Where Is Houston County's New Echeconnee Creek Park, and When Will It Open?

Houston County is building a new 12-acre park on Echeconnee Creek at the county's northern line with Bibb County, off Highway 247 on the way into the county from Macon. On September 22, 2026 the Houston County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to sign the project agreement with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which sets the total project cost at $3,382,700, with $2,340,000 coming from the state's Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program and $1,042,700 from the county in funds or in-kind work. The agreement gives the county 24 months to complete the project, according to the county minutes.

The state announced the grant on March 11, 2026 as one of 14 projects sharing $33.2 million statewide. The DNR's description of Echeconnee Creek Park lists a half-mile walking and biking trail with loop trails, a canoe and kayak launch with access to Echeconnee Creek and the Ocmulgee River, wildlife viewing and fishing boardwalks, a picnic area, restrooms, a pavilion, an outdoor classroom and open green space. The county moved design and permitting to Traverse Land Services of Warner Robins on August 18, 2026 at a preliminary cost of $67,750.

The project has been in motion for more than a year. The county held a public town hall on September 16, 2025 at the county annex on Carl Vinson Parkway before applying for the grant, with the county's community planner telling WPGA the site is undeveloped land near the creek and the county line and that one goal is to improve the look of the entrance into Houston County. In May 2026 the commission authorized a $300,000 contract, funded by the 2018 SPLOST, to buy an adjoining lot at 10115 Hawkinsville Road on Highway 247 to expand the future park.

Echeconnee Creek Park Timeline

What Is Planned at Echeconnee Creek Park

Who Runs Parks Across Houston County

Echeconnee Creek Park is a county project, which matters because parks in Houston County are run by whichever government owns them. The county's recreation department operates county parks, including the new one, and serves the unincorporated communities of Bonaire and Kathleen directly. Warner Robins, Perry and Centerville each run their own city recreation departments and parks inside their limits, and neighboring Byron's parks are a City of Byron and Peach County matter. For a north-end resident, the practical effect is that Echeconnee Creek Park will be a county facility sitting closest to the Centerville and north Warner Robins side, while Perry's largest outdoor draw remains the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter at the south end of the county.

Does a New Park Nearby Help Me Sell My Home on the North End of Houston County?

There is no published Houston County figure tying a specific home value change to a new park, and any number offered for this site would be a guess. What is documented is what the park will contain and when it is scheduled to exist: a trail, water access to the creek and the river, boardwalks and a pavilion, due within 24 months of September 2026. Those are the amenities buyers relocating to this area ask about, and until the park opens, no listing on the north end can claim them.

What I tell owners on the Highway 247 side of the county is that the park is a timing question. A home listed in 2027 is selling with a construction site down the road and a promise; a home listed after the park opens is selling with a trail the buyer can walk that afternoon. Neither is wrong, but they are different conversations, and a seller who knows the county's schedule can decide which one to have. If you own in north Warner Robins or Centerville and are weighing the next two years, that schedule belongs in the plan.

Should I Buy Near Echeconnee Creek Park Before It Opens?

A buyer who wants trail and water access on the north end of Houston County has a known project with a funded budget, a signed state agreement and a 24-month window, which is more certainty than most announced amenities carry. The site is a county park, so there is no membership or HOA tie, and it sits on the Highway 247 route between the county and Macon, which is also the commute for many Robins Air Force Base families living on the north side. What is not known yet is the final layout, parking and the exact opening date, all of which come out of the design and permitting work now under way.

My advice to buyers is to treat the park as a confirmed feature of the area rather than a reason to rush. The houses nearest to it are being sold today without a park in the picture, and in two years that changes. For a buyer comparing the north end against Bonaire, Kathleen or Perry, this is one of the few things being added on the 247 side that is funded and scheduled rather than proposed. I can show what is for sale within an easy drive of the site and what the county's schedule means for each one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Echeconnee Creek Park located?

The park is in north Houston County on Echeconnee Creek, which forms part of the line between Houston and Bibb counties, off Highway 247 (Hawkinsville Road) on the route into the county from Macon. The county has described the 12-acre site as adjoining existing county-owned park land, and in May 2026 it authorized the purchase of a neighboring lot at 10115 Hawkinsville Road to expand it. An exact park address has not been published; the county will assign one as the project moves through permitting.

When will Echeconnee Creek Park open?

The project agreement Houston County signed with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on September 22, 2026 allows 24 months to complete the work, which points to completion by late 2028. Design and permitting began in August 2026 with Traverse Land Services, and construction follows that work. Weather, permitting and contractor schedules can move the date, so the 24-month window should be read as the county's commitment to the state rather than a fixed opening day.

What will Echeconnee Creek Park include?

According to the Georgia DNR's description of the funded project, the park will include a half-mile walking and biking trail with loop trails, a canoe and kayak launch with access to Echeconnee Creek and the Ocmulgee River, wildlife viewing and fishing boardwalks, a picnic area, restrooms, a pavilion, an outdoor classroom and open green space. The county described the same features in general terms when it signed the agreement, listing fishing, a kayak and canoe launch and walking trails. Final details depend on the design now under way.

