Georgia Veterans State Park: Hours, Fees and Directions

Water And Ice Safety: read this before you go

Short answer

Georgia Veterans State Park is a state park and resort on Lake Blackshear in Crisp County, near Cordele, with a military museum and aircraft displays, a golf course, cabins and a campground. Its operator does not publish park hours or a parking fee; the state ParkPass is $10 a day. Checked October 20, 2026 on the resort’s own site.

Hours

Call ahead

Cost

ParkPass $10 (confirm)

Where

Cordele, West Georgia

Dogs

Leashed, 6 ft max

Photo: Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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A veterans memorial park on Lake Blackshear built around a military museum with aircraft displays, including a B-29A bomber. The resort side adds a lodge, cabins and villas, a campground and the Vet’s Course golf course, and the Sam Shortline excursion train boards here on some trips.

Plan it in three lines

Getting In
Parking is $10 per vehicle for the day, or $70 for the annual ParkPass that works at every Georgia state park.
What to Do
The official page lists Golf and Camping.
Leashed dogs welcome outdoors
Make It a Day
Sam Shortline Excursion Train is about 7 miles away. Coming up near here: Harvest Run (Thanksgiving 5K and 10K) in Leesburg.
5 events within 30 mi

Georgia Veterans State Park Hours

Park and museum hours are not published on the resort operator’s website. Call 229-276-1004 to confirm.

What It Costs

Parking, by the visit

Day parking vs. the annual ParkPass, by number of visits

$70 annual ParkPass

Day parking is $10 per vehicle. Seven visits cost the same as the $70 annual ParkPass; from the eighth visit the pass is cheaper. Bars show what that many day visits cost in total.

Parking: Georgia State Parks lists a ParkPass at $10 per vehicle per day or $70 a year (ParkPass page). The resort operator’s site does not publish its own parking or entry fee, so confirm the rate with the park before you drive (229-276-1004).
Lodging, golf and museum: cabins, villas, camping, green fees and any museum admission are priced through the resort’s own site and phone line.

Where It Is and How to Get in Touch

Address2459 US Highway 280 West, Cordele, GA 31015
CountyCrisp (West Georgia region)
Approximate map point31.95887, -83.90346 (a point inside the park from OpenStreetMap; directions in Google Maps by address)
Resort reservations229-276-1004
Resort, golf and campinglakeblackshearresort.com
Official pagewww.lakeblackshearresort.com

Dogs and Strollers

Dogs: Georgia State Parks welcomes pets on a leash no longer than six feet, with the owner at all times. Pets are not allowed in park and historic site buildings, lodges, yurts, group camps, swimming areas or beaches (park rules).
Strollers: the park does not publish stroller rules. Paths range from paved walks to rough trails, so call ahead (229-276-1004) if you need a stroller-friendly route.

What’s at Georgia Veterans State Park

Facilities the park lists: Lodge; Cabins; Villas; Campground; Georgia Veterans Memorial Golf Course (the “Vet’s Course”); Military Museum and Aircraft Displays; Lake Blackshear access.

Things to do: Military Museum and aircraft displays; Golf; Camping; Boarding point for Sam Shortline Excursion Train trips.

Events Coming Up Near Georgia Veterans

Around Georgia Veterans within 30 miles

State parks and historic sites

1Sam Shortline Excursion Trainpartner site7 mi
2Plains Visitors Centervisitor center28 mi
3Jefferson Davis Memorial State Historic Sitepartner site37 mi
4Reed Bingham State Parkstate park59 mi

Events coming up

5Harvest Run (Thanksgiving 5K and 10K)Leesburg22 mi
6SAM Shortline Plains Christmas Lighting TrainCordele7 mi
7SAM Shortline Candy Cane ExpressCordele7 mi
8Turner County Christmas Hustle & Stroll (5K and 1-mile)Ashburn23 mi
9First Day Hike: Georgia Veterans State ParkCordele7 mi

Straight-line distances from the site’s GPS point. Dots sit in their true compass direction; distance is stretched near the middle so close neighbors stay readable. The same places are listed below.

