The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department will hold a ribbon cutting on Aug. 16 to commemorate the expansion of Eagle’s Beak Park.
The park on 8420 Old Federal Road now has an inclusive playground, a picnic pavilion and scenic river overlooks.
The expansion also added a new 1.25-mile walking trail, which is located on the Trail of Tears. Historical signage was installed along the trail to educate hikers.
The park will also be the northwest starting point for the North Subarea Trail System, which runs east to connect to Lake Lanier.
Parks and Recreation Director Jim Pryor said in a press release that the park’s historical significance makes it a special spot.
“Eagles Beak Park combines history and beauty along the Etowah River, and we are very excited to provide access to another great natural resource in Forsyth County,” Pryor said.
Forsyth County Parks and Recreation applied to and received the Georgia Department of Natural Resource’s Georgia Outdoor Stewardship grant to fund the project. Forsyth County contributed $769,000 to the grant from the County’s Landfill Host Fee fund.
This is the first year the DNR offered this grant, and Forsyth County District 4 Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills said it was an honor to be selected. This $2.25 million grant was split across 14 other parks across the state.
“To be selected in the first year of this new grant program is a testament to our great staff who worked hard on the application,” Mills said. “When I first heard that this opportunity was available, I thought about Eagle’s Beak, located on the Trail of Tears. I knew this would be a perfect place to honor the rich Native American history of the area and have a park where parents can teach their children about it.”
