Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

An oasis of history and nature just outside Macon! The park is beautifully maintained, with easy parking and a peaceful atmosphere. The small museum and gift shop are great, and the Park Rangers are friendly and knowledgeable. A wonderful place to explore—can’t wait to see it become a full National Park!

Stopped by for the first time while on the road. So happy I did, as this park is nominated to become a full-fledged national park. The visitors center is architecturally surprising, art deco-like. According to the ranger, building began in the 1930s and completed in the 1950s. The park has seven mounds and several trails. The ceremonial Earth Lodge has been restored, allowing visitors to enter. Keep your head down as the entry corridor is very low. It is air conditioned, which was a pleasant surprise. Very interesting. Be sure to visit it's diorama in the museum. It depicts the tribal ceremonial seating arrangement. The Great Temple Mound is worth the hike to the top to see the surrounding vistas. There are plenty of benches along the way to rest if needed. There is a ni e gift shop as well. Time permitting, I will definitely return to more fully explore. It is well worth the visit.

I've seen a lot of mound building sites, and this is an amazing one. I've been to Serpent Mound, Ft. Ancient, and others. What makes this one unique is that they have an earthen lodge (NOT a funerary mound) that you can enter (entry is 4 ft high). I have mixed feelings about the giant mound they allow you to actually walk on. The museum is highly informative and also links today's indigenous peoples to the original residents of the area. Clean restrooms. The rangers were very friendly and full of a lot of great information. Keep up the great work!

Definitely worth a trip to see these mounds. We had less than an hour before the gates closed and we saw two mounds and the museum. I'm glad I made time to go here and see some of our Georgia history. Plus it is free that is another reason to go.

This is one of the largest Southeastern mound complexes, and the underground ceremonial chamber in one mound is worth the visit alone. The museum is good, but could use some updated signage. There's a nice network of hiking trails, and a road takes you to parking areas near most of the mounds If you prefer not to walk far.

I had an event in downtown Macon on Thursday. I was looking for somewhere to eat and saw the pin for Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park and it was 5 minutes from downtown. So I skipped lunch and went to explore. I love history. I love historical places. And especially Georgia history. It was so neat! I plan to go back as soon the weather is cooler and I have more time to explore. The staff was the best! If you are a teacher looking for a field trip, this is an awesome experience. I'll have more photos on my photography page on Facebook. Look up Windi Renee Photography

A huge National Park great place for hiking and walking almost too. It's almost too much to see on to visit a great look into the past history of the area. And no entry fee.

I attended a night lantern tour during the Cherry Blossom Festival in March and it was a great experience! There were guides and volunteers along the path telling stories and answering questions. It was a great way to learn about the park and see it at night.

I could see where the cynic might say "it's just a pile of dirt, what's the big deal". However, the visceral experience of these scant remnants of precolumbian culture is striking. There is a visitor center, which is a bit dated but offers some explanations of the history of the site, notably clarifying different eras of Native American civilizations that go back quite a long way. It is easy to walk from the center to experience the mounds. Heavy rains had come before my visit, and a lowland trail leading to the river was closed. Sometimes the government is overly cautious with these things, but in this case, the trail was clearly underwater. Nonetheless, emerging from the rain yielded other opportunities. A swarm of frogs serenaded my crossing of the bridge over a railroad. A lattice stinkhorn grew on top of the largest mound. A lot of Native American exhibits rely on lame cliches, but in this case the way the people here would have experienced the land in a direct way leaves a much more powerful impression than the numerous uses of the word "powerful". I did not do any tours or movies, and spent a little over an hour perusing the complex. Staying for an educational program would likely be a worthwhile addition.

Great National Monument close to downtown Macon. I love the history, but loved the trails even more! If you're looking for some outdoor time close to Macon, this is the place!

I was passing though Macon on a road trip and decided to take a pit stop at Ocmulgee National Monument to stretch my legs. It was such a scenic, extensive park I definitely recommend visiting.

