Short answer
These 77 Georgia gardens, parks, trails, waterfalls and beaches sit in 5 regions; 47 are free to enter. Pick a region below. Georgia’s 75 state parks and historic sites have their own pages, linked at the end.
Places to go in Georgia
77
gardens, trails, waterfalls and beaches
5Regions
59Publish a price
47Free to enter
- North Georgia (30)
- Atlanta Metro (19)
- Historic Heartland (12)
- Southeast Georgia (3)
- Coastal Georgia (13)
Show
North Georgia
30 places| Place | Town | What it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amicalola Falls State Park | Dawsonville | State park, about 75 min from Atlanta | Adult $0, parking $10 |
| Anna Ruby Falls | — | Waterfall, about 110 min from Atlanta | Adult $6 |
| Aska Adventure Area | Blue Ridge | Trail | Free |
| Benton MacKaye Trail | — | Trail | Free |
| Blood Mountain via the Byron Reece Trail | — | Trail, about 100 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Brasstown Bald | — | Trail, about 120 min from Atlanta | Adult $10 |
| Bridal Veil Falls (Tallulah Gorge floor) | Tallulah Falls | Waterfall | Free |
| Chattahoochee River below Helen | Helen | River, about 90 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Chattooga River | — | River, about 135 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Cohutta Wilderness | — | Nature preserve | Free |
| DeSoto Falls (Lower Falls Only) | — | Waterfall, about 115 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Dukes Creek Falls | — | Waterfall, about 105 min from Atlanta | Free, parking $4 |
| Fall Branch Falls | — | Waterfall | Free |
| Helton Creek Falls | — | Waterfall, about 125 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Horse Trough Falls | — | Waterfall, about 120 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Jacks River Falls (Beech Bottom Trail) | — | Waterfall | Not published |
| Lake Blue Ridge | Blue Ridge | Lake or river access | Free |
| Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area | — | Lake or river access, about 120 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Long Creek Falls | — | Waterfall | Free |
| Morganton Point Recreation Area | Morganton | Lake or river access | Adult $5 |
| Panther Creek Falls | — | Waterfall, about 105 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Preacher's Rock (Woody Gap) | — | Trail, about 110 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Raven Cliff Falls | — | Waterfall, about 105 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Rich Mountain Trail | — | Trail | Not published |
| Sea Creek Falls | Suches | Waterfall | Free |
| Springer Mountain (Forest Service Road 42) | — | Trail | Not published |
| Toccoa Falls | Toccoa | Waterfall, about 110 min from Atlanta | Adult $2 |
| Toccoa River – Deep Hole Recreation Area | — | Lake or river access, about 105 min from Atlanta | Adult $0, parking $5 |
| Toccoa River Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area | Blue Ridge | Lake or river access, about 105 min from Atlanta | Adult $0, parking $5 |
| Trahlyta Falls (Vogel State Park) | Blairsville | Waterfall, about 130 min from Atlanta | Not published |
More in the region: North Georgia.
Atlanta Metro
19 places| Place | Town | What it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve | Lithonia | Nature preserve, about 30 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Arabia Mountain PATH | — | Trail | Not published |
| Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail | Atlanta | Trail | Free |
| Atlanta Botanical Garden | Atlanta | Botanical garden | Not published |
| Big Trees Forest Preserve | Sandy Springs | Nature preserve, about 20 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Centennial Olympic Park | Atlanta | Park | Free |
| Center Hill Park | Atlanta | Park | Free |
| Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area | Atlanta | National Park Service site | Adult $0, parking $5 |
| Cochran Shoals (Chattahoochee River NRA) | — | Trail, about 25 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Cook Park | Atlanta | Park | Free |
| D.H. Stanton Park | Atlanta | Park | Free |
| Historic Fourth Ward Park | Atlanta | Park | Free |
| Island Ford (Chattahoochee River NRA) | Sandy Springs | Trail, about 25 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park | Marietta | National Park Service site, about 30 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Perkerson Park | Atlanta | Park | Free |
| Piedmont Park | Atlanta | Park | Free |
| Rev. James Orange Park | Atlanta | Park | Free |
| Stone Mountain Park | Stone Mountain | Park, about 25 min from Atlanta | Free, parking $25 |
| Vickery Creek Trail at Roswell Mill | Roswell | Trail, about 25 min from Atlanta | Free |
More in the region: Atlanta Metro.
