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Lifestyle, List, Photos 159

7 Places in Georgia You Have to Visit That You Didn’t Know Existed

By @GAFollowers · On March 28, 2014

Georgia is one of the most beautiful places in the country when it comes to scenery. Here are 7 places in Georgia that you need to visit while you’re here.

1. Bellwood Quarry, Atlanta, GA 

4 Beltling Quarry 6-2009

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You may remember this place from a scene in Walking Dead seen below. But this quarry can carry up to 1.9 million gallons of water and it’s right in Atlanta for your eyes to see.

2. Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA

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This 14,000 acre resort draws nearly a million visitors annually and has beautiful imagery.

3. Brasstown Bald, GA

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Brasstown Bald is the highest point in the state of Georgia, providing a nice view of the Appalachian Mountains.

4. Fricks Cave, Walker County, GA

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Fricks Cave is Georgia’s richest biologic environment in Georgia and is also home to the gray bat. Woooooo

5. Tallulah Falls, Georgia

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6. Cumberland Island, GA

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A place in south Georgia where wild horses roam the beaches.

7. Jekyll Island, Georgia

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  • Sarah

    “Georgia is one of the most beautiful places in the country when it comes to scenery. ” -is an opinion and in my opinion a filthy lie.

  • Erica

    Some beautiful places, what about Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia?
    Millions of daffodils in March to mid-April, roses, hydrangeas, Japanese maples and more. Over 220 acres of gardens, rolling terrain, ponds.

  • Rachel

    I live in Tallulah Falls, greatest town ever!!!

  • Kristie Brown

    I live in Clayton, which is pretty much Tallulah Falls. If you have never been to the very NE corner of Ga, you should. We have 3 beautiful Lakes Seed, Burton, and Rabun. The rivers here are gorgeous and full of fish. This is a wonderful place to visit and even better place to live.

  • LLFoster

    Do not go to the Bellwood Quarry, Atlanta. It’s private property and not open to the public. You can be arrested or cited. It’s also not safe. Unsure why publications keep encouraging visits.

  • kataugirl

    I organized a group of 9 people today, to go check out the quarry…..it’s illegal to go to it….chain link with barbed wire and padlocked gates all around. Waste of my day.

  • Marcus Banks

    Man, I have to visit these places. Good list.

  • Ed Sasser

    Callaway Gardens has Christmas lights beginning about Nov.15th 2014. The first night is for motorcycles only, check it out.

  • sheila

    I’ve been to all except the quarry and I read about 2 years ago that visitors wouldn’t be able to get to it because someone bought the land and was building around it or something. I can’t remember the full reason why, but I was under the impression that it was off limits. If visitors can still go…I would love to.

  • countrygirl

    Well, from most of these comments, it can be concluded that Georgia has a high concentration of SMARTASSES!

  • Shane

    You’re telling me that a man made hole is THE #1 place on your list of places to visit. It’s not even natural and actually is rather just a large disgusting hole. Very odd.

  • Raegan
  • Reid909

    How about Cloudland Canyon?… This is in the extreme NE corner of Georgia. The only person I have ever know of that heard of it was the man that told me about it. Google it… It is a wonder to see.

  • patty

    i agree Providence Canyon and Cloud Canyon State Park, north GA great places to check out…. Happy Trails!!!

  • cindy jo

    Little grand canyon has really gine downhill since state took it over..so disappointed last weekend when I saw whar bad shape it was in

  • Tom Stone

    That is one of our pictures from Brasstown Bald. You are welcome to use it, but would appreciate at least a credit or acknowledgement.

  • Smitty

    Yea this list is kind of bogus 1. Bellwood is closed to public 2. Callaway is a huge tourist attraction 3. Brasstown Bald is possibly the lamest hike in all of GA it’s just a gravel road to the top. 4. Ficks actually looks pretty awesome I’ll definitely have to check it out if it’s not closed. 5. Tallulah is great but also very popular, Ravencliff or Cloudland are also great places if you like waterfalls and cliffs. 6. Cumberland is actually quite amazing if you haven’t been before abandoned buildings and wild horses are everywhere. 7. Jekyll is ok but you’ve already got Cumberland up there why waste space on a 7 item list with another barrier island. Providence is amazing- entire canyon was made by recent erosion.

