This cache is placed with permission. Please follow all park rules, noting that the park is open Dawn to Dusk (no night caching, please).
Since you will be searching near our office, we might step outside to say hello.
Cell service will be limited in various areas on the AMNHA Geo-Path. Please plan accordingly.
Questions or need to share a challenge with a cache?
Send us a message in the Geocaching app
Remember to bring a pen, items to trade, and follow recommended
Geocaching Etiquette
.
CONGRATULATIONS TO HARTHUNTER FOR BEING THE FTF!
AMNHA Geo-Path Series
AMNHA: Parker's Plantation Plain
Passport: Geo-Path
Series: Panola Mountain Pathways
Password: Located in the logbook
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Parking Options: See waypoints (paid or free)
This search will bring you close to the historic Parker House in Panola Mountain State Park.
The cache is hidden within the surrounding vegetation near the house.
A letterbox is also located nearby. That is not this cache, but it is a rewarding find if you discover it.
Please return both containers exactly as you found them.
The Land Before the Park
Panola Mountain is far older than the state park that surrounds it today.
Like Arabia and Stone Mountains, it is a monadnock, a massive granite formation
that has stood for hundreds of millions of years.
Human history in the area, however, spans thousands of years.
Native American Presence
The last Native American group to live around Panola Mountain was the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
For centuries, they relied on the nearby South River for food, trade, and travel.
In the early 1800s, treaties forced the Muscogee to surrender their land.
By 1830, the Trail of Tears removed nearly all Indigenous people from Georgia.
From Settlement to Slavery
After the forced removal of the Muscogee, European settlers moved into the area.
Andrew Parker, a veteran of the War of 1812, purchased land near Panola Mountain in 1822
and established a plantation. The Parker House, believed to date to around 1830,
still stands today and is considered the oldest house in Rockdale County.
The Parker plantation produced cotton and wheat using enslaved labor.
At its height, the plantation encompassed approximately 2,700 acres and held 15 enslaved individuals.
The Parker House is an example of the Plantation Plain architectural style,
common in rural Georgia during the early to mid-1800s.
The Parker House Today
After Andrew Parker’s death in 1881, the property was divided among his thirteen children.
Today, the Parker House is preserved within Panola Mountain State Park and listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. While it is not open for daily tours,
the park occasionally hosts living history demonstrations.
Why This Place Matters
• Built around 1830, the Parker House is the oldest home in Rockdale County, Georgia.
• Built by Andrew Parker, a veteran of the War of 1812, it served as the centerpiece of a 2,700-acre plantation.
• The home reflects the Plantation Plain architectural style common from the 1820s to 1850s.
• The plantation relied on the labor of 15 enslaved individuals who worked the surrounding fields.
• After Andrew Parker’s death in 1881, the property was divided among his 13 children.
• Today, the house is part of Panola Mountain State Park and occasionally featured in living history demonstrations.
• The Parker House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Protection of Panola Mountain
Over time, the land around Panola Mountain was used for farming and later for illegal moonshining
due to its remote location spanning three counties.
In 1974, Panola Mountain was designated Georgia’s first Conservation Park by Governor Jimmy Carter,
ensuring long-term protection of this rare and important landscape.
A Mountain Rich in History
While Panola Mountain State Park is known for outdoor recreation today,
places like the Parker House offer a powerful connection to Georgia’s complex past.
From Indigenous history to settlement and enslavement,
this landscape tells stories that continue to shape the region.
Are You Ready to Find More Geocaches?
Come explore the
Arabia Mountain PATH
and earn trackable prizes along the way.
The
AMNHA Geo-PATH
is a geocaching program spread across more than 30 miles of trail.
Each cache highlights a unique story, place, or feature of the landscape.
Download the passports
Geocaching Adventures Passport
Each cache is classified into one of the following series:
• Adventure Labs
• Arabia Mountain Adventures
• Geocaching 101
• GeoTour
• Lands Less Visited
• Lithonia's Historic Hike
• Panola Mountain Pathways
• Past and Present Passages
• South River Stroll
Completed the passports?
Choose one of the following options to claim your prize:
Scan and email the Arabia Alliance Team
Scan and mail to the Arabia Alliance office
Additional Links
Trail Maps and
Landmarks
Learn and
Activities
Tips for Hiking in the Summer Heat
Tips for Avoiding Ticks
Winter Hikes and Winter Wildlife
Waypoints and
Adding or Viewing Coordinates
Trails Map Type Option