10 Best Road Trips Near Atlanta

Stone Mountain Park is a popular family destination, offering natural beauty, historical sights, and recreational activities. The focal point of the namesake city, Stone Mountain, the park is within just a half-hour drive east of Downtown Atlanta. This 350 million-year-old, 5 mile-wide adamellite (igneous quartz) dome has a summit at over 1,600 ft above sea level. Reach the top via its west side walking trail or take the Skyride aerial tram and take in the magnificent landscapes and Atlanta’s distant skyline.

The Skyride passes the Confederate Memorial Carving, known as the largest bas-relief sculpture in the world – bigger than Mount Rushmore, even. The Historic Square is dotted with historic buildings, and its Farmyard is home to historic farm animal breeds. At the recreated old town, Crossroads, you can watch 4D movies, play mini-golf, or view art and craft demos. The Dinotorium, Geyser Towers, and the Sky Hike rope course appeal to families with younger kids. Taking the road trip in summer? Stay on for the evening laser projection and fireworks spectacle.

Lake Lanier is a recreational lake and a great short road-trip destination that’s about an hour’s drive northeast of Downtown Atlanta via the Interstate 85 highway. With its 692 miles of shoreline, Lake Lanier is home to multiple parks, each with lovely beaches for water sports, and with campgrounds and hiking trails for soaking in the great outdoors.

There are also great experiences to be had over the water of Lake Lanier, such as guided boat tours and even wine cruises. Better still, you can rent a boat for yourself and take in the lake’s beauty at your own pace. Among Lake Lanier’s top parks is Mary Alice Beach Park on the western shore, with Sawnee Mt. Preserve nearby with its Indian Seats rock formation and scenic hiking trails. Unwind after your adventures at Lanier Islands Tranquility Spa or drop by Cumming Aquatic Center with the kids.

Pine Mountain is a charming town set against beautiful nature in western Georgia, a little over an hour’s drive southwest of Downtown Atlanta. It’s one of the best road trips near Atlanta that offers history and beautiful scenery. The town was established as Chipley back in 1882 during the railroad extension from Columbus in western Georgia. And it has close ties to the 32^nd US President, Franklin Roosevelt, with Georgia's largest state park named in his honour.

In nearby Warm Springs, you can visit Franklin Roosevelt's Little White House, a personal retreat of the late President. He passed away there in 1945 and it was turned into a museum 3 years later. For outdoor pursuits, the Pine Mountain Trail is a scenic trail that leads you past waterfalls and rugged landscapes. If you’re road-tripping to Pine Mountain with kids, don’t miss the Wild Animal Safari just northwest of the town.

Callaway Gardens is one of the beautiful attractions of the town of Pine Mountain in Georgia. Within the 13,000-acre grounds lie a variety of natural features and recreational highlights. Mountain Creek Lake is the largest of the garden’s 13 lakes. It’s big on boating and fishing – bream, bass, and rainbow trout are among the prize catches.

Robin Lake and its tranquil beach are top summer spots with treetop adventures and biking nearby. Callaway Gardens is home to the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center with thousands of flowering plants and colourful butterflies. Take the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Trail for a trek, or head to Mountain View Course for a round of scenic golf. Callaway Gardens is roughly a 90-minute drive southwest of Downtown Atlanta.

Macon is a city in central Georgia that’s around a 1.5-hour drive southeast of Downtown Atlanta. It's home to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, which has a great collection of magnificent prehistoric Native American earthen mounds, as well as artefacts dating back thousands of years. The Mounds was the site of the largest archaeology dig in American history, where over 800 people unearthed over 3 million artefacts.

Other interesting sites in Macon include the Tubman Museum, which presents colourful exhibits on African-American art, history, and culture. Check out the museum’s signature 7-panel Africa to America mural on the 1^st floor, created by contemporary artist Wilfred R. Stroud in 1988. For a bit of Southern American music history, visit The Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House. Besides rich history, Macon offers miles of hiking trails as well as farm tours with fun blueberry- and strawberry-picking options for families.

Lake Oconee is a reservoir in Georgia that’s formed by the Wallace Dam and fed by the Oconee and Appalachee Rivers. Unlike most lakes, Oconee is uniquely long and narrow with irregular shores thanks to the hydroelectric activity. It’s a great go-to for outdoor adventures, with 374 miles of shoreline dotted with campgrounds, boat ramps, and hiking trails.

The pine-forested Lawrence Shoals Public Recreation Grounds on the southern shore is a great choice and connects to some exciting hiking trails. To reach the lake from Atlanta, head east on Interstate 20 towards US 441 and follow that to Eatonton. Along the Georgia 16 highway, follow Georgia Power signs to Wallace Dam Road. The journey takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Athens in northeast Georgia is a college town that’s known for its Southern history. Driving through town, you’ll be travelling back in time with well-preserved 19^th-century Southern architecture lining the streets. It’s small wonder that it earned the nickname “Classic City” with many of its buildings and landmarks dating back to the 1800s. The Georgia Museum of Art also calls Athens home.

Athens is also known for its thriving music industry. It’s home to chart-topping bands like R.E.M. and the B-52s, and it’s where you can enjoy live music at various venues 7 nights a week. One of the best places to catch a performance of up-and-coming talent is the legendary 40 Watt Club, where the likes of Nirvana and The Strokes have played in the past.

Suches is a small town that’s big on nature and scenery, up in the Georgia mountains. This 90-minute road trip north from Atlanta is breathtaking in autumn with the dazzling display of colours. In summer, its highland setting is also pleasurable with breezy days and cool nights. Head for the Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest for a great experience of the great Georgian outdoors.

The Chattahoochee–Oconee is home to North Georgia Mountains, as well as pretty waterfalls such as the Amicola and Anna Ruby Falls. Other highlights in Suches include Dockery Lake, which’s great for camping and fishing, and Toccoa River with its footbridge. Although small, Suches has festivities worth checking out, such as the annual Indian Summer Festival in October.

Toccoa Falls is a waterfall that’s uniquely located within the grounds of the Christian liberal arts campus of the same name in Georgia. Even though the waterfall is technically on private property, it’s open to the public for a fee. Its name, meaning “beautiful” in Cherokee, suits it very well. The beautiful grounds of the 1,000-acre campus are also a pleasure to walk through.

The 186-ft-tall cascades are magnificently set against a rocky cliff face and it flows steadily into the Mississippi River. It’s said to be the tallest waterfall east of the river. Enter through the Gate Cottage Gift Shop and follow a wheelchair-friendly path along the stream for around 100 yards to the waterfall’s base. Toccoa Falls is a 90-minute drive northeast of Downtown Atlanta, via the Interstate 85, 985, and US 23 highways.

Providence Canyon State Park is among the best road trip destinations in Georgia for outdoor adventures. The outdoor recreation area in Stewart County spans over 1,000 acres and has a landscape adorned with colourful sandstone canyons. Various picnic and camping grounds as well as miles of scenic hiking trails are available for you to take it all in.

Most of the trails throughout the spectacular park feature soft and sandy terrain. The nature-sculpted walls and water-carved ravines have given the park its nickname: Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon”. Whether you’re here for the pictures or the exploration, a walk down the winding paths through Providence Canyon is truly uplifting. The park is also dog-friendly. It’s a little over 2 hours’ drive south of Downtown Atlanta.