Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 391 - RULES OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Chapter 391-5 - HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Subject 391-5-1 - STATE PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES SYSTEM
Rule 391-5-1-.03 - Access to Sites
Universal Citation: GA Rules and Regs r 391-5-1-.03
Current through Rules and Regulations filed through March 20, 2024
(1) Entrance and Hours.
(a) The director shall establish for each
site and facility a reasonable schedule of regular days and hours of operation
to permit maximum access by the public consistent with the management and
protection of the resource and the health, safety, and welfare of persons using
the site. The schedule of regular days and operating hours may vary according
to season.
(b) Regular days and
operating hours shall be posted at the entrance of each site and at appropriate
facilities within the site.
(c)
Entering or leaving any site except through the designated entrance points is
prohibited, except in an emergency.
(d) No person may enter a site for the
purpose of using the resources or facilities therein without paying the
appropriate fee, if any, for that site or facility.
(e) No person shall be allowed entry or exit
before opening hours or after closing hours, except in emergency or unusual
circumstances. Only those persons registered as overnight guests at a site
facility shall be in the site before opening or after closing hours.
(2) Closures and Public Use Limits.
(a) Consistent with applicable
legislation and board policy, and based upon a determination that such action
is necessary for the maintenance of public health and safety, protection of
environmental or scenic values, protection of natural, historic, or
archaeological resources, aid to scientific research, implementation of
management responsibilities, construction and maintenance activities, equitable
allocation and use of facilities or the avoidance of conflict among visitor use
activities, the director may:
1. Limit
visiting hours, impose public use limits or close all or a portion of a site to
all public use or to a specific use or activity.
2. Designate areas for a specific use or
activity, or impose conditions or restrictions on a use or activity.
3. To implement a public use limit, the
director may establish a permit, registration, or reservation system.
(b) In the case of emergency or
unusual conditions such as severe weather, flooding, high fire danger, or other
natural conditions, the disruption of utility service, failure of sanitation or
treatment facilities, the need for emergency maintenance or construction
activities, civil disturbances, or when the site or facility has reached its
maximum capacity, the site manager or his authorized representative may, at his
discretion, temporarily close the site or facility, or portion thereof, to
public use until the condition is rectified.
(c) Violating a closure, designation, use or
activity restriction or condition, schedule of visiting hours, or public use
limit is prohibited.
(d) Public
Notice.
1. Whenever the authority of this rule
is invoked to restrict or control a public use or activity, to relax or revoke
an existing restriction or control, to designate all or a portion of a site as
open or closed, or to require a permit to implement a public use limit, the
public shall be notified by one or more of the following methods:
(i) Signs posted at conspicuous locations,
such as normal points of entry and reasonable intervals along the boundary of
the affected site locale.
(ii) Maps
available in the site office and other places convenient to the
public.
(iii) Publication in a
newspaper of general circulation in the affected area.
(iv) Other appropriate methods, such as the
removal of closure signs, use of electronic media, site brochures, maps and
handouts.
(3) Parking Pass.
(a)
Parking Pass Required. No
person shall park a motor vehicle on any site without purchasing and displaying
a daily or annual parking pass, except as provided in this section.
(b)
Exceptions. The following
shall be exempt for the requirement to display a daily or annual parking pass:
1. School groups, including vocational
schools, colleges and universities, accompanied by one or more
teachers.
2. Daily lodge restaurant
users.
3. Individuals attending
one-day conferences at lodges (not including overnight guests).
4. Government, delivery, and service vehicles
where the drivers or passengers are conducting business with authorized
representatives of the department.
5. Visitors to historic sites where admission
is charged.
6. Visitors for special
events sponsored or co-sponsored by an outside group or community organization,
at the discretion of the site manager.
7. Golfers parked at golf course parking
lots, where a portion of the greens fees are applied to the parking pass
program.
(c)
Rates.
1. An annual parking pass
shall be available at a cost of $50.00 per year per pass, except as otherwise
provided in these rules. Senior citizens (62 years of age or older) may
purchase an annual parking pass at a cost of $25.00 per year per pass for
vehicles with a capacity of 12 passengers or fewer, including the driver.
Annual parking passes shall be available at a cost of $75.00 per year for motor
vehicles with a capacity of 13 to 30 passengers, including the driver; and at a
cost of $250.00 per year for motor vehicles with a capacity of more than 30
passengers, including the driver.
2. A daily parking pass shall be available at
a cost of $5.00 per day per motor vehicle with a capacity of 12 passengers or
fewer, including the driver, except at Tallulah Gorge State Park where the
daily parking pass shall be available at a cost of $5.00 per day for each motor
vehicle with a capacity of 12 passengers or fewer, including the driver. In all
parks, the daily parking pass shall be available at a cost of $30.00 per day
for each motor vehicle with a capacity of 13 to 30 passengers, including the
driver; and a cost of $70.00 per day for each motor vehicle with a capacity of
more than 30 passengers, including the driver. The daily parking passes shall
be valid at all sites visited on the day of purchase. Overnight guests will be
required to purchase only one daily pass per vehicle which shall be valid for
the duration of the uninterrupted stay.
3. Georgia residents certified as disabled
veterans by the commissioner of veterans service may purchase a daily pass for
$3.75 or an annual pass for $37.50, when the pass is to be used for his or her
own motor vehicle. Certified Georgia active duty military and veterans may
purchase a daily pass for $3.75 or an annual pass for $37.50, when the pass is
to be used for his or her own motor vehicle. Certified Georgia active duty
military and veterans 62 years of age and older may purchase a daily pass for
$3.75 or an annual parking pass for $18.75, when the pass is to be used for his
or her own motor vehicle.
4. Where
utilized in these Rules to determine the price of a daily or annual parking
pass, the capacity of a motor vehicle is determinative of size only, regardless
of the number of persons actually occupying the motor vehicle at the time of
purchase of the daily or annual parking pass.
5. The Director is authorized to implement a
program to encourage visitation and volunteer efforts at state parks by
offering discounted rates on parking passes to organizations wishing to
purchase significant quantities of parking passes for distribution to their
members, employees, and associates. Parking passes purchased at discounted
rates shall not be resold at any amount exceeding the original purchase
price.
(d)
Purchases.
1. Annual passes
shall be available at all sites, division offices, and may be purchased online
at the division's website.
2. Daily
parking passes may be purchased at collection boxes or site offices.
(e)
Display. All
passes shall be hung from the inside rearview mirror of the vehicle. Vehicles
without inside rearview mirrors shall display the pass in another place clearly
visible from the exterior of the vehicle.
O.C.G.A. Secs. 12-3-9, 12-3-10.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Georgia may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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