Oconee National Forest
~57 mi from AtlantaGeorgia
Oconee National Forest protects 115,000 acres of Georgia Piedmont forest along the Oconee River tributaries, offering accessible hiking, fishing, and camping near Atlanta and Macon.
5 min read
GA · Southeast
National Forests Near Atlanta, GA
8 forest guides within driving distance
National Forests Near Atlanta
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
~73 mi from AtlantaGeorgia
Complete guide to Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Georgia. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, waterfalls, Appalachian Trail access, and trip planning resources.
15 min read
Talladega National Forest
~97 mi from AtlantaAlabama
393,000 acres of Alabama's Appalachian foothills and Cheaha highland, with Cheaha Mountain (the highest point in Alabama), the Cheaha Wilderness, and the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail.
6 min read
Sumter National Forest
~113 mi from AtlantaSouth Carolina
371,000 acres across three South Carolina districts, from the Piedmont hills of the Andrew Pickens District to the coastal plain Long Cane and Enoree Districts, with Chattooga Wild and Scenic River, waterfalls, and Appalachian foothills hiking.
7 min read
Nantahala National Forest
~116 mi from AtlantaNorth Carolina
North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest is the most visited national forest in the Eastern United States. Over 531,000 acres of Southern Appalachian terrain host the Appalachian Trail, old-growth Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, and some of the highest waterfalls in the East.
7 min read
Tuskegee National Forest
~119 mi from AtlantaAlabama
Alabama's smallest national forest: 11,000 acres of Piedmont longleaf pine and upland hardwood adjacent to Tuskegee, with the historic Bartram Trail and quiet forest recreation.
6 min read
Pisgah National Forest
~143 mi from AtlantaNorth Carolina
Complete guide to Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, waterfalls, Blue Ridge Parkway access, and trip planning resources.
13 min read
William B. Bankhead National Forest
~168 mi from AtlantaAlabama
181,000 acres of Alabama's Cumberland Plateau, with the Sipsey Wilderness, one of the Southeast's great sandstone canyon and waterfall landscapes, home to the longest free-flowing river in Alabama.
6 min read
Trails Near Atlanta
strenuousout-and-back
Springer Mountain via AT Approach Trail
16.2 mi3,000 ft gain
~62 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
Guide to hiking Springer Mountain via the Appalachian Trail Approach Trail from Amicalola Falls State Park. A strenuous 16.2-mile out-and-back to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia.
11 min read
moderateout-and-back
Murder Creek Trail
5.5 mi350 ft gain
~69 mi from AtlantaOctober through May
Hike the Murder Creek Trail in Oconee National Forest, Georgia. This moderate 5.5-mile out-and-back follows the Murder Creek drainage through Piedmont forest with good wildlife habitat and creek scenery.
3 min read
easyout-and-back
Wise Creek Trail
4 mi300 ft gain
~71 mi from AtlantaOctober through May
Hike the Wise Creek Trail in Oconee National Forest, Georgia. This easy 4-mile out-and-back follows a woodland creek with spring wildflowers through the Georgia Piedmont's mixed hardwood forest.
3 min read
moderateout-and-back
Raven Cliff Falls Trail
5 mi750 ft gain
~72 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
Guide to hiking Raven Cliff Falls Trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. A 5-mile hike through a rhododendron gorge to one of Georgia's most dramatic waterfalls, where water pours through a massive cleft in the rock face.
8 min read
moderateout-and-back
Redlands Trail
5 mi400 ft gain
~73 mi from AtlantaOctober through May
Hike the Redlands Trail in Oconee National Forest, Georgia. This moderate 5-mile out-and-back explores the Piedmont forest with spring wildflowers and diverse bird and wildlife habitat.
3 min read
moderate-hardout-and-back
Blood Mountain via Appalachian Trail
4.6 mi1,500 ft gain
~73 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
Guide to hiking Blood Mountain via the Appalachian Trail from Byron Reece Trailhead in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. Georgia's highest point on the AT at 4,458 feet, with panoramic views and a historic stone shelter.
9 min read
moderate-hardloop
Rich Mountain Loop
8.8 mi1,800 ft gain
~75 mi from AtlantaApril through November
An 8.8-mile loop through the Cohutta and Rich Mountain Wilderness areas in Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia, with 1,800 feet of gain through some of the most remote hardwood forest in the southern Appalachians.
7 min read
easy-moderateout-and-back
Dukes Creek Falls Trail
2.4 mi600 ft gain
~75 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
Guide to the Dukes Creek Falls Trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Georgia. A 2.4-mile out-and-back to a 250-foot waterfall cascade, with a viewing platform and a trail to the base of the falls.
7 min read
easyout-and-back
Oconee River Trail
6 mi200 ft gain
~77 mi from AtlantaOctober through May
Walk the Oconee River Trail in Oconee National Forest, Georgia. This easy 6-mile out-and-back follows the Oconee River through Piedmont hardwood forest with excellent wildlife habitat and river scenery.
