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House Bill 794 would remove the park's official designation as a Confederate memorial.

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Three state legislators have introduced a bill to remove Stone Mountain Park's designation as a Confederate Memorial.

House Bill 794 would remove the official designation and remove the word "Memorial" from the park's official title. The bill was introduced by State Representatives Billy Mitchel (D-Stone Mountain), Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) and Omari Crawford (D-Decatur).

“I’m a proud product of DeKalb County, and Stone Mountain was integral to my development,” said Crawford. “The diversity of DeKalb County is an under-amplified gem in the great state of Georgia. Our ability to work together, despite of our diversity, is what makes DeKalb County unique. Honoring any Confederate history in an area with so much diversity is inconsistent with DeKalb County’s present-day values. It is time that our park reflects our evolution.”

In April of 2021, Pastor Abraham Mosely became the first Black chairmen of The Stone Mountain Memorial Association after he was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp.

During the association's first meeting under their new leader, the park's CEO proposed new ways to "move Stone Mountain forward," such as moving Confederate artifacts and monuments as well as renaming Confederate Hall as Heritage Hall.

And in August of the same year, the officials announced a vote had determined a new logo would exclude the park’s giant mountainside carving of Confederate leaders.

However, some believe more needs to be done to address the park's Confederate legacy.

“We have been waiting too long for action by the Stone Mountain Memorial Authority to act on needed changes to the false history of the park and the carving,” said Rep. Mitchell, whose district includes the park. “We do not understand the delay and wish to set forth the changes that we see as necessary.”

Removing the park's official designation would result in a number of changes.

The Stone Mountain Memorial Association would be renamed The Stone Mountain Memorial Association. House Bill 794 would remove the requirement for the association to stock and sell Confederate memorabilia at attractions such as Memorial Hall or the Skyview gift shop.

However, the biggest change would be the removal of the requirement to preserve the carvings of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson on the front of Stone Mountain.

“I am a native of Georgia and DeKalb County, and Stone Mountain has been a part of all the stages of my life,” said Rep. Oliver. “The park is an important asset for our county and state and enjoys enormous popularity and use. As such, the park needs to change its statutory history of honoring the Confederacy and adherence to a ‘lost cause.’ This legislation is consistent with recommendations from other groups and historians who wish to set forth a more accurate history of the Stone Mountain Park and its carving.”

According to the Georgia House of Representatives, these are the other DeKalb County state legislators who have co-sponsored the legislation: Dar'shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia), Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), Karen Lupton (D-Chamblee), Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain), Becky Evans (D-Atlanta), Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain), Scott Holcomb (D-Atlanta), Imani Barnes (D-Tucker), Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia), Saira Draper (D-Atlanta), Shea Roberts (D-Atlanta), Long Tran (D-Dunwoody) and Rhonda Taylor (D-Conyers).

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - A group of state representatives in DeKalb County has proposed big changes to Stone Mountain Park.

Democratic State Rep. Billy Mitchell, whose district represents the park, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), and Rep. Omari Crawford (D-Decatur) introduced a bill Monday that would remove the official designation of Stone Mountain Park as a Confederate Memorial.

House Bill 794, which is co-sponsored by all 16 members of the DeKalb County delegation, would also remove the word "Memorial" from the park's official title - changing the oversight body from the "Stone Mountain Memorial Association" to the "Stone Mountain Park Association."

"We have been waiting too long for action by the Stone Mountain Memorial Authority to act on needed changes to the false history of the park and the carving," Mitchell said in a statement. "We do not understand the delay and wish to set forth the changes that we see as necessary."

The bill would also remove the requirement for the association to stock and sell Confederate memorabilia and remove the requirement to preserve the carvings of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson on the mountain.

"I am a native of Georgia and DeKalb County, and Stone Mountain has been a part of all the stages of my life," said Rep. Oliver. "The park is an important asset for our county and state and enjoys enormous popularity and use. As such, the park needs to change its statutory history of honoring the Confederacy and adherence to a ‘lost cause.’"

Critics have called on the association to remove the colossal sculpture from the mountain’s northern face. Completed in 1972, it measures 190 feet across and 90 feet tall. It is the largest Confederate monument ever crafted and has special protection in Georgia law.

When Georgia lawmakers voted in 2001 to change the state flag that had been dominated by the Confederate battle emblem since 1956, language to guarantee the preservation of the Stone Mountain sculpture was included as a bargaining chip.