Well whats not to like when the Federal government makes a historic place available to you totally free. Free entry for everyone, No passes needed. Free parking also! There is a museum with rest rooms and a small theater if you want to watch a movie just ask the attendant to turn it on for you! Native Americans go back here up to 17,000 years ago. Some of the mounds were special sites for ceremony and funerals. There are actually about 10 other sites in the USA with these types of mounds, 2 others just in Georgia! There is a free brochure with a trail map where you can walk part or all of several trails to different mounds. Signs to say danger of falling in a few places, and danger of alligators but I didnt see any. They also seldom bother people unless provoked. So its a good place to go for something free! Many people had their dogs with them on the trail.

Fantastic stop! Free and you can take your dogs! Great history 1000's of years old. Great hikes! Beautiful landscape and well maintained! A must visit just off the hwy! Take a break enjoy a wonderful hike on concrete path and have lunch while exploring. Visitors Center is beautiful. So happy we took the extra time to explore and give my dog some happy time outside! We are Fulltime VanLifers so he loves his outsides days!! Follow our adventures on Instagram #tinyvanbiglife

Went for the night tour during the Cherry Blossom Festival ( didn't know it was a thing until I got to Macon). It's a really neat place to visit and its FREE. Really cool that my native people used this place for a thousand years off and on. Start putting that in mainstream history books!

A great exhibit hall as well as place to hike the trails and information panels especially in the cooler months. The Earth Mound is open for walking inside and the Great Mound is open for hiking to the top and getting an overview of greater Macon and downtown. Lots of great info panels and trail maps throughout the park. Free tours listed at the visitor center and a great gift shop as well. All exhibits, tours, and trails are free to the public! Audio Tour Available by QR Code only here: https://ocmu.oncell.com/en/1-visitors-center-83492.html

A very interesting and beautiful area. The mounds provide a great opportunity for exercise and education. The signage gives a great description of both who the Mississippian people were and how they lived.

Great artifacts!! The staff is wonderful and knowledgeable about the life of the Indians

Got to see it at least once and live in Middle Georgia. Interesting artifacts and cultural history facts

Very interesting history and beautiful as well. Make sure you spend the time reading and looking at the exhibits inside the visitor center to see the differences throughout the years. There's even a touch table with many different furs. Everyone working here is really friendly and excited to tell you about the area which is nice. The bathrooms are clean. Warning signs for alligators and ticks. You can even drive to a lot of the areas if you don't want to walk the whole thing.

August 9, 2020 While the park was free to enter the visitor center and entrance to all the mounds are presently closed. As a result, there is much we missed, in addition to not getting our National Park Pass cancellation stamp. We came around 2pm on a blistering hot day so what we could see was limited to walking through about 3 miles in total. There is a network of trails of approximately 8 miles in the park, which is well kept, excluding the main trails to to mounds which date back to 1015 but Indians have inhabited this area 17,000 years ago, well before the last Ice Age even ended around 10,000 years ago. Designated a National Monument in the 1930s, one of this countries largest archeological digs occurred here. Two archeologists overseeing 800 workers who uncovered over 3 million artifacts in a 2-3 year period. Quite remarkable amongst the items displayed in the museum is a mammoth bone. I took my time wandering through this landscape and imagined what it was like for the people living here through the centuries. The mounds were ceremonial centers but also a place of governance and communion with the spirit world. As a result, I took off my shoes standing barefoot in the grass and stood there taking it all in. We hiked a few of the trails next to the Ocmulgee river and noted warning signs of Alligators. So keep your toddler or pet close to you. It would be nice to see this place on indigenous day or when things open up again.

Spend half a day with history, you will learn about a past you never expected. A past so old we have forgotten how we came from farmers to become farmers.

This was worth the Stop. We came sometime last year and it was closed due to covid but it's open now. Definitely start at the visitor center and watch the video as well as tour the museum before going out to the mounds. You can do an online self-guided tour through the NPS app as well and we used that to get more info about each of the mound stops. (If using the app, there are 7 stops and the list 3 you can get to by car as they have their own parking lot.) we were there a total of 3.5 hours. It was well worth it.

