Locate It: Valdosta

Professional wakeboarders and wakeskaters have discovered the Valdosta Wake Compound and turned it into a regular stop for the world’s best. Novices can also hit the water with an on-site lesson. On a 56-acre campus, the lake features innovative rail designs in a safe and challenging course. The Compound also hosts professional competitions sanctioned by the World Wake Association including the Valdosta YardSale, which brings 35 of the world’s best park and urban riders, such as Liam Peacock, Wesley Mark Jacobs and Anna Nikstad.

For those wanting a more relaxing time on the water, grab a canoe or kayak and cruise along the Withlacoochee River or Little River. The 115-mile Withlacoochee flows from Southern Georgia into Florida, where it connects to the Suwanee River. Paddle past cypress, river birch, oaks and pines in one of the few undammed and undeveloped blackwater rivers in the country. Each year, more than 300 paddlers participate in Paddle Georgia, an annual canoe and kayak journey down the Withlacoochee from Valdosta to Mayo, Fla.

Want a deeper water experience? Become a National Association of Underwater Instructors-certified deep-water diver at Southern Ocean Sports. Learn scuba, snorkeling or deep-sea diving from Dave “The Kraken” Stone from History Channel’s “The Ax Men.” The training facility offers a variety of courses and even offers dive trips to freshwater and saltwater destinations in Florida.

For land lovers, Valdosta has nearly 30 parks and recreation areas to enjoy. Freedom Park, a 250-acre multi-purpose facility, features a dog park, baseball, softball, tennis, 20-hole disc golf course, and cross-country running course. Freedom Park is the site of the state adult Georgia Special Olympics Games each year and its Miracle Field, a boundless playground for people of all abilities, is one of the largest in the country.

For a walk on the wild side, head over to the stunning Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area where you can play in more than 18,000 acres of wetlands and swamps. Bring binoculars to view birds, wildlife, and maybe even alligators! For all of you dendrophiles (a.k.a. tree lovers), Grand Bay is the largest cypress-blackgum Carolina bays complex in Georgia outside the Okefenokee Swamp.

Valdosta has all the staples, too, with four golf courses, hunting, fishing, the Azalea City Trail for walkers and joggers, Grassy Pond Recreation Area with cabins, boating and nature trails, a huge tennis center, several boat ramps, and the Alapaha Trail, Discovery Outpost, Alligator Alley gator experience, and the Birdhouse and Butterfly Garden at Wild Adventures Theme Park.