Flowery Branch, Georgia

Lake Sidney Lanier is pretty big, but you don't need to be overwhelmed when you visit the lake via Dogwood Park. The park has a large pavilion and a few other picnic tables, lots of shade trees, and a couple of ways to access the lake. On the left side, there's an abandoned marina (dangerous—it's...

The Sawnee Mountain Preserve is easy to get to with a GPS and offers plenty of parking. To get to the Indian Seats Trail you will start down a short (.17 mile) trail that will take you to the trailhead. The Indian Seats Trail is a loop so once you reach the marked trail you can go either left or ...

The Big Creek Greenway is a roughly 8-mile stretch of paved trail that runs from its northern Marconi Drive entrance in Alpharetta down to Old Alabama Road in Roswell. There is also an extended bit of the Greenway a little further north in Forsyth County, though these two trails do not connect. T...

From the parking lot, walk about 500 feet to the check-in office to let the receptionist know that you would like to visit the falls.  This campground operates as a retreat select times throughout the year and is closed to the public during those times so prior to visiting, be sure to call and fi...

You’re going to be really surprised you’re still in Roswell, or in the Atlanta area at all. When you get out of your car and start walking down the wooden stairs at the start of the trail, the busy sounds of the rushing cars on Atlanta Street fade away into the wind flowing through the Tulip Popl...

Stone Mountain sits on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta. Located in the center of Stone Mountain Park, this 1,686 ft. granite mound provides visitors with a challenging cardio workout and excellent panoramic views of the Atlanta metropolitan area.  Those who want to climb Stone Mountain should...

Big Trees is truly a backyard beauty. The entrance connector brings you through to the beginning of the trails. If you are low on time, try out the Big Trees Loop (1/2 mile) which appears slightly before the major Backcountry trail system. Without going too deep into the preserve, you can still e...

The trail starts at "Mt. Yonah Trailhead" and is 4.4 mile round-trip with elevation of 1,500' to 3,166'. The trail stays below moderate tree coverage until around the halfway point where you will come upon a clearing known as the first LZ (landing zone). The mountain is shared with hikers by Army...

Blue Heron Nature Preserve is located directly off of the heavily trafficked Roswell Road in Buckhead.  The preserve boasts seven acres of greenery, wetlands, meadows, wildlife, and wildflowers.  There is even an educational facility located on the grounds for those extra curious explorers.  This...

The Appalachian Trail is arguably the most famous thru-hike in the world.  Along its 2,181-mile journey, there are many beautiful mountain views, and Preachers Rock is definitely one of them.  A large granite slab near the summit of Big Cedar Mountain reveals mountain views that are truly the epi...

Kayak from the Olde Rope Mill Park to the Lake Allatoona Waterfall (1.5 mile paddle from park to waterfall). This easy lake paddle is great for beginners.  Waterfall Coordinates: 34.1436403,-84.5330342  If it is warm, bring a bathing suit and play in the water! There are also numerous spots to ha...

The Chattahoochee National Forest is another kind of jungle.  On hot summer days well over 95 degrees, the forest canopy provides a shelter for human and wildlife alike. Here adventurers can enjoy hiking the Desoto Falls trail(s), try their luck at fishing, or take in the solitude of the North Ge...

Park your car on the residential road and look across the street into the woods for the trail. The trail winds around through a bamboo forest with streams winding in and out. The trail splits and you can either take the high road or low road closer to the river. Both trails meet back up near the...

Deepdene Park is the eastern most segment of the Olmsted Linear Park system that borders Ponce de Leon Avenue, connecting the Poncey-Highland community to the Druid Hills neighborhood. The parks included in this system are Springdale, Vigilee, Shadyside, Dellwood, and lastly, Deepdene.  While the...

Starting with a scenic overlook of Yonah mountain and ending with three waterfalls, Dukes Creek falls is the perfect hike on any occasion. This easy 1 mile trail has spectacular views and is great for dogs and families. The trail is gravel and boardwalk the whole way and great for any age. The pa...

The hike to Raven Cliff Falls round-trip is about 5 miles. The scenery is amazing the whole way through with beautiful cascading waterfalls and running streams filled with wildlife everywhere you look. Along the way, there are a few campsites where during the warm months you'll see many tents set...