The park is named for former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who sought a treatment for his paralytic illness in nearby Warm Springs at the Little White House.

[3] Several structures in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the Great Depression, including a stone swimming pool and Roosevelt's favorite picnic spot at Dowdell's Knob, overlooking the valley below.

[4] The region containing the modern-day park was inhabited by the Creek Nation until ceded under the Treaties of 1825 and 1826, which granted the territories between the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers to the State of Georgia.

Just prior to being elected president of the United States in 1932, Roosevelt built a residence nearby which would come to be known as the Little White House.

[7] The park contains the 23-mile (37 km) long Pine Mountain Trail, a scenic nature path that winds through both hardwood and pine forests, featuring hickory and several species of oak; forest undergrowth includes buckeye, pawpaw, azalea, blueberry and huckleberry.

The statue depicts Roosevelt sitting on his removable car seat and wearing his leg braces.

The statue, commissioned by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, was created by Atlanta sculptor Martin Dawe.