The Coast
In addition to miles of beaches, barrier islands and salt marshes line the 100-mile-long coast of Georgia. Explore by kayak to spot the region's wildlife, including diamondback terrapins, snowy egrets and great blue herons. Jekyll Island was a millionaire's resort from the 1880s until 1942. It is now a National Historic Landmark District with 20 miles of bike paths. Take a boat tour or walk a boardwalk trail through cypress forests and wetlands at Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Water trails and camping platforms allow intimate canoe travel within its 354,000 acres.
Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
2700 Suwannee Canal Road
Folkston, Georgia 31537
(912) 496-7366
fws.gov/okefenokee
Jekyll Island Welcome Center
901 Downing Musgrove Causeway
(912) 635-3636
jekyllisland.com
The Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalachian range run through northern Georgia. Hike part of the legendary Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain. Visit nearby Amicalola Falls State Park where the tallest waterfall in the eastern U.S. drops 729 feet. At Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park a museum and battlefield tell the story of local Civil War activity. Travel South from the foothills town of Athens along the Antebellum Trail to Macon, visiting a handful of towns unharmed by the destructive war.
Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge
418 Amicalola Falls State Park Rd
Dawsonville , Georgia 30534
(800) 864-7275
gastateparks.org
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
P.O. Box 2128
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia 30742
(706) 866-9241
nps.gov
Georgia's Antelbellum Trail
Athens Welcome Center
300 N. Thomas St.
Athens, Georgia 30601
(866) 455-1820
antebellumtrail.org
The CIty
Atlanta holds stores of historic attractions, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s boyhood home and the civil-rights focused King Center. World of Coca Cola presents entertaining history of the famous soda and a tour of its bottling facilities. Opened in 2005, Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the world. View white beluga whales and whale sharks from behind 4,574 square feet of glassed tanks.
World of Coca Cola
121 Baker St. NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30313-1807
(404) 676-5151 or (800) 676-COKE (2653)
worldofcoca-cola.com
The King Center
449 Auburn Avenue, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
(404) 526-8900
thekingcenter.org
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
450 Auburn Avenue, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
(404) 331-6922
nps.gov
Georgia Aquarium
225 Baker Street, Downtown
Atlanta, Georgia 30313
(404) 581-4000 or (877) 434-7442
georgiaaquarium.org
Article Written By Kelly Aspen
Kelly Aspen's writing focuses on natural places, cultural sites and wildlife. She has nine years of experience as an editor and writer for magazines, books and websites, including Trails.com, Travels.com and Weekendnotes.com. She attended Vassar College and now lives in the mountains of Colorado.