  • http://www.mandyandconner.com/ Mandy V

    I want to check out the Bellwood Quarry!

  • Jen Bishop

    I learned about Providence Canyon from a “Scenery” calendar! And how about Amicalola falls? And Barnsley Gardens?

  • Connie

    You left off the beautiful Toccoa Falls!!!!

  • Dee

    We tried going to the quarry recently and it was closed. Don’t know if temporarily or what. But could not get in and it was during the day. :'(

  • Corey Hamilton

    Jacks river falls is the winner hands down.

  • Kip Priddy

    The people in Albany Have let one Ga.’s Historic sites “fall apart”
    Radium Springs was beautiful even till the 60’s ..A large Casino with a Large
    Natural spring behind..This was a “Showplace as far back as the 1920 I suppose.
    Petty reverse racism caused the lack of funds that took it down…

  • Joshua Timothy Pritchett

    Fort Mountain state park and Jacks River Falls are worthy for the list:-)

  • Christina Hoover

    I’ve been to 2 of the places on the list, I almost got to go to cumberland but plans fell through =( maybe someday.

  • Marfa

    Maybe they’re trying to reach people who don’t live in Georgia, like me.

  • Riot50000

    GA? NO, THANKS

  • Caitlin

    This is a nice list, but judging by the watermarks, you seem to have stolen the photographs. Please be sure to always credit your sources so that people can find the artists.

  • Chrissy
  • Chrissy

    I love Cumberland Island!

  • Dawne Matthews Jensen

    Providence Canyon is a must. Can’t believe it was left off. Nicknamed Little Grand Canyon. Most of others are advertised on TV or other ways.They have had to cut hours at Canyon because of lack of people cause they don’t know about it. If you like to primitive camp at the bottom you can. Got a photo album on FB of canyon if anyone wants to see it.

  • Johnesmith77

    Places I didn’t know existed? Please, anybody who is actually from Georgia knows every one of these places.

  • Becky Hastings

    This is a great list. It would be a great addition to have them all shown on a map, so we could plan our visits! :)

  • Logic

    “That you didnt know existed”
    Included one from a scene in the Walking Dead….

  • Gus Kaufman

    Two caveats: It’s illegal to go to Bellwood Quarry except on the free Atlanta Beltline bus tour (very limited access, tickets free but hard to get.) The horses of Cumberland are environmentally destructive, half-starved and ill.

    • Lord_Cthulhu

      They are wild and free.

  • Dimika Bozeman

    The first one is shown on the movie Joyful Noise!

  • KO

    You cannot visit the quarry. Legally anyway. It’s closed to the public but will be made into a park and backup water supply for Atlanta within the next few years.

  • icecream

    How about the canyon? That should have been included for sure.

  • Rachel

    Stone Mountain is awesome… & did not make the list!

  • john

    What’s so special about Jekyll? Summer waves is about it. Think this was more an advertisement for Jekyll Island.

  • Joe

    Huhh… Andersonville?

  • J.z. Styck

    Love it””

  • BHarp

    Heck you left out Coochee Creek near Lax.

  • Luna

    From scci.org: “Fricks Cave is closed to all visitation, except as authorized by the SCCi board, due to the presence of the endangered bats and salamanders. Entry into the cave may constitute harrassment as defined in Section 9 of the federal Endangered Species Act and is punishable by imprisonment and fines up to $50,000. Please respect the endangered wildlife in this delicate cave.
    The SCCi hosts an annual Open House day at the preserve each winter to allow visitors to tour the cave when the bats are not present.”
    The open house this year was in February.

