway. When these take on their full color, the scene as you pass through the trees is simply amazing.

The drive is also just minutes away from Pine Mountain's famed Callaway Gardens, which also offers spectacular fall scenery.  The grounds of the Little White House near the northern end of the highway are also beautiful in the fall.

If you want to enjoy a great lunch while visiting Pine Mountain, consider the Callaway Country Store located at the southern entrance to the state park. The dining room there has what may be the best fried chicken in Georgia and features spectacular views from your table.  You can also take a picnic and enjoy the mountain scenery itself as there are plenty of great picnic spots along the road and the weather is usually mild, but cool (be sure to take a sweater or jacket).

To learn more about Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fdrstatepark.

You can also check out the views from Dowdell's Knob at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/dowdellsknob.

You can read about the Little White House and President Roosevelt at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/littlewhitehouse.

And, last but not least, read about Callaway Gardens at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/callawaygardens1.

Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park - Pine Mountain, Georgia

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once predicted to a neighbor that Georgia's Pine Mountain would become a great resort for residents of the Deep South. It offered them, the President said, the opportunity to explore beautiful mountain scenery that was remarkably close to the Gulf Coastal Plain.

Roosevelt's prediction, made more than 70 years ago, has come true. Pine Mountain is now the setting for the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park and hundreds of thousands of people come each year to enjoy the mountain and such attractions as the Little White House, Warm Springs and Callaway Gardens.

Some of the most spectaculat scenery on the mountain can now be seen at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park. Established as a W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) project during the Great Depression, the park features dramatic views, waterfalls, hiking trails, cottages, campsites, picnic areas, a Liberty Bell shaped swimming pool, scenic Lake Delano and historic Dowdell's Knob. The latter place was a favorite picnic spot of President Roosevelt and his original grill can still be seen there. Visitors can also absorb the spectacular view he often enjoyed and see the beautiful statue of the former President.

To learn more about the park, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fdrstatepark.