6 day trips from Columbus, with hours and admission from each park or site’s official page. Parking at Georgia state parks is $10 per vehicle; an annual ParkPass is $70; passes are not valid at state historic sites, which charge separate admission.
We list no drive times or miles because no official page prints them; check a map for your day. Every fact below was read on the cited official page and checked ; anything we could not read is listed under What We Could Not Confirm instead of guessed.
| What to know | Source |
|---|---|
| Parking at Georgia state parks is $10 per vehicle; an annual ParkPass is $70; passes are not valid at state historic sites, which charge separate admission. | gastateparks.org |
| State park pets must be on a leash no longer than six feet and are not allowed in buildings, swimming areas or beaches. | gastateparks.org |
| Roosevelt’s Little White House: adults $13.00, seniors $9.75, youth $7.50, under 6 free (plus tax); historic area closed for renovation. | gastateparks.org |
The Day Trips
| Name | Town | What it is | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence Canyon State Park (Official site) | Lumpkin | Hike the canyon and rim trails, picnic, backpack and camp. | Cost: Parking fee required ($10 per vehicle per the ParkPass page; annual ParkPass $70) Hours: Park Sept 15-Apr 14 7 a.m.-6 p.m.; Apr 15-Sept 14 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; visitor center 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Access: Overlook partially accessible (100 yards); day-use restrooms available Dogs: Dogs are welcome on trails and must remain on 6-foot leash Parking: Parking fee required ($10 per vehicle per the ParkPass page; annual ParkPass $70) Kids: Playground |
| F.D. Roosevelt State Park (Official site) | Pine Mountain | 43 miles of trails including the Pine Mountain Trail, horseback riding, boating, fishing, seasonal swimming and Dowdell’s Knob. | Cost: Parking fee required ($10 per vehicle per the ParkPass page; annual ParkPass $70) Hours: Park 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Dowdell’s Knob April-September 8 a.m.-8 p.m., October-March 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Season: Swimming pool seasonal (hours and 2026 dates not stated) Dogs: Per park rules: leashed, leash no longer than six feet; not allowed in state park and historic site buildings, swimming areas, beaches (gastateparks.org/ParkRules) Parking: Parking fee required ($10 per vehicle per the ParkPass page; annual ParkPass $70) Kids: Playground, Liberty Bell Swimming Pool (seasonal), field trips, birthday parties |
| Roosevelt’s Little White House State Historic Site (Official site) | Warm Springs | Museum with the Unfinished Portrait and FDR’s 1938 Ford convertible, Walk of Flags and Stones, and picnic areas; historic area closed for renovation. | Cost: Adults (18-61) $13.00; seniors (62+) $9.75; youth (6-17) $7.50; under 6 free; guided tour $20.00 (plus tax) Hours: 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m., last ticket 4:30 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day Season: Historic area (Little White House, servant quarters, guest house) temporarily closed for renovation; museum and grounds open; ranger-led tours Sat/Sun 10 a.m., reservations required Access: Historic area paths paved pebble stone; free motorized carts for persons with disabilities Dogs: Leashed pets allowed on historic site trails, not in buildings Kids: Under 6 free; scavenger hunts and school field trip booklet |
| Florence Marina State Park (Official site) | Omaha | Boating, fishing, birding, miniature golf and walking, with a lighted fishing pier and the Kirbo Interpretive Center. | Cost: Parking fee required ($10 per vehicle per the ParkPass page; annual ParkPass $70) Hours: Park 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dogs: Per park rules: leashed, leash no longer than six feet; not allowed in state park and historic site buildings, swimming areas, beaches (gastateparks.org/ParkRules) Parking: Parking fee required ($10 per vehicle per the ParkPass page; annual ParkPass $70) Kids: Playground |
| Pasaquan | Buena Vista | 7-acre visionary art environment built by Eddie Owens Martin, known as St. EOM. | Cost: Suggested contribution: adults $10, seniors $5, students $3 Hours: Friday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed federal and bank holidays Season: Closed December and July; PASAFEST 2026 is linked but no dates given |
| Andersonville National Historic Site | Andersonville | Visit the National Prisoner of War Museum, the historic prison site and Andersonville National Cemetery. | Cost: Free; the page states the park is always free (nps.gov/ande/planyourvisit/fees.htm) Hours: Museum 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily; park grounds 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; National Cemetery 8 a.m.-5 p.m. every day; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day (cemetery open via Cemetery Entrance Gate) Kids: Page says most visitors spend at least two hours in the park |
Map of Day Trips From Columbus
Not pinned (no confirmed location yet): Roosevelt's Little White House State Historic Site (Official site).
Keep Planning
FAQ
Are dogs allowed at Providence Canyon?
The park page says dogs are welcome on trails and must remain on a 6-foot leash. (gastateparks.org)
What We Could Not Confirm
- Distances and drive times from the city: deliberately not stated; no official page fetched prints them for these routes.
- Region assignments (the region field) are the compiler’s mapping of county to guide region, not from a source; verify.
- Georgia state park pages give ‘Fee required’ but not the dollar amount; the $10 daily / $70 annual figures come from gastateparks.org/ParkPass. Park pages do not state dog rules; the general rule is on gastateparks.org/ParkRules.
- Park-specific trail accessibility is not described on park pages; only the gastateparks.org/Accessibility/Facilities listing was used.
- 2026 seasonal dates and special events: not published on the fetched pages unless noted in the season field.
- Callaway Resort and Gardens (callawaygardens.com): page did not load, so hours and admission are unconfirmed and it is not included.
- Kolomoki Mounds, Historic Westville (search result suggested it may be closed), Chattahoochee-area items: not included; Westville not confirmed from an official page.
- Only 6 items are supported; Columbus has fewer fetched official sources.
- The region of each entry is our own county-to-region mapping, not stated on the cited page.
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
- Georgia State Parks ParkPass
- Georgia State Parks Park Rules
- Georgia State Parks accessibility by site
- Providence Canyon State Park
- F.D. Roosevelt State Park
- Roosevelt’s Little White House State Historic Site
- Florence Marina State Park
- Pasaquan
- Andersonville National Historic Site
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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Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Day Trips From Columbus, GA”, itsgeorgia.com/destinations/west-georgia/day-trips-from-columbus/ (updated ). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.