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Free Things to Do in Georgia (2026): 66 Places With Free Admission

66 Georgia places with free admission, by region, each with its real parking cost: 25 have free parking, 14 charge, 27 don't say. Plus 28 towns free to explore.

By Hank Whitlock·Updated ·9 min read
Driftwood trees on the beach at sunset, Jekyll Island, Georgia

Short answer

Georgia has 66 places in our dataset where admission is free — parks, waterfalls, trails, beaches, museums and a few festivals — plus 28 towns you can walk around for nothing. Free to get in is not always free to visit, though: 14 of the 66 charge to park, 25 publish free parking, and 27 do not publish a parking price at all.

Every row below comes from our Georgia attraction dataset, which records only what each place publishes on its own website. The parking column is the honest part: free admission with a $25 parking fee, as at Stone Mountain Park, is not a free day, so we show the parking cost next to every place, in bold where you pay.

Free things to do in Georgia at a glance

RegionFree-admission placesFree parkingPaid parkingParking not published
Atlanta Metro171133
North Georgia17827
Historic South173113
Coastal Georgia15384
All of Georgia66251427
  • Parking where you pay: $4 to $25 a car at most paid stops, $4 an hour on Tybee Island, and a $1 charge in Savannah’s squares.
  • State parks: no admission fee at the 3 listed here, but every car needs a Georgia State Parks ParkPass: $10 a day or $70 a year (checked ).
  • Dogs: 30 of the 66 allow dogs somewhere (most on a leash), 17 say no, and 19 do not publish a pet policy.
  • Strollers: 16 say yes, 21 partly, 7 no, and 22 do not say.

Free things to do in Atlanta Metro (17 places)

City parks, the BeltLine and two free museums, plus the big paid-parking parks on the edge of town. 11 of the 17 publish free parking, 3 charge and 3 do not say.

PlaceCityTypeAdmissionParkingDogsStrollerData as ofOur guide
Arabia Mountain Nature PreserveLithoniaParkFreeFreeLeashedYesSep 18, 2026Easy hikes near Atlanta
Atlanta BeltLine Eastside TrailAtlantaTrailFreeNot publishedLeashedYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Big Trees Forest PreserveSandy SpringsParkFreeFreeLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Georgia travel questions
Centennial Olympic ParkAtlantaParkFreeNot publishedNot publishedYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Center Hill ParkAtlantaParkFreeFreeNoYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Cook ParkAtlantaParkFreeFreeNoYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
D.H. Stanton ParkAtlantaParkFreeFreeNoYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
David J. Sencer CDC MuseumAtlantaMuseumFreeFreeNoYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Fernbank Science CenterAtlantaMuseumFreeFreeNot publishedPartlySep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Historic Fourth Ward ParkAtlantaParkFreeFreeNoYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Perkerson ParkAtlantaParkFreeFreeNoYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Piedmont ParkAtlantaParkFreeNot publishedLeashedYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Rev. James Orange ParkAtlantaParkFreeFreeNoYesSep 18, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Stone Mountain ParkStone MountainParkFree$25 per carLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Stone Mountain guide
Stone Mountain — Walk-Up TrailStone MountainTrailFree$25 per carNoNoSep 18, 2026Stone Mountain guide
Sweetwater Creek State ParkLithia SpringsParkFree$10 per car per day, or $70 annual ParkPassLeashedPartlySep 27, 2026Free Atlanta with kids
Vickery Creek Trail at Roswell MillRoswellTrailFreeFreeLeashedNoSep 18, 2026Easy hikes near Atlanta

Free things to do in North Georgia (17 places)

Waterfalls, Appalachian trail sections and Blue Ridge landmarks. Most of the waterfall and trail stops publish free parking; Tallulah Gorge, a state park, charges the ParkPass. 8 of the 17 publish free parking, 2 charge and 7 do not say.

