Lock & Dam Regional Park | Rome, Georgia
181 Lock & Dam Rd.Javascript must be enabled to view this map.
During the mid-1800s, before the lock and dam were built, the Coosa was busy with steamboats and barges carrying freight, passengers and mail between Rome and Greenport, Alabama. The boats had difficulty navigating some parts of the river, one of the worst points being Horseleg Shoals. Occasionally, temporary “dams” were devised by local citizens along the sides of the Coosa to create deeper water for navigation. Because of such problems, it was decided to make the Coosa River completely navigable. Six locks and dams were completed, the first in 1880. Construction of the lock and dam at what was known as Mayo’s Bar began in 1910 and opened for navigation in 1913. The lock was officially closed in 1941.
Today, the lock and dam at Mayo's Bar is on the National Registry of Historical Landmarks and is part of a 73-acre regional park that serves as a popular campground and fishing area, while remaining one of Floyd County’s early historical landmarks.
According to the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreaton Authority, "The park offers some of the best crappie and stripper fishing in North Georgia." Other amenities at the park inlcude 33 RV ready campsites with picnic shelters, primitive camping, boat launch, and nature trails. The Coosa River Trading Post is a convenience fishing and camping supply store at the park; and the 127-acre Coosa Nature Preserve, which has reptile and animal displays, adjoins the property.
Fabgrandma.com said, "We were amazed at how beautiful this place is. Lots of spring flowers blooming the day we were there. There were also plenty of trees for shade during the summer. The whole place was inviting and pleasant and neatly manicured."