  • Ashley Ward

    Those wild horses on Cumberland are not friendly. They will chase you, and if they catch you, they could seriously injure you. Most of the time, they chase a short distance and then stop and go back to what they were doing. I own horses and LOVE them all so very much. My cousin worked on CI for years, and my friend’s family owns one of the very few homes there. I grew up on Amelia Island, FL, which is right next to CI. I have learned from experience. The ponies at CI are not friendly and I don’t want a tourist to get the wrong idea and try to pet one.

  • Kyle Findley

    Anna Ruby Falls? Helen? Toccoa Falls? Guido Gardens? Tallulah Gorge? Little Grand Canyon? Rock Eagle? The Cherokee Indian Mounds in Macon? Not a very comprehensive list… And I’ve lived in Georgia 22 years and been to all of the above and the ones in your list – minus the ones closed to the public.

    • LaRocky

      Little grand canyon is mediocre at best.

  • charles freeman

    Cloudland Canyon in extreme NW Georgia. Worth the drive, great for hiking…

  • http://www.buzzcreek.com/ me3tv

    I saw most of these years ago but I am reminded I need to see them again.

  • Kai

    The quarry is closed off. I think you can visit it through the belt line tour, otherwise I wouldn’t recommend it unless you also want to visit the Fulton County Jail

  • Wynonna Ryder

    It says 7 people!

  • Ken Doud

    My brother and I tried to go to that quarry once and it was all closed off, fenced up and posted with no trespassing signs.That was right after season one of The Walking Dead ended, about three years ago. So, it may be different now but when we tried to check it out, we could’t get back there.

  • http://angelicawalley.webs.com Angelica Walley

    cloudland canyon was really good ^_^ my husband and i went there last year. Very beautiful scenery!!

  • Tiffany Brice

    If Callaway Gardens attracts over 1 million visitors a year, people obviously know that it exists… lol. :)

  • Jason Nicholson

    Technically, you can’t visit Bellwood Quarry, at least not legally. They are supposed to make a park out of it in a few years though.

  • Amy

    I already knew about all of these.

  • Louis Harris

    I don’t live very far from Bellwood Quarry. You can’t see any trace of it from the road and it’s near a rail yard. There are barbed wire fences all around it and obviously shut off for safety and liability reasons. Fricks Cave is also not accessible except for very restricted access. Never seen either one of these places.

  • Jake
  • Jennifer

    Bizarre. You mentioned that Calloway Gardens has more than one million visitors annually. It seems like people have already discovered Calloway Gardens and most of these other places.

  • Joey Hopper

    my cousin and i use too take a bath in those falls at tallulah back in 92 after we got off work hanging guardrail down 985 and we were staying at the motel that use to be at the bridge when a storm blew down that big oak tree behind it

  • Monika Woods

    NO! Don’t tell anyone about Jekyll and Cumberland island! I love these secrets!

  • Ohyesshedid

    The pictures are beautiful. I live in Florida, so I don’t know about these places. I have to wonder why they only describe a few of them, just have pictures for others, and don’t give an approximate area for them except the first. Most people know where Atlanta is, and since I live in Jacksonville, I personally know where Jekyll Island and Cumberland Island are but others won’t. A vague “this is located 50 miles east of blah blah blah” would have been helpful. I mean, I can certainly go and look up each of these areas based on the name to find out where they are, but considering this is the opening line “Here are 7 places in Georgia that you need to visit while you’re here.” You do realize you should be more descriptive if you want people to actually visit these places??

  • Tassia

    Toccoa Falls?

    • charles freeman

      agreed…

  • Ptap

    There is amazing camping in tallulah falls. just wonderful in the spring in fall. I live in the mountains in Costa Rica now and I still don’t think I’ve ever seen more stars in the sky than laying on my back in TF.

    • jasmin

      do you know the name of the campsite? :)

      • HikingDiva

        Drive 15mins north to Black Rock Mtn for camping. MUCH nicer location – most sites have E/W views so you can enjoy sunrise/sunset. Tallulah is awesome for hiking (and you can watch kayakers 1st 2wknds of April & 3wknds in Nov. But, the campground backs up to the 985/441 (whatever) and you’ll hear the 18 wheelers shifting gears ALL night. And a lovely view of power lines. :-)

  • Kyle

    uhm…you forgot to mention that you can’t even get into the quarry or Fricks Cave.

