The 10 Best Hiking Trails to Explore Georgia’s Magnificent State Parks

You may associate Georgia with peaches or the Atlanta airport, but the state is full of nature to explore. With a lush mountain range and beautiful beaches, Georgia has a trail for every level of hiker.

Georgia is also home to the northbound start of the famous Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain. So, if you plan to do some hiking in the spring, you may see some thru-hikers at the beginning of their 2,198-mile Appalachian Trail journey.

This is a 5-mile trail just 30 minutes from downtown Atlanta. It runs adjacent to Sweetwater Creek, so you get to experience the sounds of rushing water as you trek along, per the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Located in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, this is a challenging 4.1-mile out-and-back hike that takes about two hours and 45 minutes. Almost the entire hike is on an incline, that offers beautiful summit views, per AllTrails.

This is a five-mile hike with several overlooks and viewpoints along the way. This is known as a lollipop hike, meaning part of the trail is a loop, but you have to hike a bit to get to that part first. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, at the end, you will be rewarded with views of Cloudland Canyon.

This 3.9-mile moderate loop hike is in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and takes an average of one hour and 40 minutes to complete. It’s known to be a muddy hike, but you get views of the Chattahoochee River along the way.

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, this 2.5-mile loop trail is a geological masterpiece you don’t want to miss. It offers an overlook of the variegated canyons in Providence Canyon State Park as well as a downhill descent to see the canyons up close.

In Tallulah Gorge State Park, this 1.8-mile loop is just over an hour long and offers some of the best Georgia waterfall views. However, AllTrails cautions to be prepared for a climb, this trail is known for its stairs.

This trail loop is just over two miles and is another stair climb. However, there’s an opportunity to cool off at the bottom of the 730-foot Amicalola Falls. At the beginning of this hike, you will walk through the stone arch that marks the start of the Appalachian Trail, per the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Located in Sawnee Mountain Preserve, this is a 3.6-mile moderate loop that takes just over an hour and a half, per AllTrails. At the top is an overlook at the Indian Seats Rock formation which offers beautiful panoramic views.

This is an easy 3.4-mile loop hike in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. It takes an average of one hour and 20 minutes to complete and offers an experience of Georgia’s lush woodlands and vegetation, per AllTrails.

This moderate 1.2-mile out-and-back hike is located in Cloudland Canyon State Park and takes most people around 45 minutes to finish, per AllTrails. You will see some beautiful forested canyon views, but just be aware you have to take a lot of stairs to get there.