Last updated: September 19, 2026
This is the running record of our fact checks: which published figures we rechecked, on what date, against which source, and whether anything changed. Prices, dates and rules change. We would rather show you when we last looked than let a “last updated” date do the talking.
Admission prices, parking fees and festival dates are rechecked every quarter against the operator’s own page. Hours and seasonal opening dates are rechecked twice a year, and pet and accessibility rules once a year. Errors we find in our own pages go on the corrections page.
September 19, 2026
- Sources sections added to the Cotton Pickin’ Fair, Stone Mountain Highland Games and Georgia National Fair guides, each rechecked line by line against the organizer’s own site. Errors found are on the corrections page.
- Rebuilt against official sources today: Stone Mountain Park, Amicalola Falls, Athens, where to stay in Helen and Macon. Each lists its sources; errors found are on the corrections page.
- Official sources that disagree with each other (shown on the pages rather than resolved by us): Stone Mountain Walk-Up Trail length and dog rule; Rose Hill Cemetery hours and acreage; Macon street-parking rate; Athens distance from Atlanta (Visit Athens gives 60, 61 and 70 miles).
- Pumpkin patches near Atlanta: Buford Corn Maze has now published its 2026 calendar (Sept. 11–Nov. 15) and Southern Belle Farm its 2026 activity weekends (Sept. 19–Nov. 15, $18.95/$24.95) and a no-pets rule; Sleepy Hollow’s page gives two different Halloween closing times, which the guide now flags. Guide updated.
- Cotton Pickin’ Fair: the fair has now published admission ($15 ages 11–64, $10 seniors and military, 10 and under free) and free parking. Guide updated.
- Gold Rush Days: the Dahlonega visitors bureau page now shows Oct. 17–18, 2026, matching the festival site. Guide updated.
- Madison: our two Madison pages were merged into the Madison day-trip guide, which now adds the Welcome Center hours and the 26-stop walking tour (visitmadisonga.com).
- New guides, every figure checked on the operator’s or agency’s page today: Tallulah Gorge State Park, corn mazes near Atlanta, Georgia beaches and barrier islands, Savannah visitor guide and Georgia fall festivals, weekend by weekend. Each lists its sources at the foot of the page.
- Fixes found during those checks (St. Simons and Jekyll dog rules, Cumberland food, Savannah parking, Tallulah Gorge depth and release timing, Helen Oktoberfest weekends) are on the corrections page.
September 18, 2026
- Free all-terrain wheelchairs at Georgia State Parks: 17 locations (14 state parks and 3 historic sites) on the Georgia State Parks TrackChairs page. Matches our guide. No change. Some news coverage still gives older counts from earlier phases of the program.
- Georgia State Parks pet rule: pets on a leash no longer than six feet, and not allowed in buildings, lodges, yurts, group camps, swimming areas or beaches (Georgia State Parks park rules). No change.
- Tybee Island beach dog ban: no dogs or other pets on the beach or its structures; certified service animals excepted; $300 fine (City of Tybee Island). No change.
- Golden Isles beach dog rules: Jekyll Island allows leashed dogs on a leash up to 16 feet; on St. Simons Island dogs are not allowed on the beach from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day (Golden Isles beach FAQ). No change.
- Cumberland Island pets: the ferry does not carry pets; leashed pets may visit for the day by private boat, but not in campgrounds or the wilderness area (National Park Service). No change.
- Andersonville National Historic Site hours: grounds 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; National Prisoner of War Museum 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (National Park Service). No change.
- Blue Ridge Scenic Railway: no pets except certified service animals, and strollers allowed if folded at boarding (railway FAQ). No change to those rules. We added the railway’s fall 2026 fares from its booking page to our Blue Ridge guide: coach seats cost $61.99 (13 and up) and $49.99 (ages 2–12) on the 2-hour ride, and $76.99 and $59.99 on the 4-hour ride. See the corrections page.
- Fantasy In Lights at Callaway: November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027; adult tickets $15.99 to $39.99 depending on the date; children 3 and under free (Callaway Resort & Gardens). Added to the event calendar.
- Savannah St. Patrick’s Day 2027: the date is still not announced (City of Savannah). No change.
- Broken source links: the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway’s old web address and a Blue Ridge restaurant’s old address no longer work, so we replaced them with the current official sites. Coker Tree Farm’s website no longer loads, so in our Christmas tree farm guide we removed the details that only that site supported and kept its Georgia Christmas Tree Association listing. The Georgia School Grades site moved; see the corrections page.
September 17, 2026
Prices and fees rechecked, no changes
- Georgia State Parks ParkPass: $10 a day, $70 a year (gastateparks.org ParkPass page).
- Tybee Island parking: $4.00 an hour; $25 day pass; $175 for 7 days (City of Tybee Island). Matches our beach parking table.
- Jekyll Island parking: $10 a day, $15 oversize, $100 a year (Jekyll Island Authority).
- Cumberland Island National Seashore: $15 per person for a 7-day pass, $45 a year (National Park Service).
- Dahlonega Gold Museum: $10 adult, $7.50 senior, $7 youth, $3.50 child (Georgia State Parks).
Event dates rechecked
- Stone Mountain Christmas: November 7, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed on Stone Mountain Park’s event page. Added to the event calendar. Admission is not published.
- Stone Mountain Highland Games: the organizer (smhg.org) lists October 16–18, 2026. Stone Mountain Park lists October 17–18 because the Friday events are at the host hotel. We follow the organizer. No change.
- Garden Lights, Holiday Nights: November 14, 2026 to January 10, 2027, confirmed. Public tickets go on sale October 1; prices are not yet published.
- Savannah St. Patrick’s Day 2027: not yet announced.
- Callaway Gardens Fantasy In Lights: could not be checked (the official site blocked the request). Not added to the calendar until it can be.
Date sweep
Every date across all guides was scanned for events that have already happened. Every past date is written as history, so nothing was out of date.