Bear Creek Nature Center

I found this place by pure luck & I could not be happier that I did! The one mile loop is a great trail, not too intense & the scenery is beautiful. I also loved the fact that they have an information cabin and educational wildlife including bats, a gator, owls & several other creatures! This is the perfect place to take your kiddos or just to simply feel like a kid again. I enjoyed talking with the staff they are all super sweet, full of knowledge and make you feel right at home. Thank you ladies for a wonderful day! I can’t wait for my next visit.

Took a group out to see the sunset moon rise this was the last supermoon of the year it seems like it was also the strawberry moon. The hike was an easy 1.5 miles to the peak very easy to see signs even in the night. Of course we'd recommend a flashlight if you're going to see the moon rises there are some holes and pitfall areas around the giant rock peaks that could be hazardous walking in the darkness. Great place to relax under the night sky to also Stargaze.

I loved seeing the reptiles and the bats. So much to learn! Great staff and beautiful grounds. The owls were awesome. Thanks to the dedicated staff!

We had a wonderful time at Bear Creek Nature Center. It is located a mile away from Cochran Mill Park and actually connects to Cochran Mill Park via an easy to walk trail. Cochran Mill's parking lot was overcrowded (it was a Saturday) and there was a police officer there giving tickets to anyone not parked in a proper parking spot. Bear Creek had plenty of parking available and was perfect for a family stop, so we decided to go there first and walked the green trail to see the nearby waterfall at Cochran Mill Park afterwards. There were 4 different hiking trails available.

Bear Creek Nature Center just recently opened this year and is a non-profit organization. They have various rescue animals to see (like bats, snakes, a small alligator, a gecko, a lizard, turtles, as well as a small aviary with owls). There was also a pond outside with turtles and fish you can feed if you like.

We were given a private tour of all of the live animals, and also got to see various animal fossils and geodes. Bear Creek is apparently the only Nature Center in Georgia with live bats on exhibit. The kids were even allowed to pet the gecko, which they were excited about. It costs $2 per vehicle and $3/person over the age of 3. I'd happily go again and highly recommend.