Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
Welcome to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. This park is a prehistoric American Indian site, where many different American Indian cultures occupied this land for thousands of years. American Indians first came here during the Paleo-Indian Period hunting Ice Age mammals. Around 900 CE, the Mississippian Period began, and people constructed mounds for their elite, which remain here today.
About 1.5 hours from Atlanta by car.
Alerts
- ClosureBOARDWALK CLOSED along the River Trail
Due to structural issues, the boardwalk along the river trail is closed until further notice. Access to the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and river is not available due to this closure. This closure does not affect access to any of the mound sites.
- CautionRiver Trail periodically closed under I-16
The section of the River Trail beneath Interstate 16 is closed during bridge construction when pedestrian safety is at risk and remains open when no significant hazards are present.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Grounds | Daily · 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Hours not published |
When to go
September draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Ocmulgee Mounds Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Park grounds and walking trails from 8:00 to 5:00 pm daily. The Visitor Center and Earth Lodge are open from 9:00 am-5:00 pm daily.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- Main Trail30-90 Minutes
A 1/2 mile trail leading to three of the park's most popular points of interest.
Opens on the Park Service site - Wildlife Watching at Ocmulgee Mounds
Ocmulgee Mounds offers a plethora of wildlife to watch as visitors explore the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Ocmulgee River Trail30-60 Minutes
A trail that winds through a wooded area to the Ocmulgee River.
Opens on the Park Service site - Heritage Trail30-90 Minutes
A paved trail that is a favorite for bikers.
Opens on the Park Service site - Dunlap Trail5-15 Minutes
A short, 1/4th of a mile long trail leading to the Dunlap Mound and Civil War earthworks.
Opens on the Park Service site - McDougal Trail15-45 Minutes
A 1/2mile-long dirt path winding through woods to reach McDougal Mound.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Bartram Trail20-40 Minutes
A 3/4th mile hike through woods between the Southeast Mound and the Visitor Center.
Opens on the Park Service site - Funeral Loop Trail15-30 Minutes
A 1/4th mile loop through woods near the Funeral Mound parking lot.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hitchiti Village Site Trail5-15 Minutes
A 1/4th mile hike through woods connecting the Trading Post to the Funeral Mound.
Opens on the Park Service site - Southeast Mound Trail5-10 Minutes
This short trail connects the Main Trail to the Bartram Trail. It also leads to the Southeast Mound, one of the lesser-known mounds in the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Cornfield Mound Trail5-10 Minutes
A short, grassy trail connecting the Earth Lodge to the Heritage Trail.
Opens on the Park Service site - Opelofa Loop Trail15-30 Minutes
A small loop trail off-shooting from the Opelofa Trail.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 167 birds, 32 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · BARRED OWL · BLACK VULTURE · Broad-winged Hawk · COOPER'S HAWK · Eastern Screech Owl · Great Horned Owl · MISSISSIPPI KITE · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Osprey · RED-SHOULDERED HAWK · RED-TAILED HAWK · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American Wigeon · Blue-winged Teal · CANADA GOOSE · CATTLE EGRET · Double-crested Cormorant · GLOSSY IBIS · GREAT EGRET · GREEN HERON · Great Blue Heron · Green-winged Teal · Little Blue Heron · PIED-BILLED GREBE · RING-NECKED DUCK · SANDHILL CRANE · SNOWY EGRET · WHITE IBIS · WOOD DUCK · Wood Stork
Shorebirds & seabirdsCOMMON SNIPE · GREATER YELLOWLEGS · KILLDEER · Least Sandpiper · Lesser Yellowlegs · RING-BILLED GULL · SOLITARY SANDPIPER · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Wilson's Plover
Gamebirds & dovesCOMMON GROUND-DOVE · Mourning Dove · NORTHERN BOBWHITE · ROCK DOVE · WILD TURKEY
