The Eco-Cottages found at George L. Smith State Park offer a comfortable base for a weekend getaway. The blackwater lake in the park is ideal for canoeing.

EarthCraft Eco-Cottages By Brian Sharkey Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Located about 180 miles southeast of Atlanta, the town of Twin City is home to George L. Smith State Park, the namesake of one of Georgia’s most beloved legislators. The 1,634-acre park is a popular getaway for those seeking a pleasant day hike on its seven miles of trails. For the more aquatically inclined there is a 412-acre lake with breathtaking moss-draped cypress trees throughout, home to both blue heron and white ibis. The main attraction, however, is the newly refurbished Parish Mill. Built in 1880, the combination saw mill, gristmill, covered bridge and dam is a stunning example of Georgia history.

Rivaling the mill—at least in energy efficiency—are the recently built EarthCraft Eco-Cottages. Each of the four cottages is roughly 1,000 sq/ft, offering the utmost comfort in the park’s rustic setting. Situated on the swamp edge, wrap-around porches offer some of the park’s most impressive views. Each cottage has two full-sized bedrooms and a kitchen equipped with Energy Star appliances including an oven and stovetop, full size refrigerator, coffee maker, and microwave. Add to that a cozy den with a couch and television and the outdoors never looked so good. More than that, having been built to EarthCraft standards, you can be assured that the materials selection and construction were done with the planet in mind. And the taxpayer in mind—all four units were built with inmate labor, costing a total of only $400,000.

High efficiency HVAC equipment in each cottage is better than what you would find in many homes. Two of the cottages are insulated with Icynene spray foam, one with cellulose, and the last with blown fiberglass. So not only are they efficient, these cottages are an insulation case study in the making. Over time the energy bills for each cottage will yield numbers reflecting insulation performance. Insulating to R-15 in the walls and R-30 in the ceilings, all four cottages went above and beyond code.

Windows can be the Achilles heel of many homes, allowing unwanted heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. That’s why these cottages were built with energy efficient windows, preventing the escape of conditioned air and blocking the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. 1.5ft overhangs further assist the window’s performance by bringing in the sun’s warmth during the winter and blocking it during the summer. All of this translates into a more comfortable indoor environment and a smaller heating and cooling bill.

George L. Smith State Park is the perfect weekend escape for the weary city dweller. And with the new Eco-Cottages you can be comfortable no matter the time of year. Be sure to make a trip down to George L. Smith State Park soon to enjoy everything it has to offer.

This is the first in a series of EarthCraft Cottages at Georgia State Parks, including eight recently built at Stephen C. Foster State Park in Fargo, Georgia. For reservations or more information please visit: www.gastateparks.org.