RECREATION
Hammocks are a great way to catch some sleep while camping on the shores of Lake Juliette.
Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area is leased by this group
to the state for wildlife conservation; 700 acres is the site of Plant
Scherer and is secured.
Rum Creek WMA has been
open to the public since about
1978 when it was leased to the
state. Much of the area does not
have roads accessible to average
cars and driving is discouraged, but
the public is welcome to walk onto
the preserve. It is home to small
game, raccoon, opossum, fox,
bobcat, feral hogs, and alligator.
The best access is through
the office/ banquet hall at 5840
Dames Ferry Road, Juliette.
(478-474-2334). The meeting
facilities are used frequently and
bring many from outside Monroe
County into the area.
There is an interpretive nature
trail that goes to the lake and
back from the office, covering a
bit under a mile. Developed by
Eva Persons, Betty Esco, and
other local nature enthusiasts, it is
marked with signs and there are
some guided tours offered. Johnson recalls when the nature trail
was always a field trip for Monroe
County third graders.
Johnson said Rum Creek
WMA is one of the premier bird
36
watching destinations in Georgia.
To get to the best viewing site,
near the ash pond, watchers must
now have permission and be escorted by environmental security.
The marsh pond in the
waterfowl area was built by Ducks
dreds of wood ducks coming in to
roost at night during fall migration.
“They just about hit it as they
come in to roost,” said Johnson.
“It is a great place to walk around
on a cool October evening, to
hear them calling back and forth to
For those ready for adventure,
there is a wall of boulders on the
east side of the lake that challenges climbers who have tagged
it “Rock Till You Drop.” A 20-foot
overhang faces the lake.
The Georgia DNR schedules
a number of special hunts at Rum
Creek WMA each year for deer,
turkey, dove and waterfowl. There
are hunts for youth, ladies and
disabled individuals. The northeast
area of the preserve is designated
for archery hunting only. Advance
registration is required for the
hunts because numbers are
limited, and there are permit and
fee requirements.
Johnson noted that the
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge
is right across the river from Rum
Creek WMA with all kinds of habitats. Georgia’s Jarrell Plantation
Historic Site and the 5,000 acre
Paddle boards are a new way locals use Lake Juliette.
Unlimited to create habitat; it is
now one of about 20 in Georgia.
Children’s waterfowl hunts are
scheduled on the area once or
twice each year.
On the western side of the
lake is a wildlife viewing area
where one can sit and watch hun-
one another. It’s a great sensual
experience beyond the viewing.”
There are hundreds of hummingbird feeders around the Rum
Creek WMA, and Johnson said
it can be quite a spectacle at
feeding time when the tiny bits of
energy dart around one another
from feeder to feeder.
Hitchiti Experimental Forest are
also nearby.
“There is something for anyone who is interested in outdoor
recreation,” said Johnson. “It’s
great for a Sunday afternoon. It’s
free. What a jewel! We don’t realize the potential we have here.”
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