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Southwest Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites: Costs, Hours and How to Plan a Trip

Kolomoki Mounds, Lapham-Patterson House, Reed Bingham and Seminole State Park: what each costs, when it is open and how to combine them, checked October 15, 2026.

By Hank Whitlock·Updated October 15, 2026·7 min read

Short answer

Southwest Georgia has three Georgia state parks and one state-owned Victorian house that are easy to combine on a long weekend. Kolomoki Mounds, Reed Bingham and Seminole State Park each charge $10 per vehicle for parking; the Lapham-Patterson House in Thomasville charges $15 for adults and $10 for children and offers guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays only, so the ParkPass does not cover it. Everything below was checked October 15, 2026 on the Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites pages.

This is the first guide in our Southwest Georgia section. The region on our map takes in Thomas, Dougherty, Lowndes, Tift, Early, Seminole and 20 neighboring counties. We start with the four state-run places because their hours and fees are published in one place and are the easiest to check. Hours and fees change, so confirm on each page before a long drive; every stop below links to it.

Southwest Georgia state parks and historic sites at a glance

Stop	County	What it is	Cost	Hours
Kolomoki Mounds State Park	Early	Woodland-era mounds, including the 57-foot Mound A, plus two lakes	$10 per vehicle (daily ParkPass)	Park 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Lapham-Patterson House State Historic Site	Thomas	Victorian winter cottage and National Historic Landmark, guided tours only	Adults $15.00, children 17 and under $10.00	Tours Fri 1, 2, 3 p.m.; Sat 10, 11 a.m., 1, 2, 3 p.m.
Reed Bingham State Park	Cook	375-acre lake, paddling, Coastal Plain nature trail, less than six miles from I-75	$10 per vehicle (daily ParkPass)	Park 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Seminole State Park	Seminole	Lakeside cottages, beach and a longleaf pine forest on 37,500-acre Lake Seminole	$10 per vehicle (daily ParkPass)	Park 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

How much does it cost to visit Southwest Georgia’s state parks and historic site?

Georgia charges two different ways. State parks charge $10 per vehicle for parking for the day, or $70 for an annual ParkPass, and a daily pass works at more than one state park on the same day. State historic sites do not accept the ParkPass: the Lapham-Patterson House sells its own admission, all checked October 15, 2026.

Kolomoki Mounds, Reed Bingham or Seminole: $10 per vehicle for the day. Overnight guests pay the daily fee once per vehicle during their stay; parking is not included with a reservation.
Lapham-Patterson House: $15.00 for adults (18 and up), $10.00 for children 17 and under. The site says group rates are available with advance notice.
Extras that cost more: miniature golf is a fee at all three parks, and Kolomoki lists disc golf as a fee activity. Canoe and kayak rentals are listed at Reed Bingham and Seminole, and paddling rentals at Kolomoki; ask the park office for current prices.

What is there to see at Kolomoki Mounds State Park?

Kolomoki Mounds, in Blakely, is described by the state as the oldest and largest Woodland Indian site in the southeastern United States, occupied by Native Americans from 350 to 900 C.E. Mound A, the largest Woodland-period platform mound in Eastern North America, stands 57 feet high. The park has 8 Indian mounds in all, on 1,293 acres with two lakes (Georgia State Parks, checked October 15, 2026).

Museum: the park’s museum is not offering a museum experience at this time, because it is changing how it operates to follow updated federal repatriation rules (NAGPRA). The park says ranger-led programs and guided tours of the site are offered frequently and asks visitors to call the park office for details.
Trails: three, the Spruce Pine Trail (views of lakes Yohola and Kolomoki), the Trillium Trail and the White Oak Trail.
On the water: fishing, boating, pedal boats, a sand beach and paddling rentals.
Hours: park 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Parking is a fee-required day pass.
Stay overnight: 25 tent, trailer and RV campsites, 2 pioneer campgrounds and a hammock campsite.
Address: 205 Indian Mounds Road, Blakely, GA 39823; 229-724-2150.

How does the Lapham-Patterson House tour work?

The Lapham-Patterson House in Thomasville was built in 1884–85 as a winter cottage for Chicago shoe merchant C.W. Lapham. The state describes fishscale shingles, oriental-style porch decorations, inlaid long-leaf pine floors and a double-flue chimney with a walk-through stairway, and says it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1975 (Georgia State Parks, checked October 15, 2026). The property is managed by the Thomasville History Center.

Tours only: Fridays at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.; Saturdays at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1, 2 and 3 p.m. The site is closed on and around major holidays.
Admission: adults (18 and up) $15.00; children (17 and under) $10.00.
Pets: leashed pets are allowed on historic-site trails but not in buildings.
Address: 626 North Dawson Street, Thomasville, GA 31792; 229-226-7664.

