Jasper, Georgia

The Sawnee Mountain Preserve is easy to get to with a GPS and offers plenty of parking. To get to the Indian Seats Trail you will start down a short (.17 mile) trail that will take you to the trailhead. The Indian Seats Trail is a loop so once you reach the marked trail you can go either left or ...

Kayak from the Olde Rope Mill Park to the Lake Allatoona Waterfall (1.5 mile paddle from park to waterfall). This easy lake paddle is great for beginners.  Waterfall Coordinates: 34.1436403,-84.5330342  If it is warm, bring a bathing suit and play in the water! There are also numerous spots to ha...

From the parking lot, walk about 500 feet to the check-in office to let the receptionist know that you would like to visit the falls.  This campground operates as a retreat select times throughout the year and is closed to the public during those times so prior to visiting, be sure to call and fi...

Fort Mountain State Park is filled with horse trails, biking trails, walking trails, camping sites, and a lake. Once you arrive at the park you pay a $5 entrance fee and will receive a park map. While visiting I walked the West Overlook Trail and came back down the CCC Tower Trail. This is a 1 mi...

The Georgia summer is no joke. Fortunately, Red Top Mountain's Homestead Trail hosts enough shade and swimming for all adventurers. The 5.5 mile loop is located on a large peninsula stretching out into Lake Allatoona. Hikers enter a lush forest of wildlife and will encounter moderate elevation...

Red Top Mountain State Park finds itself just 30 minutes up I-75 from the urban sprawl of Atlanta, and it is surprising how quickly you can forget exactly how close you are to the city with just one night of camping here.  The State Park has a range of activities to offer, so there is bound to be...

The Appalachian Trail is arguably the most famous thru-hike in the world.  Along its 2,181-mile journey, there are many beautiful mountain views, and Preachers Rock is definitely one of them.  A large granite slab near the summit of Big Cedar Mountain reveals mountain views that are truly the epi...

The Big Creek Greenway is a roughly 8-mile stretch of paved trail that runs from its northern Marconi Drive entrance in Alpharetta down to Old Alabama Road in Roswell. There is also an extended bit of the Greenway a little further north in Forsyth County, though these two trails do not connect. T...

Morganton Point Campground is one of the most well-maintained campgrounds in North Georgia. There are sites available for both RVs and tents, but the tent section is separate from the RV area so don't worry about any noisy generators!  I camped at Site F, a tent-only campsite. This campsite (and ...

You’re going to be really surprised you’re still in Roswell, or in the Atlanta area at all. When you get out of your car and start walking down the wooden stairs at the start of the trail, the busy sounds of the rushing cars on Atlanta Street fade away into the wind flowing through the Tulip Popl...

The Chattahoochee National Forest is another kind of jungle.  On hot summer days well over 95 degrees, the forest canopy provides a shelter for human and wildlife alike. Here adventurers can enjoy hiking the Desoto Falls trail(s), try their luck at fishing, or take in the solitude of the North Ge...

Big Trees is truly a backyard beauty. The entrance connector brings you through to the beginning of the trails. If you are low on time, try out the Big Trees Loop (1/2 mile) which appears slightly before the major Backcountry trail system. Without going too deep into the preserve, you can still e...

Lake Sidney Lanier is pretty big, but you don't need to be overwhelmed when you visit the lake via Dogwood Park. The park has a large pavilion and a few other picnic tables, lots of shade trees, and a couple of ways to access the lake. On the left side, there's an abandoned marina (dangerous—it's...

Nestled at the foot of Blood Mountain is one of Georgia's most scenic State Parks.  With over 90 campsites and 35 charming cottages, 17 miles of hiking trails, a beautiful alpine lake, and a charming waterfall, Vogel State Park highlights all of the best things that North Georgia has to offer.  T...

Lake Trahlyta in Vogel State Park offers a truly unique combination of natural beauty and opportunity for recreation.  The easy one-mile Lake Trahlyta trail circles the emerald colored lake and has a short deviation that leads to a calming, yet impressive waterfall.   The trail starts on the edge...

Starting at the Burnt Hickory Parking lot on Kennesaw National Battlefield, you head south on a pretty flat trail. After a mile and a half you will come across a bridge that goes over Noses Creek. If you're looking to cover more ground, the trails around the creek expand for miles in any directio...