  • wisething2do

    How about Gibbs Gardens?

  • Kat

    This list makes no sense. They have huge touristy destinations that most people “knew existed.” They list places completely CLOSED to the general public, so you can’t go there anyway. But then they ignore awesome places like Providence Canyon that I didn’t know existed until I’d lived in the state almost 20 years.

    Or Fort Mountain in the mountains. I know what you’re probably thinking “Oh who wants to see yet another Civil War Era memorial?”
    Yeah, that’s what I thought. Think again.
    The rock walls are pre-revolutionary war, no one knows exactly who built it and why! You should check it out.

    • Ashley Ward

      We ride our horses up Fort Mountain! Got chased by a mama bear with 2 cubs. Beautiful place, fun trails, and the talc mines give you nice blasts of cold air in the summer. I heard it is closed now. :(

    • http://www.matthaff.com/ Matt Haff

      What did they list that is closed to the public?

  • Talitha Seibel

    I’d stay away from the rock quarry. We used to be able to walk down into it pretty easily but ever since they used it for Walking Dead and the Fast and Furious Franchise, they keep pretty tight surveillance. You will be arrested for trespassing. Ask some of my friends how the Fulton County Jail is overnight…

  • Herculees

    may want to take friends and a weapon with you to the old quarry..in a VERY ROUGH part of town.. may even find a body or 2 there.. its off bankhead highway ,they had to change the name of it to improve the crime rating for that area of atlanta.. they cant do anything about the crime, but they can change the name of the streets and area to make the crime rate look not as bad as it was.BE CAREFUL

    • Dave

      Truth be told.

  • UGB

    A rock quarry instead of Providence Canyon? This list is daffy. http://gastateparks.org/ProvidenceCanyon

    • grngrl

      Both manmade…….one by digging, one by massive erosion. Both impressive in their own ways.

  • Jay Lee Finch

    Fricks Cave is closed to protect endangered wildlife.

  • Janette

    Good article. Definitely didn’t know about Bellwood Quarry. Love the beautiful pics!! Maybe article title should be 7 Beautiful Places in Ga rather than places we didn’t know existed. =)

    • Janette

      ooh and Fricks Cave. Never heard of that one either!

  • Lala

    I’m georgia bred and raised and I’ve never heard of the quarry or the cave, but everywhere else I heard of or been. I don’t see how someone raised in georgia wouldnt have heard of these places, all the elementary school trips should have covered all these places.

    • Mojo

      Bellwood Quarry was also in Joyful Noise where the boys also fought. I guess it’s a good place to go and fight. LOL

      • Tassia

        OH WOW Just watched it lastnight

    • GizmoRyda

      That Quarry is technically closed off unless you got the big bucks to shoot a film production in it. Unless you lived next to it you wouldn’t know about it.

      • Lala

        Ok that makes sense, so the two places I didn’t know about are closed to the public.

      • ShouldaCouldaWoulda

        If it’s the quarry I’m thinking of, its on the SW corner of 85/285 intersection in S. Atlanta. Depending on wind direction and side of plane, you can look right down into taking off from Hartsfield-Jackson.

      • grngrl

        The quarry has been bought by the City and will become the Westside Reservoir Park. It will be the jewel of the Beltline, nearly twice the size of Piedmont Park and will hold 2 billion gallons of drinking water. You can currently check it out if you go on the Saturday morning Beltline tours. I was there for a similar tour just two weeks ago and it is pretty incredible. Can’t wait for it to become a park!

        http://beltline.org/tag/westside-reservoir-park/

        http://www.tpl.org/our-work/parks-for-people/bellwood-quarrywestside-park

    • Kyley

      I have heard of none and I am going on 21

  • Peaches

    If you grew up in Georgia, chances are that you knew about and have visited all or most of them.

