Garden · 57 min northeast
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)
Day Trippin' › Alabama › From Auburn
Day trips from Auburn
From Auburn, Chewacla State Park is minutes away, the Jule Collins Smith Museum about 10, the Tuskegee Airmen site about 20, Columbus's RiverWalk and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center about 45, and Montgomery's Legacy Museum and Capitol under an hour. The best day trips from Auburn, by drive time.
122 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Auburn
- Chattahoochee RiverWalk 46 min east
- The Legacy Museum 54 min west
- Callaway Gardens 57 min northeast
- Providence Canyon State Park 1 hr 23 min southeast
- Edmund Pettus Bridge 1 hr 41 min west
- Jimmy Carter National Historical Park 1 hr 44 min southeast
- Georgia Aquarium 1 hr 47 min northeast
- Dothan Area Botanical Gardens 2 hr 2 min south
- Stone Mountain Park 2 hr 3 min northeast
- Birmingham Civil Rights Institute 2 hr 5 min northwest
Within an hour from Auburn 19 spots
Museum · 54 min west
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)
Bike trail · 46 min east
Chattahoochee RiverWalk
A long paved river path through Columbus past urban whitewater.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
State park · 55 min northwest
Wind Creek State Park
A big park on Lake Martin with a swim area, marina, boat rentals, trails and a zipline canopy tour.
- Full day · Easy
- Daily 7 am-dark
- Alabama State Parks fee (check)
Zoo · 56 min west
Montgomery Zoo
A large zoo with animals from five continents, a train ride and the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum included with entry.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round 9:30 am-4:30 pm, last entry 3:30 pm (check)
- Adult $18, child (3-12) $14 (check)
Museum · 52 min west
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
A free art museum set in Blount Cultural Park, with American art, a hands-on kids gallery and lakeside grounds.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Closed Mondays (check hours)
- Free
Museum · 53 min east
National Infantry Museum
A large museum honoring the US infantry soldier, near the Army post in Columbus.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Check hours
- Free
Historic site · 26 min southwest
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site
The George Washington Carver Museum and The Oaks, home of Booker T. Washington, on the campus of Tuskegee University.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Carver Museum Mon-Sat 9 am-4:30 pm; The Oaks Tue-Thu (check)
- Free
1 to 2 hours from Auburn 31 spots
State park · 1 hr 23 min southeast
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)
Aquarium · 1 hr 47 min northeast
Georgia Aquarium
One of the largest aquariums in the world, with whale sharks, manta rays, beluga whales and a dolphin show. Easy to pair with other downtown sights.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Timed tickets; pricing varies by date (check)
Historic site · 1 hr 41 min west
Edmund Pettus Bridge
The bridge in Selma where marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday in 1965. Walking across it is a moving experience.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
National park · 1 hr 44 min southeast
Jimmy Carter National Historical Park
The small-town home of the 39th president in Plains.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Springs · 1 hr 50 min south
Blue Springs State Park
Two sandy-bottom pools fed by a clear spring that stays at 68 degrees all year. A classic Wiregrass summer swim.
- Half day · Easy
- Mar-Sep 9 am-6 pm; Oct-Feb 8 am-4 pm
- $5 ages 12-61; $3 ages 4-11 and 62+
Bike trail · 1 hr 47 min northeast
Atlanta BeltLine
A paved rail trail loop project linking city parks, food halls and public art. The Eastside Trail is the busiest stretch.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Theme park · 1 hr 50 min northeast
Six Flags Over Georgia
Big roller coasters, kids' rides and seasonal events just west of Atlanta.
- Full day · Easy
- Seasonal; check the park calendar
- Tickets required (check)
Historic site · 1 hr 1 min northwest
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
The site of the 1814 battle that ended the Creek War, with a tour road, river views and trails.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (check hours)
- Free
2 to 3 hours from Auburn 69 spots
Family fun · 2 hr 3 min northeast
Stone Mountain Park
A giant granite dome with a walk-up trail, lake loops and family attractions on the east side of Atlanta. The summit views reach the city skyline.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round; attractions run on a seasonal schedule
- Parking fee; attraction tickets extra (check)
Museum · 2 hr 5 min northwest
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)
Garden · 2 hr 2 min south
Dothan Area Botanical Gardens
Fifty acres of themed gardens and woods on the north side of Dothan.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Daily 8 am-5 pm (winter) or 9 am-6 pm (summer)
- $5 ages 16+; under 16 free
State park · 2 hr 30 min west
Roland Cooper State Park
A lakeside park near Camden on Dannelly Reservoir, known for fishing and as a certified dark sky spot for stargazing.
- Half day · Easy
- Daily 7 am-sunset
- $5 per vehicle; $5 per boat (honor box)
Cave · 2 hr 32 min northwest
Rickwood Caverns State Park
Guided tours through a living cave about a mile long, plus a big pool fed by cave water.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Cave year-round; pool in summer (check)
- Entrance $3 (12+), $2 (5-11); cave tour $19 incl. entrance; swim $7
Small town · 2 hr 34 min northeast
Madison
A handsome small town with antebellum homes and a walkable downtown.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Zoo · 2 hr 54 min northeast
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 · 2 hr 55 min northeast
Athens
A college town with a big music scene, great restaurants and the UGA campus.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Get a day trip idea every Friday
Three ideas for the weekend, one each for Washington, Oregon and Arizona, with a link to plan the day. Free. Unsubscribe any time.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 36830 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.