The law states that "the memorial to the heroes of the Confederate States of America graven upon the face of Stone Mountain shall never be altered, removed, concealed, or obscured in any fashion."

Stone Mountain wasn’t a battle site and had little historical significance to the Civil War. But 50 years after the war ended, the exposed surface of the mountain’s northern face sparked an idea among the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

"It looked like a giant billboard," said Stan Deaton, senior historian for the Georgia Historical Society.

The group hired sculptor Gutzon Borglum — who later would carve Mount Rushmore — to design a massive Confederate monument in 1915.

That same year, the movie "The Birth of a Nation" glorified the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan and Stone Mountain played a key role in its resurgence, marking its comeback with a cross burning atop the mountain on Thanksgiving night.

Budget problems plagued the Stone Mountain project and work on the sculpture languished until the state bought the mountain and surrounding land in 1958 for a public park. Finishing the monument gained renewed urgency as the civil rights movement brought unwanted change to defiant Southern states.

"It became the centerpiece of the park," Deaton said. "There was never any doubt that the state’s intention of finishing this was of a piece with massive resistance."

An estimated 10,000 people attended the monument’s dedication in 1970. Another two years passed before its official completion.

Five decades later, the park at Stone Mountain markets itself as a family theme park rather than a shrine to the "Lost Cause" mythology that romanticizes the Confederacy as chivalrous defenders of states’ rights. Its website highlights miniature golf and a dinosaur-themed attraction while downplaying the Confederate carving, Confederate flags and brick terraces dedicated to each Confederate state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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State legislators designated Stone Mountain Park as a memorial to the Confederacy when it was purchased by the state in 1958, but current legislators and activists are pushing a new law that would remove some of the Confederate features of the park.

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced on Feb. 13 that it was joining Stone Mountain Action Coalition in the fight to bring awareness to House Bill 794 – which would “repeal the Confederate mandate and, in keeping with the purpose of other state parks, refocus Stone Mountain Park as a place for outdoor recreation and learning about the natural environment,” according to a news release.

Stone Mountain Action Coalition’s website added that the bill that designated the park as a Confederate memorial required the park to sell Confederate memorabilia to stay in place, and that the park is still required to sell such memorabilia – something Amazon, Walmart, and other national retailers have forbade.

Stone Mountain Action Coalition officials said the changes—which could start with House Bill 794—would do more than make the park more inclusive. The coalition’s website references the protests and marches that have temporarily closed the park and some Stone Mountain businesses in the past and how the park’s current state can be a burden to the community.

In July 2020, more than 100 demonstrators armed with weapons entered the park to challenge White supremacy groups that were protesting there. The park then closed temporarily in August 2020, and the Georgia National Guard was deployed due to a planned White supremacy rally.

Stone Mountain Action Coalition’s website states that the August 2020 closure diverted the protesting groups to Stone Mountain Village and forced some businesses to temporarily close. Additionally, city of Stone Mountain issued a warning asking the public to avoid downtown that day and notifying residents that MARTA suspended services within the city limits for the same day.

Officials from Stone Mountain Action Coalition stated that the park also flies Confederate battle flags over the most popular trail and has “more than 10 streets and features named after Confederate and Ku Klux Klan figures.”

Their website states that the removal of these monuments, memorabilia, and other names would also present a “reflective view of history that is increasingly common at other Southern sites.”

Additionally, the group is calling for Stone Mountain Memorial Association to make all monthly board hearings public, initiate a community engagement project regarding the park, and to issue an anti-racism statement to deter future protests at the park.

Published July 13, 2023Last Updated February 6, 2024

Heading out of the city for a nature-rich adventure is hardly a hassle. Within a half-hour drive of Atlanta are incredible parks. You’ll find thick forests and serene, rocky creeks that are sure to ease the tensions of the big city. Whether it’s a stress-busting hike to a rewarding mountaintop view, a calming ride by canoe or powering along the ridges of a scenic lake on a stand-up paddleboard, an outdoor excursion that feels worlds away from the city is actually only minutes from Downtown.

The four parks we’ve highlighted below require little travel time, so you can get a lot of action in without making a full day of your visit. They’ve each got loads of outdoor experiences to offer, and they’re all incredibly close to the city — you can come back anytime.

1. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, a national park spanning nearly 3,000 acres, features more than 22 miles of trails, all rich in history and lush in natural beauty. The park’s best adventure is its 11-mile eponymous trail loop, which is the best fit for skilled hikers prepared for a day-long trek. From the visitor center, ascending switchbacks guide you through a forest rife with wildflowers, ferns and rocks, with plenty opportunity to spot wildlife — deer, birds and more. A sweeping view of the miles of green and the Atlanta skyline emerges early on as you reach the summit at 1.1 miles; as you descend, you’ll get a nice glimpse of the small-but-mighty Little Kennesaw Mountain nearby. After looping through to Pigeon Hill, you’ll eventually cross the bridge over Noses Creek before ultimately reaching the expansive meadow of Cheatham Hill, the Illinois Monument and a Civil War-era church at 7.9 miles.

A beginner-ready Environmental Trail is great for spotting wildlife, especially from one of the relaxation-ready benches along the boulder-lined creek. And for mid-level hikers and runners, the Big Mountain Trail offers a quicker, though still challenging, trip up to the striking summit vista.

2. Sweetwater Creek State Park

Seasonal blooms dotting a dense forest, the ruins of an historic textile mill and rocky bluffs above gushing rapids: This is the stuff of Sweetwater Creek State Park. There’s a lot to love at this 2,549-acre preserve in Lithia Springs, located just west of Atlanta and less than half an hour from Downtown. Serenity-seekers will find rugged respite, but with its many outdoor challenges, adrenaline lovers won’t be disappointed, either.

At the George Sparks Reservoir, you can fish for channel catfish and large-mouth bass or hop on a stand-up paddleboard and push through its glassy surface. Throughout the park, there are shaded picnic spots for midday lounging, plus campsites and yurts available for overnight stays. The whitewater community considers Sweetwater Creek one of the top spots for kayaking in Georgia, and hikers, of course, will fall head over boots for its exceptionally scenic trails: The Yellow (East Side) Trail boasts an elevation gain of 350 feet, the White Trail features remote sections full of wildlife and an undisturbed patchworks of plants. The Red (History) Trail follows the rush of the whitewater rapids to the ruins of the five-story New Manchester Mill.

3. Panola Mountain State Park

With a 100-acre, mint-condition granite monadnock as its centerpiece, Panola Mountain State Park is another of the state’s gems. Part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, the park is located in Stockbridge, just 15 minutes outside the city. You’ll find a series of open, public trails that wind around the mountain, giving you a wide variety of options.

There’s a stellar view on the short but rewarding Outcrop Trail, and the Watershed Trail highlights two creeks that drain into the Piedmont uplands. Along the paved Panola Mountain and Alexander Lake PATH Trails, clocking in at about 5 miles altogether, skaters, bikers, runners and dog-walkers get elevated views of the lake below after breezing through a deciduous forest lined with rocky outcrops carpeted by bright lichen moss.

To get to the mountaintop, though, you’ll need a guide. Snag a trip with an expert park ranger to see the perfectly preserved summit — try a sunset hike for an especially memorable experience. Panola Mountain State Park also offers archery lessons and tree-climbing expeditions (including an overnight stay in a treetop), all of which can be easily organized by making a reservation.

4. Stone Mountain Park

The Walk-Up Trail to the summit at Stone Mountain Park has to be one of Georgia’s most traveled, and for good reason: The view on a clear day is absolutely unbeatable. Climbing to 1,686 feet above sea level earns hikers and runners a far-reaching view that includes both the downtown Atlanta skyline and the impressive North Georgia Mountains. There is, of course, the option to travel in relaxation via the Summit SkyRide, but you’d miss out on the challenge of rocky terrain, the intensity of elevation gains and the swaths of sun-drenched grass and, in the springtime, the eye-catching crimson blooms of rare succulent plants.

While the sights atop the 600-foot granite dome are easily the park’s biggest draw, there’s even more to explore — the landmark park covers a healthy 3,200 acres, after all. Various trails, ranging from lengthier treks with steep drops to leisurely jaunts of less than a mile, circle the base of the mountain. Stone Mountain Lake, a steadily calm 300-acre oasis, is perfect for stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking — fishing, too. On the paved designated roadways, cyclists can hit new speeds, and the sidewalks alongside them are ideal for runners.

Right in the middle of downtown Atlanta, Centennial Olympic Park is perfect for a stroll. Another Downtown green space, Woodruff Park, is located in the Fairlie-Poplar district.

Originally written by RootsRated for Atlanta CVB

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