11 Amazing Georgia Day Trips That Are Worth The Drive
Georgia is packed with day trips that can take you from Alpine scenery and Blue Ridge overlooks to historic towns and barrier island beaches. Helen draws visitors with its distinctive Bavarian architecture in the North Georgia mountains. Blue Ridge is another state favorite, offering plenty of hiking opportunities along with a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Jekyll Island adds coastal scenery with historic cottages, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and wide beaches for a relaxed afternoon. The eleven destinations below prove that some of Georgia’s best experiences are only a short drive away.
Helen
Your two-hour trip brings you to the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Alpine-style buildings make it feel like a Bavarian mountain town for the day.
While you can easily spend a day exploring the specialty shops and authentic dining in this Bavarian-style town, Helen offers visitors a whole lot more. You can go tubing on the Chattahoochee River or glide through a beautiful mountain forest with views of 100-year-old ruins at Georgia Mountain Coaster. If you want to immerse yourself more in a taste of Europe, take a tour of Uhuburg Castle, a European-style hilltop castle with Renaissance-inspired architecture and known for its panoramic Blue Ridge Mountain views and events.
Athens
From Atlanta, Athens is a 1.5- to 2-hour drive. A college town and home to the University of Georgia, Athens offers a rich music scene, the Georgia Museum of Art, which has free entry, and the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.
If you’ve had a rough week, you’ll want to stop by the Insanity Rage Room, where you can smash, break, and destroy items like glassware, electronics, and furniture to relieve stress or just have fun.
For something a little calmer, head over to Sandy Creek Park, where you can relax on the beach or rent a kayak on Lake Chapman.
Blue Ridge
From Atlanta, it takes just under 2 hours to get to Blue Ridge. This mountain town offers outdoor adventures like hiking to the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge, or fishing on the Blue Ridge Lake.
If you want the full Blue Ridge experience, take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway along the Toccoa River. After one hour through the North Georgia countryside, you’ll stop and have two hours to explore McCaysville, GA., and Copperhill, TN.
For beer and wine fans, Bear Claw Vineyards, Grumpy Old Men Brewing, and the Fannin Brewing Company will round out the day. Before you head back to the city, make a stop at Expedition: Bigfoot Museum. The self-guided tour takes an hour or less, and you'll see the museum’s pieces of "evidence" that the elusive Sasquatch exists.
Macon
Macon is about 1.5 hours from Atlanta and 2.5 hours from Savannah, making it a great destination from either city. Macon is best known for its rich musical heritage and historic architecture.
Relive the music of the Allman Brothers at the Allman Brothers Band Museum at The Big House. Or, see how Otis Redding’s vision to enrich your people through the arts is being kept alive at the Otis Redding Center for the Arts. A common denominator between The Allman Brothers Band and Otis Redding was Capricorn Records; the Mercer Music at Capricorn celebrates both.
There’s more to Macon than music. Its rich history is evident throughout the city. Just outside of the downtown is the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park, which celebrates more than 12,000 years of continuous human habitation.
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
For a quick escape closer to the city, the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is only about 30 minutes north of Atlanta. This oasis offers numerous hiking trails and opportunities for canoeing or kayaking on the Chattahoochee River.
With 66 miles of trails, it’s easy to plan more than one day trip, including the park’s hiking challenge. If you would rather ride than hike, there are three multi-purpose trails where bicyclists of all experience levels can ride.
The area also has 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River winding through the park for paddling, fishing, tubing, or just enjoying the water.
LaGrange
About an hour south of Atlanta is a day trip into LaGrange, where you’ll find family adventure, historic sites, music, and outdoor activities. You can walk through the Hills & Dales Estate, a magnificent 13,000-square-foot home with beautifully manicured gardens. Or, visit the LaGrange Art Museum, housed in the town’s 1892 jail building. The museum exhibits works by renowned and local artists, and admission is free.
The Biblical History Center offers hands-on exhibits focused on daily life in the Biblical world. The museum gallery features over 250 artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic Period and is on long-term loan from the Israeli Antiquities Authority. The center is only one of eight museums worldwide with such a collection.
