Spring 2025 Evergreen Destinations

Explore Okefenokee Swamp, King’s Mountain State Park, Flat Top Manor, and Douthat State Park

Jun 12, 2025

While some destinations are better to visit during specific seasons, others are intriguing anytime of year. We call those evergreen.

Journey with us to our Spring 2025 evergreen destinations.

Okefenokee Swamp

5700 Okefenokee Swamp Park
Waycross, Georgia
okeswamp.org

Whether you take a self-guided hike or hop on a railroad tour, prepare to see nature in all of its immeasurable glory at Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp. You might spot an alligator in its natural habitat as you kayak through the swamp or cruise Swamp Island Drive. Climb up the 50-foot observation tower for a birds-eye view, relax on the screened porch, and enjoy a meal from Camp Cornelia Cafe. Okefenokee Swamp is open year-round. Check the website for seasonal hours.

King’s Mountain State Park

1277 Park Road
Blacksburg, South Carolina
southcarolinaparks.com/kings-mountain

Fishing, boating, geocaching, and equestrian camping are just some of the ways you can enjoy South Carolina’s Kings Mountain State Park. Take a self-guided tour of the park’s replica of a mid-19th century Yeoman farm, which includes a house, barn, cotton gin, farm animals, blacksmith, weave shop, and garden. The park is also located next to Kings Mountain National Military Park, a Revolutionary War battle site worth a visit.

Flat Top Manor

6570 Blue Ridge Road
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
blueridgeparkway.org/poi/moses-h-cone-memorial-park

Flat Top Manor may look familiar if you’ve seen the 1999 movie The Green Mile. Portrayed as the Georgia Pines nursing home in the Tom Hanks blockbuster, this impressive Blowing Rock home originally belonged to Moses and Bertha Cone, the son and daughter of German and Jewish immigrants. Moses Cone developed the estate during the 1890s and early 1900s as a 23-room Colonial Revival mansion that provided him with a healthful retreat from the rigors of the textile empire he ran with his brother, Caesar. The estate encompasses what used to be 25 miles of carriage roads and also includes two man-made lakes and apple orchards.

Douthat State Park

14239 Douthat State Park Road
Millboro, Virginia
dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/douthat

View some of Virginia’s most beautiful mountain scenery at Douthat State Park, which was established in 1936 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, and swimming. The park offers more than 43 miles of trails, playgrounds, an amphitheater, and picnic areas. In addition to tent and trailer camping, visitors have access to 32 cabins and three lodges that accommodate 15, 16, and 18 guests each. A swimming beach with a snack bar and boat rentals is also available during warmer months.

We hope you’re enjoying our weekly email and that you always remember to … Take the long way home.