  • Cyndi

    How about the little grand canyon?? there are so many more places.. http://gastateparks.org/ProvidenceCanyon

    • Julianne

      I was also surprised they left out Providence Canyon. It’s great (scenically and for hiking.)

      • Jason Murdoch

        Ya, it makes for a great day hike! Very beautiful!

      • Charlie

        I agree I am 66 and I camped there when I was 13 great hiden spot.

    • DAVE

      Funny thing, I heard of this place on the side of a U-Haul truck.

    • Kristy

      We LOVED little grand canyon!!!

    • Damien Rasheed

      Definitely said places IN GEORGIA

      • Crystal Surnameless

        Providence Canyon is IN GEORGIA.

        • Damien Rasheed

          You said grand canyon…is little grand canyon also it’s name (legitimate question, not trying to be an ass, I just don’t know)

          • KGIPSON

            It’s “Providence Canyon” but has been dubbed “Little Grand Canyon”

          • Completely Amazed

            Cloudland Canyon State Park in NW Ga

          • Tommy Hilton

            It’s called GEORGIA’S Little Grand Canyon . . . grew up near there and have been several times.

          • Nance Ferrell Dugger

            Yes,it’s Little Grand Canyon !!

      • Ron

        While Providence Canyon is a unique place it’s formation was entirely man made.

        • Rodney Campbell

          Yea. I was looking at that picture and have seen similar places around Georgia before. The places i saw started out as I 75 fill dirt dig sites when they were building I 75 through Georgia. Erosion over the decades finished the ” canyon ” like appearance.

        • Mrjas

          As is Blood Quarry.

          • MrJas

            Bellwood, not Blood

      • silvergryphon

        Providence Canyon is in Georgia.

    • Jackie B.

      Providence Canyon is just that. Little Grand Canyon is in Alabama close to the Georgia line. It is almost level with Atlanta on the Alabama border. Beautiful scenery and ice cold water. Can swim if you like cold water and water is crystal clear.

      • Sandra J.

        I have been to Providence Canyon in Columbus Ga. It is known as the little Grand Canyon. I have never seen any water that you can swim in. If the Canyon gets a lot of rain there will be a stream of water at the bottom of the Canyon. If this happens its real muddy from all the red clay you have to walk through.

        • Big T

          You are right about the mud and no place to swim, but it’s not in Columbus it’s just West of Richland, Ga.

      • Sandra J.

        I have been to Providence Canyon in Columbus Ga. It is known as the little Grand Canyon. I have never seen any water that you can swim in. If the Canyon gets a lot of rain there will be a stream of water at the bottom of the Canyon. If this happens its real muddy from all the red clay you have to walk through.

      • Scott Baste

        I think you are thinking of Little River Canyon in Alabama

        • Big T

          I think you are right. I have been there many times and there is a beautiful place to swim there at Little River Falls.
          I also live near and have been to Providence Canyon also known as Little Grand Canyon many times. It is in Georgia near Richland Ga. on CR 39 Alt. about 15 miles East of the Chattahoochee River. I have also been all over that area and there are several natural canyons in the area that are just about as deep as Providence Canyon but are hidden and are on private property.

      • Belen Belga Hadwin

        Little grand canyon is in ALABAMA. It is beautiful, as well.

    • Renee

      Totally agree – one of the most beautiful and more unusual locations in Georgia.

  • PEW

    Jekyll? Try St. Catherines Island

    • Daniel San

      Both are too touristy for me. Sapelo is much better,

      • Joshua Russell

        Yeah. I agree. Jekyll island has gone down ever since they installed that new stop sign a few years ago. It has attracted nothing but trouble, and I especially thought the media drew way to much attention to the local community here. I never knew what a thriving stop-sign culture there was until the tourist arrived.

  • Local

    These are some of the most popular destinations in Georgia. I’m not sure I understand…who is the audience is here?