If you don't wear masks DON'T visit the museum. Zero stars. It's Feb 2022 and the world is moving on but they are stuck in the past. Far greater things to worry about, but they chased me out because I wouldn't wear a mask. Avoid at all costs until they get over their phobias. They claimed it was a national rule, for national parks, however they are just standing by something without even trying to acknowledge the community that they serve. It's a total copout and I refuse to support them under these circumstances.

I would go in the fall, spring or winter, I say this because there is no real shade on the main attractions, the mounds,summer it is very hot, sweat was pouring off my back. There are some hikes you can do in the shade , by the mounds are the real draw. Also during covid the museum or visitor center is closed so you can't update your park passport right now. There are some good educational signs and if you bring your smart phone you can scan it for an audio tour. We only saw the two biggest mounds then hit a shaded path. There are 8 miles of hiking paths so plenty to do. Also there are alligators In The area so don't plan on going swimming. There is no cost to the park at this time. Also you have to drive through part an impoverished part of Macon to get there.

You've heard of the Navajo, Hopi, Cherokee, and other Native American cultures. Have you ever heard about the pre-Columbian Mississippian culture? Probably not. I used to think that this culture didn't have a rich artistic heritage but I was wrong. The largest archeological dig occurred here between 1933 and 1936 yielding over two million artifacts. The small visitor center and museum here has only a few thousand objects from that treasure trove. The Earth Lodge is the main outdoor attraction here. To get inside, you may have to get past the pesky wasps that guard the entrance. Just bow down and walk briskly through the dark passageway until you reach the ceremonial center. Here you'll face the original floor from 1015 in an otherwise reconstructed dome. (This rehab even found a way to add air conditioning so you won't pass out inside here on the very hot summer days.) The floor has built-in low seats and a large pit in the center of the floor. It's easy for you mind to go back in time. From the earth lodge, it's a short walk to the Great Temple Mound. Although big -- it's high enough to look over the trees and you can wave to downtown Macon -- it was much bigger. Unfortunately, the railroad line was constructed through here in the 1800s and much of Ocmulgee was damaged and disrupted. Indeed, smaller mounds east of here remain private property with no public access. You won't find cliff dwellings, teepees, adobe ruins or the other iconic imagery we typically associate with Native American cultures. There are a number of mound culture sites in the United States but they don't get many visitors. Perhaps, people don't find what are essentially grassy hills worth the drive. I get it. I'm an outlier, I guess, so I find it all fascinating. However, after my visit, I remain confused. You won't find many museums in the United States featuring ancient pottery, tools, and jewelry of this culture. This is a largely hidden part of our collective history and I still don't know why.

March 2020 review - Great park to hike and discover history. This is a hidden gem of a place. This is a site located south of 23 and north of the Ocmulgee river. The site has many items to see: A visitor's center, a museum, a walking path, a recreated mound meeting place, several burial mounds and a civil war site. Admission is free except for special events. There is a very cool visitors center. It looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright design. It has a museum, gifts shop and several large displays against the walls as you enter. The staff is very friendly and professional and the displays are very informative. The magic is outside. There is a lot to see. They have a mound that you can go inside and several that you can drive to and climb on top of. Alternatively, you can walk from the visitor's center all the way to the farthest and tallest mound while crossing a bridge over the railroad tracks. The paths may be challenging for limited mobility people. I was very impressed at how well the grounds are kept and the fascinating history of the site. They have done an outstanding job from the museum to the information signs at the various locations. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in the area history.

This is a great place to go and discover the history of Southeastern Native American culture. I highly suggest if you are in the area to stop here and check everything out. It doesn't take too much time to see the entire monument. If it's really hot outside, I'd suggest you wait until it cools down a bit because you will be doing a lot of walking. I visted this place with my niece and I really enjoyed myself, I believe she did as well. There is so much to see and learn, they even have an audio guided tour you can take advantage of. I would say plan your visit out to see what you would like to do first, it will make it more enjoyable if you know exactly what you want to see and in which order.

As someone interested in Native American archaeology, I have to say this was a great place to visit.

Great park with amazing history to share. We thoroughly enjoyed our short visit and the easy paved hike to the mounds. Watch yourself if you're an adult height because people were much smaller back in the day! My husband and I had to stoop very low to get inside the main lodge room of the main mound. It was well worth it though to see the restored interior. The museum and visitor center is a breathtaking Art Moderne style building also worth appreciating while here.