Historic Heartland
12 places| Place | Town | What it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amerson River Park | Macon | Lake or river access, about 85 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Ben Burton Park | Athens | Park, about 75 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Carolyn Crayton Park | Macon | Park, about 85 min from Atlanta | Adult $10 |
| Cherry Blossom Trail | Macon | Trail, about 85 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Lake Tobesofkee | Macon | Lake or river access, about 85 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| North Oconee River Greenway | Athens | Trail, about 75 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Ocmulgee Heritage Trail | Macon | Trail, about 85 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park | Macon | National Park Service site, about 85 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Sandy Creek Nature Center | Athens | Nature preserve, about 75 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Sandy Creek Park | Athens | Park, about 75 min from Atlanta | Adult $2 |
| State Botanical Garden of Georgia | Athens | Botanical garden, about 75 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Third Street Park | Macon | Park, about 85 min from Atlanta | Free |
More in the region: Historic Heartland.
Southeast Georgia
3 places| Place | Town | What it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Chesser Island Boardwalk) | Folkston | Trail, about 300 min from Atlanta | Not published |
| Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Suwannee Canal Recreation Area) | Folkston | National wildlife refuge | Not published |
| Stephen C. Foster State Park | Fargo | State park, about 270 min from Atlanta | Adult $0, parking $10 |
More in the region: Southeast Georgia.
Coastal Georgia
13 places| Place | Town | What it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland Island National Seashore | St. Marys | National seashore, about 300 min from Atlanta | Adult $15 |
| Driftwood Beach | Jekyll Island | Beach, about 306 min from Atlanta | Free |
| East Beach | St. Simons Island | Beach, about 300 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Forsyth Park | Savannah | Park | Free |
| Fort Frederica National Monument | St. Simons Island | National Park Service site, about 300 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge | — | National wildlife refuge | Free |
| Massengale Park | St. Simons Island | Beach, about 300 min from Atlanta | Free |
| Mid Beach (Tybee Island) | Tybee Island | Beach, about 255 min from Atlanta | Free, parking $4 |
| North Beach (Tybee Island) | Tybee Island | Beach, about 255 min from Atlanta | Free, parking $4 |
| Sapelo Island | — | Barrier island | Not published |
| Savannah Historic District squares (Johnson, Reynolds, Columbia, Warren) | Savannah | Historic squares | Free, parking $1 |
| South Beach / Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion | Tybee Island | Beach, about 255 min from Atlanta | Free, parking $4 |
| St. Simons Public Beach | St. Simons Island | Beach, about 300 min from Atlanta | Free |
More in the region: Coastal Georgia.
Where this comes from. Each row comes from our Georgia attraction dataset (attraction transparency index, updated ), which records admission only when the place publishes it. “Not published” means the place does not say, not that it is free. Every row links to the It’s Georgia guide that covers it. Links checked .
Download CSVQuestions about these places
How many georgia gardens and nature spots are in this list?
77, across 5 regions. North Georgia has the most with 30. Georgia’s 75 state parks and state historic sites are listed separately in the state parks directory.
Which of these publish their prices?
59 of 77 publish an admission price, and 47 of those are free to enter. For the rest, check the place’s own website before you go.
Browse the rest of the directory: All places to go in Georgia · State parks and historic sites · Georgia landmarks · Museums · Attractions.
Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Gardens and Nature in Georgia: 77 Places by Region”, itsgeorgia.com/places-to-go-in-georgia/gardens-and-nature/ (updated ). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.