James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park 10 of 10 star Rating

Address: 2800 Sloppy Floyd Lake Rd, Summerville, GA 30747

Phone: (706) 857-0826

The Parks web page says: James H. Floyd State Park is a 561-acre Georgia State Park located near Summerville at the base of Taylor Ridge. The park is named after Democrat James H. "Sloppy" Floyd who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1953 until 1974 and was from the area.

This parks rating is 10 out of 10 stars

The good, the bad, and the buggy, a short review of the park.

The good things about this park is the beautiful waterfall at the mine entrance.

The bad things about this park after the falls the trail gets real narrow and steep.

The buggy I’m a bug’s favorite chew toy so how much did they love me? I used back woods off and didn't get any bites

What Kind of Park is this? Does this park have a walking trail or hiking trail or is it more of a playground, ball field or Rec Center? It's a State Park with walking/hiking trails and a lake.

1. The Parks views: The waterfall is really pretty and the park also has a beautiful lake and nice panoramic views of the forest.

2. The Parks cost: It's free or $5.00 for parking if you don't have a yearly pass.

3. The Parks bathrooms: This park has very nice bathrooms at the visitor center.

4. How long is the hike? It's a five mile (13,000 steps) hike loop.

5. The parks shopping and souvenirs: The visitor center had shirts, drinks, snacks, stickers, firewood and fishing accessories available.

6. Does the park have wheelchair and stroller access? It did to the mines, but not the rest of the trail. Also the part that is accessible is a gravel road so the going would be bumpy.

7. How helpful are the parks maps and markers? A They were fairly good but some of the markers were the wrong color due to the limited color range of approved markers. For example the purple trail on the map was blue markers and the white trail on the map was yellow markers. For the most part though the signs were good and the trail easy to follow, if hard to manage (very steep)

8. Is the park kid and dog friendly? Yes

9. Is there good internet service? Yes, I could get service the entire trail.

10. Was it worthwhile? Yes

Bonus Questions

11. What amenities did the park provide? 2 Lakes, Fishing Pier — ADA accessible, (Fishing License required) 4 Picnic Shelters, Benches, swings. 24 Tent, Trailer & RV Campsites, 2 Boat Ramps, and 2 Playgrounds. It also had peddle boats available and kayaks can be used on the lake

12. Was there tent, cabin and RV camping? Yes

13. Places nearby to eat? Yes

14. Was there a gas station nearby? Yes

15. How safe was the park? I felt very safe, but some of the steep parts of the trail would be a place where you could get a sprained ankle or if you have bad knees or other leg/foot injuries could be a challenge. Also as with any wilderness area that has lakes and rivers there could be a water hazard to anyone who can't swim. Swimming is not allowed in the lakes but this won't stop a small child who is not supervised.

16. Is the park maintained well? Yes

17. Is the trail or walking path at least a ¼ of a mile? Yes

18. What would I have brought or left behind If I hiked this trail again? I was glad I had my walking stick when going up and down the steep parts of the path. I also had trail mix and a drink as well as a few other snacks and was glad I brought them. I also brought Kleenex and needed it (it was cold and my nose was runny). I also had water proof shoes because it had rained yesterday and parts of the trail were muddy. The mine area was very wet because of the waterfall. I really had everything I needed.

19. How far is this from Atlanta? 1hour 45 minutes

20. Spirit Animal for the park? Blue Heron

The trails spirit animal is selected by any animal I see at the park or on my way to the park. I find that looking for the day’s spirit animal makes my hike more fun and reminds me to stop and enjoy the beauty of my journey. Today’s spirit animal is:

The name of this trail is? Marble Mine Trail

What Kind of trail is this? A 5 mile loop trail