Really enjoyed the walk around the park. The phone tour is a great way to learn about the different stops. The Park Rangers were extremely helpful and full of great information. As always, our National Parks/Monuments/BLMs are top notch!

National parks are always very well taken care of. This one is no different. The visitor center is a very cool old building, bringing you back to the years this place was established as a national monument 78 years ago. There is a great museum and video to check out before you go see the actual mounds. If you have children be sure to get the Junior Ranger books so they can also learn about the history but at their own level. The ranger working the front desk is very knowledgeable and can answer any question you have. The trails are in very nice condition. As of a few weeks ago, one of the main bridges leading to a few of the mounds is being repaired. Don't worry, you can still drive there. This park can take you a an hour or two to see the main sights or you can make it a whole day. There are several longer trails that you can do here. We enjoyed our visit and found the history here fascinating.

Visit and support this park if you're in Macon. It's interesting to realize how people lived thousands of years ago and how civilization grew and improved. The museum has stories and artifacts, as well as videos. It's a relatively easy walk around the grounds (not wheelchair-friendly though). There are benches scattered throughout. The staff is very friendly and knowledgable.

I came here under not the best of situations, my best bro who was part native American and a great battle buddy , died 6 months ago, I know he would have loved this place, and cam here to pay homage to my bro. I didn't know the park was free, which started off great, I went into the gift shop and knew he was there, the whole exhibit was breathtaking, I totally enjoyed walking the park trails and the mounds, eye opening and splendid to behold I thoroughly enjoyed my time . This is what I served 21+ years for out old heritage . I implore my fellow Americans to visit this place .

I have visited the Ocmulgee National Monument more times than I can count during my lifetime. From childhood trips with my family and the Boy Scouts to adventures in college to relax and reflect to something to do with dates that have never seen the mounds. And to have been so many times it's as if I'm there for the first time each time I have visited. It's almost spiritual in a way. Ocmulgee National Monument is a National Park and pre-historic American Indian site that is full of history and serves as a monument for the Indians who have lived here since the Paleo-Indian period when the Indians came here to hunt Ice Age mammals. Many different Indian cultures have occupied the area in the thousands of years since. The mounds are believed to have been constructed by the Mississippian Period Indians for the elite members. At the Ocmulgee National Monument you'll find a museum with all sorts of information about the Indians that have occupied middle Georgia and outside the museum is the crown jewels; the Indian Mounds. The Indian mounds are open for the public to explore and enjoy; unfortunately over the years humans have done what humans do and left trash at the mounds, vandalized some parts of the mounds, and other things. But hopefully this is under control and people will start showing more respect.

Fabulous, Indian artifacts found on site during the archaeological digs are showcased in the future Visitor Center. The staff was very friendly about explaining what we could see in the hour before closing, they do lock the gates on the grounds. There are books for sale. The paths and structures are well marked and easy to follow. Sure wish we had more time.

I love national parks! You can see, learn and experience many things absolutely for free! In this park, you can learn how the native Americans lived in the past. As I am from Japan, it was interesting to notice that there are so much in common with Native American's life in the past and that of our ancient.

Can you say free. We went there indigenous day, I was so happy with the film which was shown and the enthusiasm of the park rangers. I especially liked that 1. They are pet friendly 2. You can find the information on the numbers which you can call to get further information. The trails are both paved and Unpaved. We visited the paved sites which had been rained on so, there were fresh deer tracks left in the mud. We had a great experience.

Great park with good walking trails and ability to go inside one of the mounds. Nice exhibit in the building with a good video. Staff was very helpful.

Free fits a budget! Great walk around mounds. Park Rangers are eager to talk and answer questions. Lots of artifacts inside the visitors center and a few hands on activities for kids ie: touch fur, lift 60lbs basket, pottery stamp matching. We actually started and the Great Temple Mound and then walked towards the visitors center which was nice because when we arrived at the council house it was air conditioned (or maybe it's because it's a dome, unsure) which was a nice break from the July heat. Kudos for having a step stool in the bathroom so littles can wash their hands and at the water fountain!! It's those little things that help a mom out.