    • Bubba

      I think they did it just for People from Alabama

      • Shallymar

        Hahaha

    • VIVIAN YOUNG

      WELL IVE LIVED IN SOUTH GA,55 YEARS AND I DIDNT KNOW BOUT THE CAVE, THE QUARRY, LITTLE GRAND CANYON,OR CUMBERLAND ISLAND!!!! CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE THE LITTLE GRA CANYON IS AT!!!! tHANKS

      • Bruceman

        Only if you stop yelling.

        • Hollis

          This is so funny that someone thinks writing in CAPS is yelling. LOL. I’ve seen this before and it is so ridiculous.

          • Daniel San

            Etiquette is determined by majority and customary use. Current etiquette states that typing in all caps is YELLING!
            You can fight it all you want but that’s how most will read it.

        • YOLO

          I’m assuming Vivian writes in all caps not to convey yelling, but because the larger type is easier to see ;) I saw an elderly woman once explain that’s why she types in all caps and it made perfect sense.

        • Glenn Bob

          LMAO

      • Cynthia M

        That’s odd. I grew up in South GA & most of my friends had visited Cumberland Island before I was 10 – there’s no way I could have missed hearing about it.

      • penny

        Lumpkin Ga

      • K9 mommie

        Providence Canyon …… Google ” Ga state parks and historic sites. “

      • CHOMPandSTOMP

        You should get out more

      • Dewane’ Crumpton Seneca

        7 miles west of Lumpkin.

      • Shallymar

        How could you not know about Cumberland Island? Been living under a rock?

  • Abby

    Who in GA doesn’t know that these (seven) places exist? Maybe the cave and the quarry, but all of the others are big tourist destinations.

    • Pinklove

      I live in georgia, I’ve been here for 13 years, other than Jekyll Island, I didn’t know any of these places existed. I’m pretty sure I know a few hundred people who didn’t know either! I’ve never seen these places advertised..

      • Lala

        Callaway gardens have ads on tv

      • Christina Hoover

        I’m going to assume you live in southern GA? Not trying to be mean, but if you don’t know about brasstown at least one would assume you live in middle or south ga.
        Brasstown and even blood mountain are widely talked about because they are in the path of the AT.

        • Natasha Hubbard

          I didn’t know about Brasstown, but it’s about the only one. And you’re right, Christina, I’m from Middle Georgia, LOL But, seriously, who the hell doesn’t know about Callaway Gardens or Jekyll Island???

        • Steve McElreath

          Brasstown Bald is not on the AT.

      • Cynthia Parten

        I didn’t know about Cumberland Island until a few years ago. I grew up in Georgia, close to Athens. A few years ago, I moved to South Georgia to Saint Marys. Then I found out about Cumberland Island and I have been there a couple of times. It is beautiful!

        • chris!

          Been to Cumberland island may times over the years. Simply a amazing place. I try to take week to soak it in. Just be prepared to walk!

        • Danielle

          I’m from Saint Marys and I’ve been to Cumberland Island quite a few times. It’s really beautiful, but go in the spring and fall when it’s cooler outside!

      • Kyley

        I have been here for 20 years and did not know of any, don’t feel bad

    • Michelle

      I’m in Georgia and am aware of all 7 places. Been to 6 of the 7. Some people need to get out more.

    • Kyley

      Hell I live here and have never heard of any of these….

  • Hollis

    This was the shortest list of 33 ever.

    • ITP4ME

      I thought the same thing! I kept looking for the ‘next’ button

    • Janette

      Where do you see 33? The title says 7.

      • Tanya

        The description says 33.

        • disqus_lRhQeYrsS2

          Not the best writing. Fricks Cave description is poor. Georgia’s richest biological diversity in Georgia? As opposed to Georgia’s richest biological diversity in Alabama?

          • lukebandit

            Alabama has the richest, richest water way that is better than the Amazon! Over in DeKalb Co. Alabama the river/creek is the freshest water on earth. From the Forest Ranger’s Show on PBS/Alabama.

        • Amber

          I see 7 on list and description lol

    • mike

      Im not seeing 33 in the description either