With 100-plus degree days coming fast on the heels of June's solstice, the minds of Georgians soon turned to cooling off and quick weekend escapes. To help abate the heat, consider a visit to one of these Georgia State Parks less than three hours from Atlanta.

Black Rock Mountain

At 3,640 feet, this is Georgia's highest state park, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northeast corner of the state near Mountain City (Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest point, isn't a state park). Up until the heat wave this June, the campground thermometer inside the park had never reached the 90 degree mark, even during the dog days of summer. Named for the mountain's dark-colored rock outcroppings and cliffs, Black Rock Mountain offers stunning mountain vistas from various overlooks and trails. On clear days, North Carolina, South Carolina and even the highest peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee are visible from certain points within the park. Fishing and paddling are allowed on a stocked 17-acre lake (bring your own canoe or kayak), but no swimming — for that, head to nearby Unicoi, just outside of Helen, or Vogel, south of

Blairsville. Unicoi and Vogel are two of Georgia's more popular state parks and both have swimming beaches on their larger mountain lakes.

Black Rock Mountain State Park. Campsites $25-$28; walk-in and backcountry campsites $9-$15; cottages $125-$145. 3085 Black Rock Mountain Parkway, Mountain City. 706-746-2141.

Cloudland Canyon

You may already know about this park and its wondrous views from the rim of a deep sandstone canyon carved into Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia. But, if you want to find the coolest summertime temps in the state, you'll need to head underground. There's a cave in the park where it's a steady 56 degrees year-round. Sitton's Cave is wild — the only cave inside a Georgia State Park — with an underground river flowing through it, so don't expect a leisurely stroll through a well-lit cavern with railed walkways like at Ruby Falls farther north. Be prepared to get wet and muddy. And you'll need a guide — the Georgia Girl Guides, to be exact. The "girls" are two young women — Amy Ward and Christine Rose. They are experienced cavers and former park employees now in business for

themselves leading spelunking adventures at Cloudland Canyon. No prior caving experience is needed for the shorter tours. But keep in mind that you'll be crawling through tight spaces, so bring long sleeve shirts, long pants and sturdy boots or shoes that you don't mind getting wet and dirty. The tours cost between $30 and $60. Helmets, headlamps, knee pads and gloves are provided. Contact the Georgia Girl Guides

(www.georgiagirlguides.com; 706-913-7170) for more information on caving in the park and to make tour reservations.

Cloudland Canyon State Park. Campsites $25-$28; walk-in and backcountry campsites $6-$16; cottages $135-$160. 122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road, Rising Fawn. 706-657-4050.

Little Ocmulgee

Located in the south-central section of the state just outside the town of McRae, Little Ocmulgee is one of two Georgia State Parks with both a lodge and a golf course. But the attraction that puts it over the top on kids' radar in summertime is the Splash Pad , a large "sprayground" with fountains, colorful spouting and misting water features and mounted water guns that children use to squirt each other. This is the only such water park in a Georgia State Park. The grounds of Little Ocmulgee contain trees dripping with Spanish moss and footpaths of fine white sand, making it feel as if you're at the coast even though you're less than three hours from Atlanta. Wallace Adams Memorial Golf Course (greens fees

$29.68-$37.10) is considered one of the top public courses in Georgia, according to a Georgia Magazine reader's poll. The lodge adjacent to the course is home to the Fairway Grill, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, including an all-you-can-eat buffet on Friday and Saturday nights ($14.95 per person).

Little Ocmulgee State Park and Lodge. Campsites $25-$28; cottages

$80-$105; lodge rooms $70-$135; Splash Pad $4 for day visitors, $3 for overnight guests. 80 Live Oak Trail, Helena. 229-868-7474.

High Falls

Halfway between Atlanta and Macon just off Interstate 75, High Falls State Park offers the opportunity to see a rare sight in Middle Georgia: a cascading waterfall. The falls are on the Towaliga River, tumbling 135 feet over rocks beneath the spillway dam that creates High Falls Lake. For safety reasons, swimming and wading aren't allowed in the river, but you can get a great view from the trail alongside the falls. When it's time to take a dip, head for the Olympic-sized pool. High Falls is one of the few Georgia State Parks with a swimming pool. The pool is next to the lake where you can boat (10 horsepower limit on motor boats), canoe, kayak, fish and take pedal boat rides. Luxury camping, or "glamping," is

available in six yurts — circular, wood-framed tents with floors, beds, ceiling fans and decks with lake views. There are 4.5 miles of hiking trails and a miniature golf course in the park.

High Falls State Park. Campsites $25-$28; yurts $65; swimming pool $5. 76 High Falls Park Dr., Jackson. 478-993-3053.

For reservations and more info on Georgia State Parks visit

www.gastateparks.org or call 800-864-7275.