As the Outdoor Capital of Georgia, Butts County has beautiful scenery and abundant recreational opportunities. Did you know? Jackson, GA serves as the fictional town of Hawkins in the Netflix series "Stranger Things."

Outdoors

Jackson Lake, a large recreational reservoir within the county, offers water sports such as boating, swimming and skiing.

Butts County is also home to two Georgia State Parks, High Falls and Indian Springs. High Falls State Park features a lake, swimming pool, hiking trails to the ruins of a hydroelectric power plant, camping areas including yerts, and a beautiful cascading waterfall on the Towaliga River. Indian Springs State Park is the nation’s first state park and offers camping, wading in Sandy Creek, and swimming in McIntosh Lake. A small museum, open seasonally, highlights the Creek Indians who first lived here, the community’s resort era and CCC history.

A new $3.5 million conference center overlooking the lake at Indian Springs State Park opened in 2018. Idlewilde Event Center has 20,000 square feet of event space including a massive lake side porch with beautiful views of the water. With a capacity of 500 people, Idlewilde can accommodate a variety of events, from birthday parties and family reunions, to weddings and corporate retreats. Additional features include a catering kitchen and audio visual capabilities in every room.

Adjacent to Indian Springs State Park, Dauset Trails Nature Center features a lake, swimming pool, hiking trails to the ruins of a hydroelectric power plant, camping areas including yerts, and a beautiful cascading waterfall on the Towaliga River. Dauset Trails Nature Center attracts thousands of visitors each year to this free nature preserve. It offers more than 35 miles of hiking and biking trails, lakes, rivers and a variety of wildlife that is cared for at the center. Some trails connect with those at Indian Springs State Park. The beautiful Village of Indian Springs offers visitors a glimpse of Butts County's history with gardens, quaint shops, an amphitheater, and restaurants.

The scenic Ocmulgee River begins in Butts County, winding its way south to Juliette, Macon and beyond. If you want to raft, canoe or kayak, spend a summer day paddling down this unspoiled river.

Butts County, Georgia is also home to the Indian Springs Holiness Campground for more than 120 years. Each year, visitors from all over the travel to this ten-day revival under an historic arbor built from native timbers and stone and set among the rolling hills near Indian Springs State Park.

Explore Butts County
Film

Butts County, Georgia is beginning to attract fans and film buffs thanks to its growing popularity as a film location. Jackson Lake was featured in the Universal Studios movie “Endless Love,” and the City of Jackson stands in for the Indiana town of Hawkins as seen in the Netflix original series “Stranger Things.” Butts County is certainly a camera-friendly location.

Dining

Butts County is also home to some of the best Southern food you’ll ever taste. Fresh Air Barbecue, founded in 1929, is one of the oldest continuously operating barbecue restaurants in Georgia and has won numerous awards, including being voted as the best barbecue in Georgia. Buckner’s Family Restaurant, located right off I-75, serves up a wealth of Southern side dishes on “Lazy Susan” tables, and what many consider to be the best fried chicken in the state. In addition to these two destination dining places where travelers from all over the state and the country come to eat, Jackson features a wide variety of restaurants, from fast food to international cuisine such as Mexican, Japanese, Italian and Chinese.

Festivals and Events

Butts County, Georgia residents and visitors enjoy getting together for festivals, car shows, parades and more. Events to look forward to include:

  • Bluebirds and Bluegrass Festival, a daylong celebration at Dauset Trails Nature Center that features bluegrass music, vendors, arts and crafts and artisan presentations.
  • Fine Arts Festival, which attracts artists who work in a variety of media, and residents and visitors to view and purchase sculptures, paintings, wood work, and other pieces and discuss the art with the creators.
  • Fourth of July fireworks show that also features live entertainment and children’s activities.
  • Indian Springs Native American Festival and Pow Wow, which introduces attendees to the old stories, traditional music and colorful Native American dress.
  • Jackson Alive Fall Festival, which brings the community to downtown Jackson for arts, crafts, festival food, music, dancing and more.
  • Butts County Fair, entertaining with local exhibits, garden shows, live entertainment, freshly prepared food and of course, lots of rides!
  • Smokin Pork-N-Butts barbecue cooking contest, hosted annually by the Exchange Club of Jackson, one of several on a circuit of competition-sanctioned events throughout Georgia and other states.
  • Christmas Parade, organized by the Butts County Chamber of Commerce, which brings thousands of spectators to the square in Jackson to see a stream of floats, cars, fire trucks, bands, and of course, Santa.