Fast breaks, fast rides and adventures aplenty let you slow down and relax

When we say there’s always outdoor fun and recreation just around the corner in Valdosta, that’s no exaggeration, with 29 city parks (60% of our residents live within walking distance of a park) and a four-season schedule of recreational events.

Whether you want to sink some putts, make some shots, or just soak up the sun in a beautiful natural setting, in a city nicknamed Winnersville for our national sports record, we make it easy for you to take a fast break to slow down and enjoy life:

Adult recreation:

Three-season softball, plus basketball and volleyball offered for men and women in varying age divisions.

Golf:

Five area courses including

• Valdosta Country Club: Twenty seven holes, a driving range and two practice greens on a course that in previous years has hosted the NCCA II Golf Tournament and the USA Seniors Tour.
• Stone Creek:  The pride and joy of a true-blue golfing community, an 18-hole course rated 72.5 with a slope rating of 130.
• Kinderlou Forest: Designed by PGA Pro Davis Love, an 18-hole course rated 76.6 with a slope rating of 144 and a 60-tee driving range; host to the annual Web.com (formerly Nationwide) PGA Tournament.
• Moody Quiet Pines: A 9-hole course managed by the United State Air Force and located on the Moody Air Base.
• Francis Lake:  A welcoming 18-hole public course rated 71.8 with a slope rating of 131.

Tennis:

15 city courts and a year-round tennis program offering individual or group lessons, tennis clinics, leagues, and tournaments.

Youth Programs:

A full range of programs for girls and boys, in basketball, baseball, T-ball, football, soccer, cheerleading, and softball.

Senior Activities:

From bridge clubs and arts and crafts to line dancing, bowling, Tai Chi classes and the Golden Olympics, a range of activities that keep seniors on the go—even going across the nation and the world with a self-supporting Travel Club.

Wild Adventures Theme Park:

Imagine safari excitement combined with pulse-pounding midway fun and you can see why Wild Adventures has helped Valdosta earn the title “Best Adventure Town” in National Geographic Adventure Magazine’s “50 Best Places to Live & Play.” The Park is a favorite for all ages, with exotic animals galore plus dozens of fun-filled rides, from thrilling coasters to cute kiddie cars to splashy water attractions, along with live entertainment and high-flying spectaculars like the hang-gliding Skycoaster.

Great Outdoors:

When it comes to the great outdoors, Valdosta-Lowndes is a natural, with nearby lakes offering lake swimming, boating and fishing (largemouth bass, blue gill and crappie), and with the Grand Bay Wetlands Center providing eco-friendly, eco-fantastic outdoor and educational experiences. Also, three state parks in close proximity multiply your outdoor options with terrific hunting, fishing, hiking and camping.

• Reed Bingham State Park: Only an hour’s drive north, this park offers 46 camp sites and a 375-acre lake served by three boat ramps, a fishing pier and a swimming beach.

• Okefenokee State Park: Just over an hour’s drive will put you in the midst of the magnificent natural vistas of forest, marshland and lakes in this 400,000-acre refuge. Hunting is excellent here, and with lakes swimming in 39 species of fish, Okefenokee is an angler’s delight. Canoeing, kayaking and more than 9 miles of hiking trails add to the fun of this unbeatable outdoor escape.

• Apalachicola National Forest: The numbers tell the story—4 rivers and lakes for boating and fishing; 11 hunting camps; 39 miles of hiking trails plus 182 miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail; 172 miles of motorized trails; 68 miles of motorcycle trails and 182 miles of equestrian trails. And one more number: Just over 2 hours south by car or motorcycle.