PlaceCityTypeAdmissionParkingDogsStrollerData as ofOur guide
Aska Adventure AreaBlue RidgeTrailFreeNot publishedLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge
Benton MacKaye Trail—TrailFreeNot publishedLeashedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge
Blood Mountain via the Byron Reece Trail—TrailFreeFreeYesNoSep 18, 2026Best hikes
Chattooga River—RiverFreeNot publishedLeashedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Swimming holes
Cohutta Wilderness—ParkFreeNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge
Dahlonega Gold Rush DaysDahlonegaAnnual festivalFree to attendNot publishedNot publishedPartlySep 18, 2026Gold Rush Days guide
Dukes Creek Falls—WaterfallFree$4 per carYesNoSep 18, 2026Stroller-friendly waterfalls
Fall Branch Falls—WaterfallFreeFreeYesNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge
Helton Creek Falls—WaterfallFreeFreeLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Stroller-friendly waterfalls
Horse Trough Falls—WaterfallFreeFreeLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Stroller-friendly waterfalls
Lake Blue RidgeBlue RidgeParkFreeNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge
Long Creek Falls—WaterfallFreeFreeLeashedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge
Mercier OrchardsBlue RidgeAttractionFreeNot publishedNoPartlySep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge
Preacher’s Rock (Woody Gap)—TrailFreeFreeYesNoSep 18, 2026Best hikes
Sea Creek FallsSuchesWaterfallFreeFreeYesNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge
Tallulah Gorge floor: Bridal Veil Falls and pool—WaterfallFree; free gorge-floor permit required (limited daily)$10 per car per day, or $70 annual ParkPassNoNoSep 27, 2026Swimming holes
Toccoa River Swinging BridgeBlue RidgeAttractionFreeFreeLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Things to do in Blue Ridge

Free things to do in the Historic South and Middle Georgia (17 places)

Athens and Macon carry this region: parks, greenways, cemeteries and a free art museum. 3 of the 17 publish free parking, 1 charges and 13 do not say.

PlaceCityTypeAdmissionParkingDogsStrollerData as ofOur guide
Amerson River ParkMaconParkFreeNot publishedLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Things to do in Macon
Bear Hollow Zoo at Memorial ParkAthensAttractionFreeNot publishedNoNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
Ben Burton ParkAthensParkFreeNot publishedLeashedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
Cherry Blossom TrailMaconTrailFreeNot publishedYesNot publishedSep 18, 2026Cherry Blossom Festival
Georgia Museum of ArtAthensMuseumFreeNot publishedNoYesSep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
Historic Athens Welcome Center and the Church-Waddel-Brumby HouseAthensMuseumFreeNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
Lyndon House Arts CenterAthensMuseumFreeFreeNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
North Oconee River GreenwayAthensTrailFreeNot publishedLeashedYesSep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
Ocmulgee Heritage TrailMaconTrailFreeNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Macon
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical ParkMaconParkFreeNot publishedLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Things to do in Macon
Providence Canyon State ParkLumpkinParkFree$10 per car per day, or $70 annual ParkPassLeashedNot publishedSep 27, 2026Weekend getaways
Rose Hill CemeteryMaconAttractionFreeNot publishedLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Things to do in Macon
Sandy Creek Nature CenterAthensParkFreeNot publishedLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
State Botanical Garden of GeorgiaAthensParkFreeFreeNoPartlySep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
The Double-Barreled CannonAthensAttractionFreeFreeNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
The Tree That Owns ItselfAthensAttractionFreeNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Things to do in Athens
Third Street ParkMaconParkFreeNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Cherry Blossom Festival

Our dataset files these places under “Middle Georgia,” which here also covers Providence Canyon in the southwest. The site’s menu calls the region the Historic South.

Free things to do in Coastal Georgia (15 places)

Beaches, Savannah’s squares and the Golden Isles. Here parking is where the money goes. 3 of the 15 publish free parking, 8 charge and 4 do not say.

