Places within 3 hours of Birmingham

Under 1 hour from Birmingham 5 places

Photo: Matthew Gordon, CC BY-SA 3.0

Cave · 29 min north

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
• Cave year-round; pool in summer
• Entrance $3 (12+), $2 (5-11); cave tour $19 incl. entrance; swim $7
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Eric in SF, CC BY-SA 3.0

Swimming · 27 min northeast

Turkey Creek Nature Preserve

A Pinson preserve with creek trails and a popular summer swimming hole at the falls.

• 2-3 hrs
• Year-round; swim season summer
• Free
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Greg McCallister, CC BY-SA 3.0

Historic site · 35 min southwest

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park

Old stone iron furnaces, pioneer cabins, an iron museum and creek trails in the woods near McCalla.

• Half day
• Year-round
• Paid admission
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Thejammer (talk), Public domain

Waterfall · 59 min northeast

Noccalula Falls Park

A 90-foot waterfall in Gadsden with a gorge trail, a mini train and a pioneer village.

• 2-3 hrs
• Feb-Oct daily 9 am-5 pm; Christmas at the Falls Nov 13-Jan 2, 4-10 pm
• Paid admission
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0

Museum · 46 min east

International Motorsports Hall of Fame

Race cars and racing history next to Talladega Superspeedway. A self-guided tour takes about an hour.

• 1-2 hrs
• Daily 8:30 am-4 pm; closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day
• Paid admission
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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1 to 2 hours from Birmingham 49 places

Photo: RBharris, CC BY-SA 3.0

Hike · 1 hr 45 min northwest

Dismals Canyon

A deep, mossy sandstone canyon with waterfalls and old hemlocks, famous for glowing Dismalites on night tours.

• 2-3 hrs
• Mar-Nov; Nov weekends only; 2027 season opens Mar 12
• Paid admission
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Richard A. Weaver, CC BY-SA 4.0

National park · 1 hr 56 min northeast

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
• Year-round; falls best in spring
• Free
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Bubba73, CC BY-SA 3.0

Historic site · 1 hr 58 min northwest

Elvis Presley Birthplace

The small house where Elvis was born, plus a museum, memorial garden and his childhood church.

• 2 hrs
• Year-round; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
• Admission charged
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0

Wildlife · 1 hr 10 min north

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

A big refuge near Decatur where thousands of sandhill cranes and some rare whooping cranes spend the winter.

• 2-3 hrs
• Visitor center Tue-Sat 9 am-4 pm Mar-Oct; cranes in winter
• Free
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0

Small town · 2 hr northwest

Tupelo

Elvis's hometown, with a lively downtown, music venues and the Natchez Trace at its edge.

• Full day
• Year-round
• Free

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Photo: Wayne Ruple, CC BY-SA 3.0

Bike trail · 1 hr 9 min east

Chief Ladiga Trail

A paved rail trail from the Anniston area through Jacksonville and Piedmont toward Georgia, where it links to the Silver Comet.

• 2-3 hrs
• Year-round
• Free
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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More 1 to 2 hours from Birmingham, by type

History

Moundville Archaeological Park (1 hr 6 min), Cook Museum of Natural Science (1 hr 17 min), The Legacy Museum (1 hr 21 min), Hank Williams Museum (1 hr 21 min), Rosa Parks Museum (1 hr 21 min), National Memorial for Peace and Justice (1 hr 21 min), Old Alabama Town (1 hr 22 min), Alabama State Capitol (1 hr 22 min) and 17 more

Hikes

Lake Lurleen State Park (1 hr 17 min), Pinhoti Trail (1 hr 19 min), Wind Creek State Park (1 hr 24 min), Cheaha State Park (1 hr 26 min), Lake Guntersville State Park (1 hr 38 min), DeSoto State Park (1 hr 39 min), Monte Sano State Park (1 hr 44 min), Joe Wheeler State Park (1 hr 54 min) and 4 more

Wildlife

Montgomery Zoo (1 hr 26 min), Alabama Safari Park (1 hr 41 min)

Mountains & views

Huntsville Botanical Garden (1 hr 31 min)

Beaches & lakes

Paul Grist State Park (1 hr 34 min)

Family fun

Unclaimed Baggage (1 hr 53 min)

Small towns

Columbus (1 hr 55 min)

2 to 3 hours from Birmingham 79 places

Photo: Waynersnitzel, CC BY-SA 3.0

State park · 2 hr 16 min northwest

Tishomingo State Park

Rocky hills, a 1938 CCC swinging bridge over Bear Creek and some of the best trails in Mississippi.

• Full day
• Year-round; great fall color
• Mississippi State Parks day-use fee (per person)

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Photo: Oxford, Mississippi Town Square (6120804378).jpg Ken Lund from Las Vegas,…, CC BY-SA 2.0

Small town · 2 hr 47 min west

Oxford

College town with a famous square, bookstores, great restaurants and Ole Miss.

• Full day
• Year-round
• Free

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Photo: Diliff, CC BY 2.5

Aquarium · 2 hr 12 min east

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
• Year-round
• Timed tickets; pricing varies by date
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Thomsonmg2000, CC0

Garden · 2 hr 38 min east

Callaway Gardens

A big garden resort with a butterfly house, a lake beach, a chapel and a 10-mile bike trail.

• Full day
• Year-round
• General admission
• Confirm fees and hours before you go

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Photo: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0

Historic site · 2 hr 4 min northwest

Tupelo National Battlefield

Small 1864 battlefield site in Tupelo with a monument and cannons.

• Under 1 hr
• Year-round
• Free

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Photo: Drmies, CC BY-SA 4.0

Springs · 2 hr 53 min southeast

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
• Mar-Sep 9 am-6 pm; Oct-Feb 8 am-4 pm
• $5 ages 12-61; $3 ages 4-11 and 62+

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More 2 to 3 hours from Birmingham, by type

History

Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center (2 hr 1 min), Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (2 hr 8 min), Jimmie Rodgers Museum (2 hr 11 min), National Center for Civil and Human Rights (2 hr 12 min), Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park (2 hr 13 min), World of Coca-Cola (2 hr 13 min), Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library (2 hr 15 min), Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site (2 hr 17 min) and 19 more

Beaches & lakes

Tombigbee State Park (2 hr 3 min), Lake Lowndes State Park (2 hr 4 min), Clarkco State Park (2 hr 28 min), J.P. Coleman State Park (2 hr 35 min), Roland Cooper State Park (2 hr 36 min), Lakepoint State Park (2 hr 49 min), Wall Doxey State Park (2 hr 53 min), Florence Marina State Park (2 hr 56 min) and 2 more

Hikes

Cloudland Canyon State Park (2 hr 7 min), Bonita Lakes Park (2 hr 7 min), Red Top Mountain State Park (2 hr 29 min), Panola Mountain State Park (2 hr 32 min), Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (2 hr 38 min), F.D. Roosevelt State Park (2 hr 40 min), Frank Jackson State Park (2 hr 56 min), High Falls State Park (2 hr 58 min) and 1 more

Wildlife

Chickasaw State Park (2 hr 1 min), Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo (2 hr 6 min), Zoo Atlanta (2 hr 14 min), Chattahoochee Nature Center (2 hr 31 min), Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (2 hr 37 min), Wild Animal Safari (2 hr 38 min), Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (2 hr 51 min), Strawberry Plains Audubon Center (2 hr 54 min)

Small towns

Meridian (2 hr 9 min), Starkville (2 hr 16 min), Corinth (2 hr 36 min), Holly Springs (2 hr 48 min) and 1 more