Small town · 56 min east
Madison
A handsome small town with antebellum homes and a walkable downtown.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Day Trippin' › Georgia › From Atlanta
Day trips from Atlanta
From Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola and the Martin Luther King Jr. park are minutes away, Zoo Atlanta and the Botanical Garden under 10, Six Flags Over Georgia about 15, Sweetwater Creek about 20, Stone Mountain about 25, and Kennesaw Mountain under half an hour. The best day trips from Atlanta, by drive time.
140 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Atlanta
- Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park 27 min northwest
- Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area 30 min east
- Madison 56 min east
- Amicalola Falls State Park 1 hr 22 min north
- Callaway Gardens 1 hr 22 min southwest
- Tallulah Gorge State Park 1 hr 30 min northeast
- Helen 1 hr 31 min northeast
- Cloudland Canyon State Park 2 hr 15 min northwest
- Providence Canyon State Park 2 hr 20 min south
- Little River Canyon National Preserve 2 hr 25 min northwest
Within an hour from Atlanta 15 spots
Hike · 30 min east
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area
Bare granite outcrops, rare plants and a long paved path for walking and biking east of Atlanta.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Free
National park · 27 min northwest
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Civil War battlefield with a summit road and steep trails to sweeping views over metro Atlanta. Popular for weekend hikes.
- 2-4 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Standard pass $5 (checked Nov 2026)
Water park · 27 min northwest
Six Flags White Water
Wave pool, lazy river and tall slides in Marietta for a hot-day escape.
- Full day · Easy
- Summer season only (check)
- Tickets required (check)
Museum · 45 min northwest
Booth Western Art Museum
A large museum of Western art, presidential letters and a kids' gallery in downtown Cartersville.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; check days
- Tickets required (check)
Springs · 58 min southeast
Indian Springs State Park
A long-loved park with a mineral spring, lake beach and old stone buildings.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Georgia State Parks ParkPass $10 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
Wildlife · 30 min north
Chattahoochee Nature Center
Riverside boardwalks, rescued birds of prey and gentle trails in Roswell.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- Mon-Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun noon to 5 p.m.
- Adults $20, children 3-12 $14 (checked Nov 2026)
National park · 29 min north
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
A string of river parks inside the metro area with flat riverside trails, paddling and tubing on the cool Chattahoochee.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Standard pass $5 (checked Nov 2026)
1 to 2 hours from Atlanta 54 spots
Small town · 1 hr 31 min northeast
Helen
A Bavarian-style mountain town with river tubing, German food and a lively Oktoberfest.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Waterfall · 1 hr 22 min north
Amicalola Falls State Park
Home of one of the tallest waterfalls in the Southeast, with stair climbs, a lodge and the approach trail to the Appalachian Trail.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round
- Georgia State Parks ParkPass $10 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
Garden · 1 hr 22 min southwest
Callaway Gardens
A big garden resort with a butterfly house, a lake beach, a chapel and a 10-mile bike trail.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- General admission (check)
State park · 1 hr 30 min northeast
Tallulah Gorge State Park
A deep river gorge with rim trails, a swinging bridge and waterfall overlooks.
- Half day · Strenuous
- Year-round
- Georgia State Parks ParkPass $10 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
Zoo · 1 hr 12 min east
Bear Hollow Zoo
A small free zoo of native animals in Athens.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Free
Food town · 1 hr 13 min east
Athens
A college town with a big music scene, great restaurants and the UGA campus.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Museum · 1 hr 47 min south
National Infantry Museum
A large museum honoring the US infantry soldier, near the Army post in Columbus.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Check hours
- Free
Scenic drive · 1 hr 33 min northeast
Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway
A mountain loop through national forest, past Brasstown Bald and Helen.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
2 to 3 hours from Atlanta 60 spots
State park · 2 hr 15 min northwest
Cloudland Canyon State Park
A big canyon on Lookout Mountain with waterfall stairs, rim views and bike trails.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round
- Georgia State Parks ParkPass $10 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
State park · 2 hr 20 min south
Providence Canyon State Park
Colorful eroded canyons with rim and floor trails.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Georgia State Parks ParkPass $10 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
National park · 2 hr 25 min northwest
Little River Canyon National Preserve
A deep canyon on top of Lookout Mountain with a scenic rim drive, overlooks, Little River Falls and spots for paddling and climbing.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round; falls best in spring
- Free (check)
Cave · 2 hr 57 min northwest
Cathedral Caverns State Park
A cave with one of the widest entrances in the world and Goliath, a stalagmite about 45 feet tall. It stays about 60 degrees all year.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round 9 am-5:30 pm
- Tour fee (check)
Museum · 2 hr 12 min west
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
A moving museum on the Birmingham civil rights campaign, across from 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Closed some days (check hours)
- Adults $15; students, seniors and military $13; 3rd grade and below free (check)
Museum · 2 hr 24 min southwest
The Legacy Museum
A powerful museum on the history of slavery, lynching, segregation and mass incarceration in America, built on a site where enslaved people were once held.
- Half day · Easy
- Closed Tuesdays (check hours)
- Paid timed ticket covers all four Legacy Sites (check)
Wildlife · 2 hr 19 min east
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
Boardwalks and trails through swamp and wetlands near Augusta.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Check hours
- Check fees
Family fun · 2 hr 8 min south
SAM Shortline
A vintage excursion train through small towns between Cordele and Plains.
- Full day · Easy
- Check schedule
- Tickets from $43.99 per person (checked Nov 2026)
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 30303 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.