Paulding County – History, Nature and Trails in Georgia

Paulding County combines Georgia’s history with impressive places for days spent in nature and exploring. The county’s role in the American Civil War is particularly significant. At the same time, historic sites, museums, forests and trails offer a wide variety of travel experiences. When choosing a vacation rental, you can therefore first decide whether history, nature or active days should be your main focus.

History of Paulding County and Pickett’s Mill

Paulding County was established on December 3, 1832, as Georgia’s 89th county. Its name commemorates John K. Paulding, a hero of the American Revolutionary War. In the 1832 Gold Lottery, the county was divided into forty-acre “gold lots.” After some settlers remained in the county for agricultural purposes, farming became the main occupation.

Today, Paulding County is particularly known for its role in the American Civil War. Pickett’s Mill is considered one of the best-preserved Civil War battlefields in the United States. Visitors can use roads that were traveled by Union and Confederate troops, see earthworks built by those troops and walk through the ravine where hundreds died.

Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site has four miles of hiking trails and is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Pickett’s Mill museum is open Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. One program focuses on the life of rural households in mid-19th-century Georgia. For school groups, equipment, food and the social lives of Union and Confederate soldiers may also be the focus. The programs are led by staff in period clothing and may include a museum tour, a guided battlefield hike, a student formation, a portrayal of soldiers’ lives and musket firing.

Nature, Water and Active Days

The Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area is located in Paulding and Polk Counties and covers 25,707 acres. Raccoon Creek offers one of the southernmost opportunities for trout fishing. A nature program at Pickett’s Mill explores forests, streams and the local wildlife during a nature hike as well as through wildlife-watching and nature-exploration activities.

Cyclists, nature lovers and horseback riders will also find a special point of interest: a 20-mile paved section of an abandoned railroad track runs through the landscape of North Georgia. Tara Drummond Memorial Park also provides access to the Silver Comet Trail.

Museums, Schools and Rural Heritage

The Paulding County Historical Society Museum contains artifacts and memorabilia. The grounds also include the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum, which was built in the 1860s. The same site is home to a historic Old Jailhouse made of hand-hewn logs. These places make it possible to understand the county’s development across different eras without having to commit to a single theme.

Hiram Rosenwald School opened in 1930 as Hiram Colored School and was the only Rosenwald School in Paulding County. For your further travel planning, you can also consider Hiram as a destination in its own right. Fannin-Cooper Farm includes a main house, several historic outbuildings and historic farmland. Its main house is considered an outstanding and intact example of a late-19th-century farm in Paulding County and has historic significance in the areas of agriculture and architecture.

Paulding County is therefore well suited to a trip in which you can alternate between history and landscapes. When searching for a vacation rental, first prioritize your preferred experiences: Pickett’s Mill and the museums appeal to travelers interested in cultural history, while Paulding Forest, Raccoon Creek and the paved rail trail make other day plans possible.

More Destinations to Research

Other destinations you can include in your travel planning are Polk County, Pierce County, Floyd, Evans County, Tift, Gwinnett and Fannin County.

For the overarching travel overview: Georgia.