By Tyler Gilbert
Grand Bay is a Wildlife Management Area located in Valdosta, Georgia. Grand Bay is an 8,700-acre wetland area protected by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with Coastal Plains Regional Education Service Agency, built education and recreational structures on the land. The facilities offer educational programs, field trips, and accredited teacher training. The Grand Bay Wetland Education Center has a certified teacher on staff to provide instruction for educational activities for students. The focus of the educational center is on wetland ecology, wildlife, plant identification, air quality, and plant adaptations. Students can receive hands-on interaction with some of the wildlife living in the area. In the recreational areas, the park offers hiking trails, camping areas, canoeing trips, fishing, and hunting areas. Included in the beautiful hiking paths, Grand Bay offers a 2,600-foot wooden boardwalk for their visitors. The boardwalk runs directly through the wetlands and leads to a tremendous viewing tower that stands at 54-feet. The view is absolutely beautiful from the tower. Visitors can see for miles in all directions. The wetlands are abundant with wildlife and plants. Alligators, snakes, many species of birds, turtles, insects, and some mammals are just a few of the common wildlife visitors will encounter. The park is open from daylight Saturday to sundown Sunday year-round. The best part of all is that entrance into the park is completely free!
