The Peach State has some of the most beautiful state parks in the Southeast. When is the last time you ventured into the adventurous Georgia outdoors?
This article will tell you all about some of the best state parks in the Peach State.
Don’t think that you have to travel far from Atlanta to enjoy these great parks — they’re closing than you think! Here are some of the best state parks in Georgia that are close to Atlanta:
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Looking For The Best State Parks In Georgia? Read This
In this article, we’re going to show you some of the best state parks in Georgia. Gas up the vehicle and get ready to go!
All of these Georgia state parks are within 90 miles (an hour and a half tops) of Atlanta city limits. That makes them easily accessible by driving around I-285, I-85, I-75 and I-20.
No matter if it’s summertime or fall, you’ll enjoy the lush scenery in the heart of Georgia’s state parks.
Here Are Some Of The Best Sites To See Georgia Foliage
Georgia has elite foliage, if you didn’t know. We begin with one of the most beautiful state parks in Georgia and the home of the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi River:
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Here’s what one reviewer says about Amicalola Falls. “Beautiful falls with beautiful views around. Hiking is fun here and there are steps that you can take to go top of the falls. My 2year old kid did climbed easily 425 steps. There is plenty of space for picnic and spent valuable time there. All aside weather was just right. Overall it was a fabulous experience.”
2. Anna Ruby Falls (Twin Waterfalls)
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Here’s what one reviewer says about Anna Ruby Falls. “Picturesque waterfall with a visitor’s center accessible by driving through Unicoi State Park.”
3. Black Rock Mountain
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Here’s what one visitor says about Black Rock Mountain State Park. “Beautiful campground and state park! Our site was nice and shady. Just be warned, you will have to walk uphill to get to your site if you aren’t near the bottom. Not a big hill, but it’s uphill, none the less. Beautiful views were everywhere! The hiking trails are also pretty steep, but nothing too bad if you are a seasoned hiker.”
4. Vogel State Park
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“Beautiful park. Camped here for 6 nights. Nice staff. Bathhouse was clean,” says one visitor. “They have several INDIVIDUAL bathrooms with a private shower, toilet and sink. It’s not community like a locker room. I absolutely love that!!! Number 68 was the best spot for us. It sits adjacent to the Bathhouse and our neighbors were not on top of us. The park has plenty of hiking paths, a man made beach and swimming area, paddle boating and a beautiful lake and waterfall. They have signs posted for black bears and copperhead snakes. We saw none, thank God! Beautiful and serene place. Would definitely return!”
5. Brasstown Bald
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Here’s what one visitor says about Brasstown Bald State Park. “Finally made the trip back up there after many years too long of an absence. Much is still the same as I remember it with still some of the best views in North Georgia.
As of 10/5/22, there’s a $7 per person entrance fee. The walk-up trail is a nice paved path beginning between the gift shop and restroom facility. (Highly recommend the gift shop, lots of cool and unique items!) It’s about a half mile trek going constantly uphill to the top (a slight workout!), but a shuttle bus is also available if preferred.”
6. Cloudland Canyon
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Here’s what one visitor says about Cloudland Canyon State Park: “$5 entrance fee for gorgeous views and short, but rewarding trails. Trails are extremely moderate for an experienced hiker, but present diverse landscape. The trails were well marked, mostly clear from a lot of foot traffic and dirt. Look out for armadillos! We saw two while we were here. You’ll hear them rustling around. We enjoyed going all the way around the loop and then ending with a peek at both waterfalls which weren’t too full but couldn’t have fomo. Lots of stairs to the waterfalls as expected. Camping, RV spots, cabins+ available for an extended stay. The trails were lively with people and dogs enjoying the mild Tuesday afternoon. I do recommend! Views still available right off from the parking lot if you are not feeling a hike. Bonus is that the park also has a disc golf course.”
7. Fort Mountain State Park
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Here’s what one visitor says about Fort Mountain Park. “We visited Fort Mountain State Park recently and we had a wonderful time. Since we have visited all 56 Tennessee State Parks we thought we would visit Georgia State Parks. We are glad we went here. We enjoyed seeing the 4 story look out tower. It was a hike to it but not to hard. There is a lot of history here and several plaques are placed so we could read them. From the tower we hiked to the over look. Wow. This has amazing views here. We also drove around the park and we saw a nice lake and campground. There is another trail that goes to a waterfall which is nice. Overall great experience. Can’t wait to go back.”
8. Tallulah Gorge State Park
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Here’s what one visitor says about Tallulah State Gorge Park: “What an absolutely beautiful park. We spent two days at the park, walking trails and enjoying the sights and water, and we still didn’t get the opportunity to see everything. But what we did see was stunning!
There are miles of trails you can hike. Some are located on the north side and some on the south side of the gorge. Additionally, you can cross the gorge via the suspension bridge, and even go to the bottom of the gorge. That said, we didn’t go to the bottom – it’s only 100 passes a day, though they are free – but I imagine it’s awesome. And we are hoping to do that ourselves next visit. I highly, highly recommend you been in decent to good shape if you plan to go to the bottom because there are a lot of steps (over 1000 total down and back up) that you must climb to do so. We opted to go down to the suspension bridge and back up and it was quite a work out on its own.”
9. Sweetwater Creek
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Here’s what one reviewer says about Sweetwater Creek State Park: “A very well-staffed park. Excellent signage to direct you on where to go. We only took the Red Trail to see the Mill Ruins on a quick visit, but I do recommend that one for beginner hikers! The path is nicely packed and wide for comfort without much of a grade. I was a little disappointed in all the fencing around the ruins keeping you from getting a closer look, but I totally understand the purpose of it being there. The water was lovely and calming also. I would recommend this spot for a nice, relaxing afternoon in nature.”
10. Stone Mountain Park
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One reviewer says this about Stone Mountain Park: “Our first time coming by to see Stone Mountain. $20 Vehicle Entry, was well worth the drive, literally around the entire mountain. Beautiful landscape, everywhere you look. We arrived very close to dark and were thrilled to find out that they close at midnight! The Lift to the top and Gift Shop were certainly closed by the time we arrived, but we were able to navigate a well-lit sidewalk, to get a bit closer to the carving. Really pretty area, very nice folks. Absolutely worth the stop!”
Georgia contains tens of thousands of acres of natural beauty with a wide variety of fun family activities and things to do in the Atlanta.
Final Word
You can have a great time in the Georgia outdoors.
No matter if you’re a visitor to the state or a family looking to bring the kids out for a day of fund and children’s attractions, you can find tons of outdoor recreational activities including kayaking, SUP, championship golf, hiking, biking, and more around Atlanta.
Up next: 10+ things to do in Georgia that are fun & outdoorsy
https://atlantafi.com/adventurous-and-outdoorsy-things-to-do-in-atlanta/
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