3 min read
easyout-and-back
Anna Ruby Falls Trail
0.8 mi150 ft gain
~78 mi from AtlantaYear-round
Guide to Anna Ruby Falls Trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. A short, paved, wheelchair-accessible trail to a stunning double waterfall near Helen, Georgia.
9 min read
moderateout-and-back
Panther Creek Falls Trail
6.8 mi600 ft gain
~79 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
A 6.8-mile out-and-back to one of Georgia's finest waterfalls in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, following Panther Creek through hardwood forest to a 75-foot cascade near Toccoa.
6 min read
easyloop
Lake Sinclair Trail
3.5 mi150 ft gain
~79 mi from AtlantaOctober through May
Walk the Lake Sinclair Trail in Oconee National Forest, Georgia. This easy 3.5-mile loop circles a section of Lake Sinclair shoreline through Georgia Piedmont forest with wildlife and pleasant lake views.
3 min read
easyout-and-back
Ball Creek Trail
3 mi200 ft gain
~80 mi from AtlantaOctober through May
Walk the Ball Creek Trail in Oconee National Forest, Georgia. This easy 3-mile out-and-back follows Ball Creek through Georgia Piedmont forest with spring wildflowers and quiet woodland scenery.
3 min read
moderateout-and-back
Falls of Falls Creek Trail
4 mi400 ft gain
~81 mi from AtlantaOctober through May
Hike to the Falls of Falls Creek in Oconee National Forest, Georgia. This moderate 4-mile out-and-back gains 400 feet to the forest's most notable waterfall through Georgia Piedmont hardwood forest.
3 min read
easyloop
Socapatoy Trail
4.5 mi300 ft gain
~81 mi from AtlantaOctober through May
Walk the Socapatoy Trail in Oconee National Forest, Georgia. This easy 4.5-mile loop explores Georgia Piedmont forest and wetland margins with excellent wildlife and wildflower habitat.
3 min read
strenuousout-and-back
Cheaha Trail
7.5 mi1,600 ft gain
~84 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
A 7.5-mile out-and-back to Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama at 2,407 feet, through the Cheaha Wilderness in Talladega National Forest with rocky summit views across Alabama's ridge-and-valley country.
3 min read
moderateout-and-back
Brasstown Bald via Freeman Trail
6.2 mi1,200 ft gain
~84 mi from AtlantaApril through October
Guide to hiking Brasstown Bald via the Freeman Trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Georgia. A 6.2-mile out-and-back to the state's highest point at 4,784 feet, with views into four states and a staffed visitor center at the summit.
7 min read
easy-moderateloop
McDill Point Loop
3 mi350 ft gain
~85 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
An easy 3-mile loop near the Cheaha Wilderness in Talladega National Forest, with rocky ridge viewpoints and an accessible introduction to the Cheaha Mountain highlands.
3 min read
easy-moderateloop
Lake Chinnabee Loop
4 mi200 ft gain
~86 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
An easy 4-mile loop around Lake Chinnabee in Talladega National Forest, a mountain lake adjacent to the Cheaha Wilderness with pleasant forest scenery and fishing access.
3 min read
moderateout-and-back
Talladega Scenic Byway Walk
5 mi700 ft gain
~90 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
A 5-mile moderate out-and-back along a ridge section of the Pinhoti Trail adjacent to the Talladega Scenic Byway in Talladega National Forest, with long views across Alabama's ridge-and-valley country.
3 min read
moderate-hardpoint-to-point
Pinhoti Trail: Cheaha Section
12 mi2,400 ft gain
~91 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
A 12-mile point-to-point section of the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail through the most scenic Alabama highlands in Talladega National Forest, with ridgeline views, rocky terrain, and the Cheaha summit approach.
2 min read
moderateout-and-back
Benton MacKaye Trail: Ocoee Section
5.5 mi750 ft gain
~92 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
The Ocoee Section of the Benton MacKaye Trail covers 5.5 miles out and back through the Ocoee River corridor, offering river views and ridge walking in Cherokee National Forest's southern unit.
3 min read
easy-moderateloop
Coker Creek Falls Trail
3 mi350 ft gain
~97 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
Coker Creek Falls Trail is a 3.0-mile loop visiting a 25-foot cascade in the Coker Creek watershed, one of the better-maintained and least crowded waterfall trails in Cherokee National Forest's southern unit.
3 min read
moderateout-and-back
Clemmer Trail
3.8 mi680 ft gain
~98 mi from AtlantaMarch through November
The Clemmer Trail is a 3.8-mile out-and-back ridge hike on Chilhowee Mountain in Cherokee National Forest's southern unit, with lake views over Parksville Lake and easy access from US-64.
3 min read