23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Leader of the Pack

I captured this sunrise image on Watson Pond in George L Smith State Park on a late October morning, 2025. George L Smith is a Georgia State Park situated between Savannah and Macon, Georgia. The park is named after George L. Smith, a former speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives and Emanuel County native. Attractions include a grist mill, covered bridge, and the dam of the Parrish Mill (built 1880). The park's location on a 412-acre mill pond dotted with many cypress trees makes it a destination for anglers and canoeists. The moderately-sized state park is in a remote location, also making it an attraction for bird watchers and naturalists. The park had been hit hard by a hurricane last year and I was happy to see that it had recovered nicely.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Georgia, United States of America
Camera: ILCE-1
Copyright: © Jim Guerard