Atlas Park will open in pieces. The first piece is already paid for. It's a set of trails, a 16-court pickleball complex, pavilions, a playground and a boat launch on the edge of the old Atlas Sand Mine lake. The swimming beach, campsites and Ogeechee River access that come up whenever people talk about the park belong to later phases, and those depend on separate funding.
Two announcements this October sharpened that split. On October 22, OpenAI pledged $2 million toward the park's trail system at a gathering on the property. The grant goes to trails, which are part of the first phase. Then the November 3 SPLOST referendum put the money later phases would rely on before county voters. Phase 1 is funded through the 2022 SPLOST either way. So for anyone who lives within a short drive of Highway 80 and Sand Hill Road, the useful question is which version of Atlas Park comes first, more than whether the park happens at all.
Twenty-four years as a watering hole
The county has owned the land a long time. The Savannah Morning News reported in April 2024 that Effingham County bought the former Atlas Sand Mine in 2002 for $1.8 million. The paper described the site at the intersection of Sand Hill Road and Highway 80 as "an open lot of land and pristine waters" and called it "a hidden gem in the north end of Effingham County."
The county's facility page for Atlas Park lists the address as 216 Shady Oaks Road near Guyton and marks the park "Coming Soon." Effingham County Recreation & Parks manages it. The Effingham Herald gives the full site as 650 acres. The lake that formed where sand was dug out covers about 138 acres, and every long-range plan for the property is built around it.
The county had owned the property for more than twenty years before planning picked up. Most of the documented progress has come since 2024.
How the plan got from a lot to a phased park
- 2002. The county buys the Atlas Sand Mine for $1.8 million.
- April 2024. County commissioners start looking at reworking the site for outdoor recreation.
- January 7, 2025. Commissioners approve Pond & Company's $208,970 proposal for design and construction services on "Atlas Sand Mine Phase 1." The meeting minutes list that phase as pickleball, trails, restrooms and parking.
- January 2025. WTOC reports that the first construction is expected to start in 2026.
- December 2025. The county approves a Pond & Company contract for geotechnical investigation of the proposed pond, roadway and paved areas. The Savannah Morning News puts the overall project cost at $12 million.
- October 16, 2026. WJCL reports that the county is moving forward with a phased plan, with parts of the property opening to the public while other work continues.
- October 22, 2026. OpenAI announces its $2 million trail grant at the park site.
The $12 million figure covers the whole project, while the $208,970 contract paid for design and construction services. Neither is the price of Phase 1 construction. County officials say they will share updates on the trail system, construction milestones and future amenities as planning goes on.
Paid for versus planned
The full plan for Atlas Park is much larger than its first phase. The county's facility page talks about a lake "for swimming, boating, and fishing, along with trails, camping spaces, a pavilion, playgrounds, and picnic areas." The OpenAI announcement lists a longer future wish list: basketball and volleyball courts, an outdoor arena, event venues, a swimming beach, camping, fishing and boating, and access to the Ogeechee River.
WJCL's October report draws the line between the two. Phase 1 uses money from the current SPLOST. The bigger lake plans, including fishing, boating, swimming and more launch points for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, "are not yet guaranteed."
| Phase 1, funded by the 2022 SPLOST | Later phases, tied to the next SPLOST | |
|---|---|---|
| Trails | Yes, now backed by the OpenAI grant | Further trail system expansion envisioned |
| Courts | 16-court pickleball complex | Basketball and volleyball courts envisioned |
| Gathering spaces | Pavilions, playground | Outdoor arena, event venues |
| Basics | Restrooms, parking | |
| Water | Boat launch | Swimming, expanded fishing and boating, kayak and paddleboard access, Ogeechee River access |
| Overnight | Camping areas |
So the first visit will look like this. You park, walk a trail, play pickleball on one of 16 courts, sit under a pavilion while the kids are on the playground, and look out over the lake from the boat launch. The beach-and-campground day comes later.
Why the trail grant matters more than its size suggests
OpenAI's $2 million is small next to a $12 million project estimate. Where it goes is what counts. Effingham Premiere Entertainment's account of the October 22 event says the money comes from OpenAI's $80 million community investment fund. It "will help launch the park's trail system as part of Phase 1 improvements associated with Effingham County's SPLOST 2022 program." OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar attended the announcement on the property.
The money goes to the part of the park that is already funded and furthest along. It doesn't seed the uncertain lake work. County Manager Tim Callanan put it this way in the same account:
"OpenAI's commitment allows us to accelerate a key component of this project and demonstrates how private investment can deliver meaningful, lasting benefits to the community."
Katie Comer, OpenAI's community engagement representative, said the grant "will help create trails where families can walk, bike and spend time together," according to the same announcement. County officials said OpenAI looked at the results of a public opinion survey when deciding where to direct its community money, and recreation showed up as a priority. WSAV's report describes the planned trails as linking the park's recreation amenities and offering places to walk, bike and exercise near Highway 80 and Sand Hill Road.
No public material gives trail mileage or says whether the paths will be paved or natural surface. Those details should come with the construction updates the county has promised.
What the November 3 referendum decides
The Effingham Herald's coverage of the October 1 State of the County luncheon at the New Ebenezer Retreat Center explains the money. The 2022 SPLOST was approved as an $80 million, six-year program. Collections came in faster than expected, so the county is on pace to hit $80 million early, and the tax ends once that amount is collected. Callanan laid out a proposed $200 million program for the next six years, which went to voters as the November 3 referendum.
The Herald lists Atlas Park's first phase among projects funded by the 2022 SPLOST. WJCL reported that the county proposed putting more Atlas Park work in the next SPLOST and that funding for later phases depends on voters approving it. The referendum's outcome shapes the timeline for the lake, the beach and the campground. It doesn't change what's coming in Phase 1.
Where the same activities already live
Atlas Park's first phase repeats a pattern the county has used at its other parks under the same tax. The Herald reports that the 2022 SPLOST paid for renovations at Baker Pond Community Park and Meldrim Memorial Park, adding new pickleball courts, walking trails, playgrounds and pavilions. Work also went into Pineora Park and Clyo Community Park. Atlas Park will offer the same kinds of amenities as those neighborhood parks, at a much bigger scale, on the shore of a 138-acre lake.
The 16 pickleball courts and a trail system that ties the property together are the first things expected at 216 Shady Oaks Road. The 138-acre lake will be in view from day one, and the plans for swimming, camping and river access will follow their own funding schedule.
The McIntosh Realty Team follows projects like Atlas Park because they shape everyday life around Guyton, Springfield and Rincon. If you'd like to know how a new county park or other planned amenity could affect your part of Effingham County, we're happy to talk it through. Contact Us anytime.