WoodpeckersDOWNY WOODPECKER · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · PILEATED WOODPECKER · RED-HEADED WOODPECKER · Red-bellied Woodpecker · YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Hummingbirds & swiftsCHIMNEY SWIFT · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAMERICAN GOLDFINCH · ANHINGA · Acadian Flycatcher · American Crow · American Redstart · American Robin · BALTIMORE ORIOLE · BANK SWALLOW · BARN SWALLOW · BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER · BLUE GROSBEAK · BLUE JAY · BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER · BLUE-HEADED VIREO · BROWN CREEPER · BROWN THRASHER · BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD · Belted Kingfisher · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue-winged Warbler · Brown-headed Nuthatch · CAROLINA CHICKADEE · CHIPPING SPARROW · CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW · COMMON GRACKLE · COMMON NIGHTHAWK · Canada Warbler · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Common Yellowthroat · DARK-EYED JUNCO · EASTERN MEADOWLARK · EASTERN PHOEBE · EASTERN TOWHEE · EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE · EUROPEAN STARLING · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Evening Grosbeak · FISH CROW · FOX SPARROW · Field Sparrow · GADWALL · GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET · GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH · GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER · Golden-winged Warbler · Gray Catbird · HOODED WARBLER · HOUSE SPARROW · Hermit Thrush · House Finch · House Wren · INDIGO BUNTING · Kentucky Warbler · Loggerhead Shrike · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · NORTHERN CARDINAL · NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD · NORTHERN SHOVELER · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Waterthrush · ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · PALM WARBLER · PHILADELPHIA VIREO · PINE SISKIN · PINE WARBLER · PROTHONOTARY WARBLER · PURPLE MARTIN · Purple Finch · RED-EYED VIREO · RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD · RUSTY BLACKBIRD · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · SAVANNAH SPARROW · SCARLET TANAGER · SWAINSON'S WARBLER · SWAMP SPARROW · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Tennessee Warbler · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH · WINTER WREN · Whip-poor-will · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Wood Thrush · Worm-eating Warbler · YELLOW WARBLER · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler
Small mammalsAMERICAN BEAVER · Brown Rat · EASTERN CHIPMUNK · EASTERN COTTONTAIL · EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL · EASTERN MOLE · EASTERN WOODRAT · HISPID COTTON RAT · House Mouse · MUSKRAT · Oldfield Deermouse · Southern Short-tailed Shrew · WOODLAND VOLE
PredatorsBOBCAT · COMMON GRAY FOX · COMMON RACCOON · COYOTE · Common Otter · RED FOX
Hoofed mammalsWHITE-TAILED DEER
BatsBIG BROWN BAT · BRAZILIAN FREE-TAILED BAT · EASTERN PIPISTRELLE · EASTERN RED BAT · EVENING BAT · Eastern Big-eared Bat · SEMINOLE BAT
Also on the checklistFERAL CAT · FERAL DOG · FERAL HOG · NUTRIA · VIRGINIA OPOSSUM
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 13 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Macon has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average high temperature ranges from 46 to 58°F (7.7 to 14.4°C) in January and 82 to 91°F (27.7 to 32.7°C) in July. Winters are mild. Temps ranging from 30 degrees to 50 degrees. Spring is mild but wet. Temps ranging from 50 degrees to low 70 degrees. Summers are hot and very humid. Temp ranging from upper 80 degrees to 100 degrees. Fall is pleasant. Temps ranging from 60 to 80 degrees.
Questions people ask
Does Ocmulgee Mounds charge an entrance fee?
No. Ocmulgee Mounds is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Ocmulgee Mounds?
Standard hours are 8:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Ocmulgee Mounds right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: River Trail periodically closed under I-16; BOARDWALK CLOSED along the River Trail.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Ocmulgee Mounds?
112,071 recreation visits in 2025, number 209 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Ocmulgee Mounds?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Ocmulgee Mounds established?
1936. It covers about 2.6 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Ocmulgee Mounds?
Macon has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average high temperature ranges from 46 to 58°F (7.7 to 14.4°C) in January and 82 to 91°F (27.7 to 32.7°C) in July.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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