Nov 26Harvest Run (Thanksgiving 5K and 10K), Leesburg (about 22 miles away, from $35)
Nov 28SAM Shortline Plains Christmas Lighting Train, Cordele (about 7 miles away, from $34)
Dec 4 – Dec 5SAM Shortline Candy Cane Express, Cordele (about 7 miles away)
Dec 12Turner County Christmas Hustle & Stroll (5K and 1-mile), Ashburn (about 23 miles away, from $20)
Jan 1, 2027First Day Hike: Georgia Veterans State Park, Cordele (about 7 miles away)

Events within 30 miles in the next 90 days from our Georgia event calendar, as of October 20, 2026; distances are straight-line from the site’s GPS point. The park’s own ranger programs and events are on the Georgia State Parks events calendar.

Nearby State Parks and Historic Sites

Sam Shortline Excursion Train (partner site, Crisp County), about 7 miles away
Plains Visitors Center (visitor center, Sumter County), about 28 miles away
Jefferson Davis Memorial State Historic Site (partner site, Irwin County), about 37 miles away
Reed Bingham State Park (state park, Cook County), about 59 miles away

More on It’s Georgia

All Georgia state parks and historic sites, by region
Georgia state parks compared: hours, parking, dogs and free accessibility equipment in one table
West Georgia: more places to go in the region

Source: the Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club website (the operator of Georgia Veterans State Park), Explore Georgia for the museum, and Sam Shortline for the train, checked October 20, 2026. Hours and fees change, so check the official page before a long drive. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will re-check it.

Safety Notice

Water And Ice Safety: Read This Before You Go

Lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, beaches and ice can kill, quickly and without warning. Conditions change by the hour and we cannot see them from here. This page is general information only. It is not a safety assessment, and it does not say or promise that any place, water, ice or activity is safe.

We do not inspect, test, measure or monitor water, ice, currents, depth, water quality, algae, wildlife, access, closures or lifeguard staffing at any place we list.
Posted signs, closures, advisories, flags and the directions of rangers, lifeguards and the land owner or managing agency always override anything here. A place being listed does not mean it is open, legal to enter, or permitted for swimming, wading, boating or fishing, and does not give you permission to be on private land or private water.
Children and weak swimmers: the CDC says to assign a responsible adult to watch children closely and constantly in or near water, with no phone, reading, alcohol or drugs, and to use life jackets for children in and around natural water. It also says inflatable or foam toys are not safety devices.
Open water hides hazards. The CDC names currents, waves, rocks, vegetation and poor visibility. As general guidance (not from a named source), also expect sudden drop-offs, very cold water even on a warm day, submerged objects, boat traffic and changing weather. Never swim alone, and never mix alcohol with water or boats.

Emergency in the United States: call 911. Learn CPR, as the CDC recommends.

Not ConfirmedWe have not verified current water or ice conditions, water quality, access, swimming or boating permission, lifeguard hours, fees, rules or closures for any place on this page. The land owner or managing agency (a park, city, county, state or federal office, or the property owner) is the one who can confirm them. Ask them before you go.

Sources read on 8 November 2026: the Minnesota DNR ice thickness guidelines (dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html, no page date shown) and the CDC drowning prevention page (cdc.gov/drowning/prevention, page dated 29 September 2025). Guidance can change and can differ by state and by place: check the current text and your local agency before relying on it. This notice is general guidance only. It is not legal, medical, rescue or professional safety advice, and nobody on this site is a lifeguard or safety professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for any children and pets with you, and you use this information at your own risk. Water, ice, weather and local rules change quickly and differ by state, county and property. To the fullest extent the law allows, this site, its owner and its contributors are not responsible for any injury, death, loss or damage that results from using this information or from visiting any place, water or ice mentioned here. If you do not accept that, do not rely on this page (see the Limits Of Liability in our Terms Of Use).

Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Georgia Veterans State Park”, itsgeorgia.com/places/georgia-veterans-state-park/ (updated 2026-11-09). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.

Getting In

What to Do

Make It a Day