How much does Echeconnee Creek Park cost and who is paying for it?

The total project cost in the state agreement is $3,382,700. The Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program is contributing $2,340,000, and Houston County's share is $1,042,700, which the agreement allows the county to provide in funds or in-kind participation. Separately, the county authorized $300,000 from the 2018 SPLOST in May 2026 to buy an adjoining lot, and awarded design and permitting work at a preliminary $67,750 in August 2026.

What is the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program?

It is a state grant program run by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources that funds state and local parks and trails, conservation land and land acquisition for clean water, wildlife and outdoor recreation. It was created by the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act, passed by the 2018 General Assembly and approved by 83 percent of Georgia voters on November 6, 2018, taking effect July 1, 2019. The March 2026 round funded 14 projects statewide totaling $33.2 million, including Houston County's park.

Is Echeconnee Creek Park in Houston County or Bibb County?

Houston County. The county applied for the grant, its commissioners signed the state agreement, and its agenda describes the site as north Houston County adjoining county park land. The creek itself forms part of the boundary with Bibb County, which is why the county has described the park as being on its northern border and as part of the entrance into Houston County from Macon. The park is a Houston County facility and will be operated by the county.

Can you kayak from Echeconnee Creek Park to the Ocmulgee River?

The DNR's project description specifies a canoe and kayak launch with access to Echeconnee Creek and the Ocmulgee River, so river access by water is part of the funded design. Echeconnee Creek flows into the Ocmulgee, and the launch is intended to connect paddlers to both. Distances, conditions and any seasonal limits will depend on the final launch location and creek levels, which the county has not published.

Who is designing Echeconnee Creek Park?

On August 18, 2026 the Houston County Board of Commissioners approved a proposal from Traverse Land Services, a Warner Robins firm, for civil design, planning and permitting at a preliminary cost of $67,750 plus administrative fees billed at $175 an hour and capped at $6,000. The proposal excludes a no-rise certification, which is a separate floodplain engineering item. Construction contractors are selected after design and permitting are complete.

Did Houston County buy more land for the park?

In May 2026 the commission authorized a sales contract to buy a lot at 10115 Hawkinsville Road, with 125.8 feet of frontage on Georgia Highway 247, for $300,000 funded by the 2018 SPLOST. The county agenda states the parcel adjoins existing county-owned park land and that the purchase would expand the future park. The agenda item was an authorization to sign the contract; confirm with the county that the purchase closed.

Was there public input on Echeconnee Creek Park?

Yes. The county held a town hall on September 16, 2025 at the Houston County annex at 200 Carl Vinson Parkway in Warner Robins, before submitting its grant application, so residents could ask questions and suggest features. The county's community planner told WPGA the county wanted citizen input because residents might suggest ideas planners had not considered, and that the site was chosen in part to improve the look of the area entering Houston County.

Does a new park raise home values nearby?

There is no published figure for Houston County, and the effect of any single park depends on the park, the neighborhood and how the two connect. What can be said is that trails and water access are amenities relocating buyers ask about, that the north end of the county has not had a funded park project of this kind announced in recent years, and that the park will be a public county facility with no membership or HOA cost. Anyone pricing a specific house near the site should do it on comparable sales rather than on the park alone.

Which Houston County communities are closest to Echeconnee Creek Park?

The park sits at the north end of the county on Highway 247, so the Centerville and north Warner Robins side is closest by direction of travel, with the route continuing north toward Macon. Bonaire sits in the central and eastern part of the county, Kathleen to the south-central, Perry at the south end, and neighboring Byron west of the county line in Peach County, so residents there will drive across the county to reach it. The county has not published drive times, and the park is intended as a countywide facility.

About the Author

William Walton-Dean is a licensed REALTOR® with Walton Dean Realty, operating under Real Broker LLC, serving buyers and sellers across Houston County, Georgia, including Perry, Warner Robins, Bonaire, Kathleen, Byron, and the surrounding Middle Georgia housing market. He brings a data-driven, hyper-local approach to both residential and commercial transactions, working with first-time buyers, move-up sellers, investors, and families relocating to the area, including those tied to Robins Air Force Base. Drawing on a prior career as a C-level executive, he helps buyers and sellers at every price point make clear, confident decisions backed by real market insight.

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Walton Dean Realty | Real Broker LLC

Buying or Selling on the North End of Houston County? Let's Talk

A funded park with a kayak launch and trails is one of the few amenities being added to the Highway 247 side of the county on a real schedule. If you own in north Warner Robins or Centerville, or you are looking there, I can show you what the county's timeline means for a specific house before you list or write an offer. Reach out and we will go through it together.

William Walton-Dean | Walton Dean Realty

📱 478-371-7069

📧 [email protected]

A More Strategic Approach to Real Estate

Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute real estate, legal, tax or financial advice. Project figures, features and timelines reflect county minutes, agendas and state grant documents as of the dates stated and are subject to change through the design, permitting and construction process. Public meeting outcomes and project schedules should be confirmed directly with Houston County before relying on them. Consult a licensed REALTOR®, attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation. Walton Dean Realty operates under Real Broker LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity.