Vogel State Park is a small state park with a big history. It is one of the first two Georgia state parks established, and for the people who've been traveling to Blairsville since the 1930s and 40s, the park is more than just a cool getaway.
Time stands still at Vogel, and it's a tradition at the park that if you stay in Cabin 35, you leave your memories in the form of a letter: "Well, I turned 38 about 2 weeks ago. My parents started coming up here when I was one year old..." and "I have been coming to Vogel since 1957, when I was 2…"
Binders are full of letters written by the people who've stayed in the cabin. Some are fun: "I am from Russia! My name is Natalie, 39..." Others are not so fun: "At 30 years old I never thought I would be a widow..."
Together, the letters form a kind of diary of different voices sharing a common ground.
"This whole area of Northeast Georgia was owned by a private business owner named Mr. Vogel, he was in the leather tanning business," said Park Manager Cliff Tippens.
The Vogel family donated the land to the state in 1927, making it the second-oldest Georgia state park. The cabins were built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a program for young depression-era men.
"They've been remodeled, but we always try to honor the past," said Tippens.
Vintage post cards of Vogel State Park show it as an eye-popping, colorful tourist attraction. It still is averaging 300,000 visitors a year.
With a waterfall, a 22-acre lake, trails, and campsites, it should be hard to name a single top draw here. But letter after letter in the binders makes it abundantly clear why people visit Vogel. Sleeping in Cabin 35 means going back in time to a place where people connected to nature, and each other: "We laugh ‘til we ache. We play endless Hearts games…"
"You feel like you're not only here to get away from the world, but you're here with the family of people who enjoy Vogel State Park," Tippens said.
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