What can you do at Reed Bingham State Park?

Reed Bingham, in Adel, is built around a 375-acre lake lined with water lilies and tupelo trees, and it is less than six miles from I-75, which the state notes makes it a relaxing stop for travelers.

The park describes gopher tortoises, yellow-bellied sliders and alligators along the shore, nesting bald eagles in winter, and a Coastal Plain Nature Trail where nearly 80 percent of the Coastal Plain plant community can be found (Georgia State Parks, checked October 15, 2026).

On the water: boating, fishing for bass, crappie, catfish and bream, a sand swimming beach, and canoe and kayak rentals.
On land: biking (rentals available), birding, miniature golf and orienteering. The park lists the Birdwalk Trail and Yearling Trail as currently closed.
Hours: park 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Stay overnight: 46 tent, trailer and RV campsites plus a primitive paddle-in island campsite that sleeps 30.
Address: 542 Reed Bingham Road, Adel, GA 31620; 229-896-3551.

What can you do at Seminole State Park?

Seminole State Park, in Donalsonville, sits on a cove of 37,500-acre Lake Seminole at the edge of the Chattahoochee and Flint River valleys. The park says smooth water in the cove suits skiing and tubing, and that a nature trail leads past gopher tortoise burrows and one of the largest longleaf pine forests in a Georgia state park (Georgia State Parks, checked October 15, 2026).

On the water: boating, fishing, paddling with kayak and canoe rentals, water skiing, swimming from a sand beach, and birding.
On land: 2.2 miles of hiking, miniature golf (fee), a playground and a gift shop.
Hours: park 7 a.m.–10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Stay overnight: 14 cottages and 50 tent, trailer and RV campsites.
Address: 7870 State Park Drive, Donalsonville, GA 39845; 229-861-3137.

How can you plan a trip around these stops?

Thomasville on a Friday or Saturday: the Lapham-Patterson House only runs tours on those two days, so build the weekend around it and fit a park in on the other days.
Mounds and a lake: the state lists Seminole State Park as a nearby attraction on its Kolomoki Mounds page, and Kolomoki on Seminole’s, so the two pair naturally. Check a map for your own drive time; we have not measured it.
On the way through: Reed Bingham is less than six miles from I-75, which makes it the easiest of the four to add to a north–south drive.
Parking pass: a $10 daily ParkPass works at more than one state park on the same day, but it is not valid at the Lapham-Patterson House.

For park-by-park comparisons across the whole state, see every Georgia state park, compared, and for accessible trails, Georgia state parks with free all-terrain wheelchairs.

FAQ

How much is parking at Kolomoki Mounds, Reed Bingham and Seminole State Park?

Parking at Georgia state parks is $10 per vehicle for the day, or $70 for an annual ParkPass. A daily pass works at more than one state park on the same day (checked October 15, 2026).

Does the ParkPass work at the Lapham-Patterson House?

No. Georgia says Park Passes are not valid at state historic sites. The Lapham-Patterson House charges $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for children 17 and under (checked October 15, 2026).

When can you tour the Lapham-Patterson House?

Tours run Fridays at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1, 2 and 3 p.m. The site is closed on and around major holidays (checked October 15, 2026).

Is there a museum at Kolomoki Mounds?

Not at the moment. The park says its museum is changing how it operates to follow updated federal repatriation rules and is not offering a museum experience, but ranger-led programs and guided tours of the site are offered frequently (checked October 15, 2026). Call the park office at 229-724-2150 for details.

Which Southwest Georgia state park has cottages?

Seminole State Park lists 14 cottages and 50 campsites on Lake Seminole (checked October 15, 2026). Kolomoki Mounds and Reed Bingham list campsites and pioneer or group camping, but no cottages.

Can you paddle at these parks?

Reed Bingham and Seminole list canoe and kayak rentals, and Kolomoki Mounds lists paddling with rentals available (checked October 15, 2026). Ask the park office for current prices and hours.

Are dogs allowed at the Lapham-Patterson House?

Leashed pets are allowed on the historic site’s trails but not in buildings (checked October 15, 2026).

How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on October 15, 2026. Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.

Sources

Checked on October 15, 2026 against the Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites pages for each stop. Hours, fees and tour times change, so confirm with the site before you go.

About Hank Whitlock

Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.

Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Southwest Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites: Costs, Hours and How to Plan a Trip”, itsgeorgia.com/destinations/southwest-georgia/southwest-georgia-state-parks-historic-sites/ (updated 2026-10-15). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.