Not far outside of Macon lies this Native American historical site, where even today descendents of those local tri es which resided throughout this area gather every year to memorialize their importance to this region... On the site there are many structures and areas of historic and cultural interest, as well as a very.nice center...a trip here will be well worth your while...

The mounds have quickly become one of my favorite places in Macon! And what's not to love? National Monument? Check. Historical and Cultural significance? Check. Beautiful scenery? Check. The informational video and exhibit in the visitors center, along with several boards posted, gives context on each of the mounds and sites. You can start at the visitors center and walk to the mounds or drive to a second parking lot that takes you right up to the base of the Great and Lesser Temple Mounds. There are about 6-7 miles of trails throughout Ocmulgee that cross swamp, forest, and river areas. Some are paved, some are natural. It's a great place close to downtown to get in touch with nature and enjoy the outdoors! Keep an eye out for birds and wildlife. There are lots of deer, and you may see a few alligators in the swamp if you look closely.

Museum with multiple trails. You can actually go inside one of the Indian mounds and see how it was set up for meetings, and also climb a top a few to get a great view of Macon! There are nice trials through the marshy area of the Ocmulgee as well. Great outing for families or if you just want to get outside!

A beautiful and peaceful place! Have a picnic, wear your walking shoes, and take a trail or climb the mounds. The Ranger staff inside the gorgeous art-deco building are friendly, helpful, extremely knowledgeable, and clearly care about this national park. Dogs allowed!

One of my favorite places to go on Macon! It's always so peaceful! The trails are well maintained too. I love the boardwalk that leads to a trail to the Ocmulgee River. There are gators so keep your eyes open!

This place is amazing. watch the video, climb the hills and just enjoy yourself . The building there was built around the 30"s. The park is well laid out with point of Interest. Including a 1000 year old board room .

Great place to go to experience history. From the museum to the mounds its like stepping back in time. The Monument is a tribute to the Indians that lived here during the Mississippian period and created the mounds. Most of the main mounds are right off the roadway where there is parking for easy access. There many miles of trails to explore. Some of the trails are paved and others are dirt trails. Bikes are allowed on most trails and roadways. The museum contains hundreds of artifacts dating back thousands of years. Most of the exhibits are related to the history of the mounds and Indians of the Mississippian period. The staff here is always knowledgeable, helpful, and nice. Great place to take the kids or adults in your family for a fun and exciting afternoon. Best of all they are open year round and its always free!

Cannot say in words how impressed we both were of this national monument, the visitors center and the mounds! Absolutely amazing tribute to the history of the tribes represented! There is a long paved trail to the first mound, which you enter and has A/C! Then you can continue hiking or you can drive to the remaining mounds. There are many stairs leading up to the Great Mound. Breathtaking views from the top, to include the skyline of Macon, Ga.

Great place to spend time with your loved ones nice an quiet very nice place for everyone tonjuat enjoy the outdoors

Very neat place. There's not a lot of things here but what is here is very interesting. It's definitely worth the stop if you're in the area.

The best time to go here is during the Ocmulgee Indian festival. This is a yearly event showcase American Indian Culture. Get some fry bread and watch the dancing. Its pretty cool. I like going to the national monument on any other day as well. I have hike around the mounds and the trails are marked and maintained as well. Probably my favorite part of this place is that they are pet friendly, even at the Indian festival.

I was surprised how nice this place is given the cost - free. Good information on native tribes, great trails, and one of the best views in Macon (from the top of the big mound). Very friendly rangers on site to answer questions and provide info.

It is what it is. If you're from out of town it's not worth seeing unless you're really into Indian history. Two mounds that you can go on top of. A lot of wooded trails to walk through.

I visited on June 7,2013. I loved it! The ranger in the welcome building was very helpful and full of information and he even gave us a map! The grounds were very well kept and beautiful! I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes because the walk between mounds is about 1/4 mile each. It is kid friendly! The ranger gave out booklets to fill out during your visit and when completed the kids receive a honorary ranger pin! My little brother was so excited! I would highly recommend going!!