Ocmulgee National Park

Trust for Public Land has teamed up with the Muscogee Nation and the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative to establish America’s newest national park, marking a historic first in Georgia where a tribe and the National Park Service jointly manage the park.

This initiative will enhance the existing Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park and Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, creating a sprawling 23,000-acre park along the Ocmulgee River, stretching up to 20 miles downstream of the Macon city limit.

Under an innovative comanagement plan, the Muscogee Nation will work together with the National Park Service to provide ecosystem management techniques and cultural or historic knowledge.

At the heart of the park stands the Ocmulgee Mounds, constructed around 900 CE by early Mississippian farmers. Serving various purposes, including housing the village chief and serving as a funerary site, the mounds evolved over time to accommodate the 60 villages of the Muscogee Nation. In 1836, the Muscogee people endured forced removal during the Trail of Tears.

A century later, Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated 678 acres to establish the mounds as a national monument, a status further elevated to national historic park status in 2019. It’s time to bestow this place with the highest honor. Transforming Ocmulgee Mounds into a national park pays homage to the original stewards of the land and conveys the significance of this sacred space.

Creation of a national park will spur economic development in central Georgia, drawing visitors from across the globe. According to an economic analysis conducted by the National Park Conservation Association, the proposed park will generate a substantial economic impact, contributing an estimated $206.7 million annually to the region’s economic activity and supporting over 3,000 jobs, primarily stemming from increased visitor activities and tourism.

Trust for Public Land’s involvement in the region dates back to the 1990s, having preserved nearly 3,000 acres of land that will integrate into the new national park. Future endeavors will involve collaboration with public, tribal, and private partners to acquire ancestral Muscogee Nation lands, contributing to the expansion of Georgia’s inaugural national park.