[1] The 71.35-acre park, which preserves an area of exposed granite shoals along the North Oconee River, was officially opened to the public in 1978.

Early settlement began in the 1780s at an area which was once a Creek and Cherokee Indian camping ground, called Yamtrahoochee ("Hurricane Shoals").

[2] At the time, several buildings were built including a fort, school house, grist mill, and Baptist church.

1n 1925, a hydroelectric generating plant was built that would provide electricity to the nearby booming town of Maysville.

With intention to protect the historic area as a recreational facility, The Hurricane Shoals Park Association, Inc., was formed in 1962 to purchase much of the current property from Georgia Power.