Macon's Ocmulgee Mounds may become the first National Park and Preserve in Georgia

There's a rare alliance at work at the state and national level: U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Osoff have teamed up with U.S. Rep. Rick Allen and Marjorie Taylor Greene to make the Ocmulgee Mounds the first National Park and Preserve in Georgia.

Their names are among more than a dozen attached to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act which was being discussed by a committee on energy and natural resources as of May 15.

“Ocmulgee Mounds is a living testament to our intertwined histories and a robust source of economic and cultural vitality, so I’m proud to support the bipartisan, bicameral efforts to establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve,” Warnock said in a news release. “Working together, we are proving what is possible when we put politics aside and center the people of Georgia.”

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What are the Ocmulgee Mounds and their history?

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is in Macon at 1207 Emery Hwy. According to the National Park Service, its history includes more than 12,000 years of continuous human habitation. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation calls it their ancestral home. The mounds were built for various purposes, with the two tallest being where the chief and second-chief would have lived during the Mississippian Period and another being used for funerals.

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During the Civil War, it was the sight of two conflicts: the Battle of Dunlap Hill and the Battle of Walnut Creek.

A massive archaeological dig took place at the site between 1933 and 1936 with more than 800 men from various agencies excavating. More than 2 million artifacts were discovered from pottery and arrowheads to pipes and jewelry. They helped put together a timeline of people who lived on the Macon Plateau between 12,000 BCE and 1800 CE.

Today, the mounds serve as a popular place to visit, offering eight miles of outdoor trails, a museum with thousands of artifacts on display, a gift shop, and plenty of activities.

What are the National Parks and Preserves?

The National Parks are some of the best-known outdoor attractions in America, including 63 sites like Yellowstone and Yosemite. The National Preserves are similar, but allow for activities like hunting and fishing. There are 19 of these. Both designations represent commitments to preserving and maintaining the natural beauty and historical significance of these sites.

According to a 2023 congressional research report, in many cases, the motivation for changing a park's designation as a National Park is economic as many visitors target these over other parks for day trips and vacations. However, the data has varied on whether or not a redesignation leads to increased park attendance.