PlaceCityTypeAdmissionParkingDogsStrollerData as ofOur guide
Bonaventure CemeterySavannahAttractionFreeNot publishedNot publishedPartlySep 18, 2026Savannah in 3 days
Driftwood BeachJekyll IslandBeachFree$10 per car per day to enter the islandLeashedNoSep 17, 2026Jekyll vs St. Simons
East BeachSt. Simons IslandBeachFreeFreeSome areasNot publishedSep 18, 2026Jekyll vs St. Simons
Forsyth ParkSavannahParkFreeNot publishedNot publishedYesSep 18, 2026Coast road trip
Fort Frederica National MonumentSt. Simons IslandParkFreeNot publishedNot publishedYesSep 18, 2026Jekyll vs St. Simons
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge—ParkFreeNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Coast road trip
Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark DistrictJekyll IslandAttractionFree$10 per car per day to enter the islandNot publishedNot publishedSep 17, 2026Jekyll vs St. Simons
Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits FestivalJekyll IslandAnnual festivalFree to attend$10 per car per day to enter the islandNoYesSep 17, 2026Festival guide
Massengale ParkSt. Simons IslandBeachFreeFreeNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Jekyll vs St. Simons
Mid Beach (Tybee Island)Tybee IslandBeachFree$4 an hour, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily; $25 day pass onlineNoPartlySep 17, 2026Tybee with kids
North Beach (Tybee Island)Tybee IslandBeachFree$4 an hour, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily; $25 day pass onlineNoPartlySep 17, 2026Tybee with kids
Savannah Historic District squares (Johnson, Reynolds, Columbia, Warren)SavannahParkFree$1 (unit not published)Not publishedPartlySep 18, 2026Savannah in 3 days
Savannah St. Patrick’s Day ParadeSavannahAnnual festivalFree to attend$15 per carLeashedPartlySep 18, 2026Parade guide
South Beach / Tybee Island Pier and PavilionTybee IslandBeachFree$4 an hour, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily; $25 day pass onlineNoPartlySep 17, 2026Tybee with kids
St. Simons Public BeachSt. Simons IslandBeachFreeFreeNot publishedNot publishedSep 18, 2026Jekyll vs St. Simons

Jekyll Island charges every car $10 a day to come onto the island, and that covers all its beaches, Driftwood Beach included. Tybee Island parking is $4 an hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the year, by app or kiosk, or $25 for a day pass bought online. St. Simons Island beach parking is free. Details: Georgia beach parking and dog rules.

28 Georgia towns you can explore for free

Walking a downtown costs nothing, so these towns are in the dataset as free to enter. They are not single attractions, and most shops, tours and museums inside them charge. Parking is only listed where the town publishes it.

TownRegionParkingDogsStrollerOur guide
BlairsvilleNorth GeorgiaNot publishedNot publishedPartlySmall towns
Blue RidgeNorth GeorgiaFreeSome areasNot publishedSmall towns
ClarkesvilleNorth GeorgiaNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
ClaytonNorth Georgia$10 per carSome areasPartlySmall towns
DahlonegaNorth GeorgiaNot publishedSome areasYesAmicalola & Dahlonega guide
Downtown Blue Ridge (Main Street)North GeorgiaNot publishedSome areasYesThings to do in Blue Ridge
EllijayNorth GeorgiaNot publishedLeashedPartlySmall towns
HelenNorth Georgia$5 per carLeashedYesSmall towns
HiawasseeNorth GeorgiaNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
JasperNorth GeorgiaNot publishedLeashedPartlySmall towns
AmericusHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
EatontonHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
FitzgeraldHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
MadisonHistoric SouthNot publishedYesYesSmall towns
MilledgevilleHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedPartlySmall towns
PlainsHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedYesSmall towns
SenoiaHistoric SouthNot publishedLeashedYesSmall towns
Social CircleHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
ThomasvilleHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
TiftonHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedPartlySmall towns
WashingtonHistoric SouthNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
BrunswickCoastal GeorgiaNot publishedYesNot publishedSmall towns
DarienCoastal GeorgiaNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedSmall towns
Jekyll IslandCoastal Georgia$10 per car per day to enter the islandLeashedPartlyJekyll vs St. Simons
Pier VillageCoastal GeorgiaFreeNot publishedYesJekyll vs St. Simons
St. MarysCoastal GeorgiaNot publishedNoNot publishedSmall towns
St. Simons IslandCoastal GeorgiaFreeSome areasPartlyJekyll vs St. Simons
Tybee IslandCoastal Georgia$4 an hour, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily; $25 day pass onlineNoPartlyTybee with kids