Jekyll Island
Whether you’re looking for history, beaches, shopping, or a little bit of everything, Jekyll Island is only 1 hour and 40 minutes out of Savannah.
A peaceful island that was once a playground for America's wealthiest families, Jekyll Island was the site of the 1910 meeting that laid the foundations for the Federal Reserve System. The once-private retreat is now part of The Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District, one of the largest preservation projects in the Southeast. Many of the original cottages are now boutiques. You’ll also want to stop in at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, an education and rehabilitation facility. Make time for one of the seven beaches, each with its own vibe.
St. Simons Island
St. Simons Island might only be an hour and a half outside of Savannah, but you’ll want the whole day to explore the largest of the Golden Isles. Here, you’ll find a mix of shops, restaurants, and historic sites, including the St. Simons Lighthouse Museum. You can climb its 129 steps to the observation deck for panoramic views of the island and coastline.
You’ll learn about the role Coastal Georgia played in World War II and have a chance to test your skills as a plane spotter, watching the skies for enemy aircraft at the World War II Home Front Museum. The A.W. Jones Heritage Center is also worth a stop for rotating exhibits on local history.
If you want to take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean or just look for shells in the sand, St. Simons Island has two public beaches for you to choose from. Before you start your day on St. Simons, stop by the visitor’s center and pick up a map showing the location of the many tree spirits carved into the live oaks that cover the island.
Statesboro
It’s a good thing that Statesboro is only an hour's drive from Savannah, because there is more than a day’s worth of things to do and see. This college town offers family-friendly activities, including the Center for Wildlife Education and the Georgia Southern University Museum, which features interactive, rotating exhibits. Also at the University is the Botanic Garden, spanning 11 acres and featuring more than 20 protected plant species.
For a more active day, cool off at the Splash in the Boro Family Water Park & Aquatic Center. Here you can race each other down the mat-racer slide or just take a casual float down the lazy river. There’s also The Club House, 30 acres of outdoor fun, including a golf range and a mini-golf course. Inside, you can choose from bowling, an arcade, laser tag, bumper cars, and more.
Darien
Just three years younger than Savannah, and about an hour’s drive, is Darien, one of the state’s oldest planned cities. Although the city is small in population, about 1,500 people, it is packed with things that make this a great day trip.
Birdwatchers can check off several species of birds of prey, shorebirds, songbirds, wading birds, and many kinds of waterfowl. The Altamaha Water Trail offers 138 miles of trail that empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Darien and is perfect for canoeing and kayaking.
History buffs will want to explore Fort King George Historic Site. On site, you can wander among remnants of original buildings and reconstructed buildings. At the museum, the history exhibits take you back to the time of the Guale Indians and the 16th-century Spanish Missions. Before you end your day trip, grab dinner at any one of Darien’s seafood restaurants with dishes made with seafood right off the boat.
Cumberland Island
Cumberland Island is 130 miles south of Savannah, and it can take about three hours to get there, depending on where you start. Wild horses wander the beaches and graze at the Dungeness ruins, the remains of a 59-room Queen Anne-style mansion built in the 1880s and destroyed by fire in 1959.
This is Georgia’s largest and southernmost barrier island, with 17 miles of uninterrupted beach, perfect for cooling off or beachcombing. You can take a ferry to a remote National Seashore and hike through a maritime forest.
While Cumberland Island is an outdoor paradise, if you are looking for shopping or great restaurants, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Bring a picnic and everything you’ll need because all public areas of the island are part of a national seashore managed by the National Park Service. Before heading home, you can find a quick bite in St. Mary.
Picking the Right Day Trip for Your Day
If you want an easy win, start with the drive time and the kind of day you actually have. North Georgia is your best bet for mountain views, trails, and small-town main streets, while the coast is where you go for beaches, ferry rides, and seafood at the end of the day. Pick one hub, keep the route simple, and you can be back home before it feels like an overnight trip.
