Make a list of activities to do. You can hike in the mountains, do water-based activities like swimming, fishing or kayaking, visit a Confederate war site, try geocaching or go horseback riding. Some parks, like Tugaloo State Park, have unique activities such as astronomy programs, July Fourth festivities, storytelling and education on Native American culture and native animals and plants.
Visit the National Recreation Reservation Service and Georgia State Parks websites to find a place to do the activity you have chosen. The GSP site allows you to search by activity and find camping areas near historic sites and golf courses.
Near Atlanta, you will find Picket's Mill, with a restored 1850s log cabin and mill. You can hike from the visitor center to the mill and see Civil War entrenchments and artillery emplacements while you enjoy the natural habitat. Tallulah Gorge State Park is a hiker's dream, with a two-mile trek and 1,000-foot drop amid beautiful waterfalls. Hikers can even take moonlight walks into the gorge and rest 80 feet above the rocky bottom at a suspension bridge.
Book a campsite or cabin. Check NRRS or GSP websites to see what is available. Both allow you to put in a zip code for the place you want to visit. At GSP, if you choose "camping" for the facility type, all parks with campsites will be listed with the distance. Since Picket's Mill does not have campsites, you'll find Red Top Mountain State Park and Clark Creek North as the closest ones. On NRRS you'll see that Clark Creek is also near the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History in Kennesaw and the Etowah Indian Mounds.
Pack for the weather of the season. Use sleeping bags rated for cold temperatures if you go in winter and bring layers of clothing made for the outdoors, including boots fit for hiking on icy terrain. Bring plenty of water no matter when you go, but in summer plan on drinking approximately twice as much due to extra sweating. Bugs will also be a concern in all seasons except winter, so bring bug spray or other deterrent. Sunblock is also a good idea no matter what the season.