How do you keep a free day actually free?

  • Pick from the free-parking rows. 25 places publish free parking; in the Atlanta area that includes Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, Big Trees Forest Preserve, Center Hill Park.
  • If you visit state parks often, do the ParkPass math. At $10 a day, the $70 annual pass breaks even at seven visits.
  • On the coast, budget for the car. Every Jekyll and Tybee row is free to enter and paid to park.
  • Check the date on festivals. The three festivals here are free to attend but happen once a year; each guide has the current dates.
  • Build your own total, admission plus parking, in the day-out cost calculator.

How we built this list

We took every row flagged free to enter in the Georgia attraction dataset (304 venues, last updated Sep 18, 2026); 95 rows carry that flag. We moved the 28 towns into their own table and merged two rows that describe the same place at Tallulah Gorge, which leaves 66 places.

Parking comes from the dataset’s published per-car figure. Three groups use a more specific source: state parks use the ParkPass price on gastateparks.org (checked ); Jekyll Island and Tybee Island use our beach parking dataset (checked ), because island-wide fees apply to every stop on those islands.

“Data as of” is the date the source dataset was last updated, not a fresh phone call to each place. Hours, seasonal closures and festival dates change; check the linked guide or the place’s own site before you drive. All our datasets, with CSV and JSON downloads, are on the It’s Georgia data hub.

What we could not verify

  • Parking at 27 places. Their own websites do not publish a parking price. “Not published” does not mean free.
  • Pet and stroller rules at 19 and 22 places. Same rule: not published is not a yes.
  • Savannah’s squares. The dataset records a $1 parking charge but not whether that is per hour or per visit.
  • City for some trailheads and wilderness areas. Where the dataset has no town, the City column shows a dash.

FAQ

What are the best free things to do in Georgia?

Our dataset lists 66 places with free admission: 17 in metro Atlanta, 17 in North Georgia, 17 in the Historic South and Middle Georgia, and 15 on the coast. They include Piedmont Park and the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, North Georgia waterfalls such as Helton Creek Falls, the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, Ocmulgee Mounds in Macon and Savannah’s Forsyth Park.

Is parking free at Georgia’s free attractions?

Not always. Of the 66 free-admission places, 25 publish free parking, 14 charge (mostly $4 to $25 a car, or $4 an hour on Tybee Island) and 27 do not publish a parking price.

Do Georgia state parks charge admission?

There is no admission fee to hike at the state parks on this list, but every vehicle needs a Georgia State Parks ParkPass: $10 per vehicle per day or $70 for an annual pass (checked ).

Are Georgia beaches free?

The beaches themselves are free, but the parking differs. St. Simons Island beach parking is free. Jekyll Island charges $10 per car per day to enter the island, covering every beach including Driftwood Beach. Tybee Island charges $4 an hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, or $25 for a day pass.

Which free places in Georgia allow dogs?

30 of the 66 free-admission places allow dogs in at least some areas, usually on a leash, including Arabia Mountain, Piedmont Park, Driftwood Beach and most North Georgia waterfall trails. 17 do not allow dogs, among them several Atlanta city parks such as Historic Fourth Ward Park and Cook Park, and the Tybee Island beaches.

How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on . Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.

Sources

About Hank Whitlock

Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.

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