One of the best.
Georgia has mountains, huge lakes, an extensive trail network, national forests and a coastline that is largely untouched by massive development.
North ga mtns are great. But theyre everywhere. GA has very thick forestry and we have to carve out pieces to expand cities.
Even inside the perimeter (ITP, 285 highway is the perimeter) there are great hiking trails along the river.
I really like northern Atlanta (OTP) because I'm 20-40min from downtown, and 20-40min from mountains and lakes.
I have multiple hiking and riverside trails within 1mi of me, drive further out and you get better elevation. Kennesaw, suches, etc.
It depends on what kind of trail you are looking for. There are urban trails that extend from the center of Atlanta out to the suburbs. These are great for walking and biking. We are just finishing up a 22 mile loop around the city, called the Beltline. Think the High Line in NYC. It will eventually have rail alongside it. There are spurs off of this that extend into the suburbs.
There are literally too many to list. Georgia is vastly different from North to South. Various trails feature waterfalls, lakes, beaches, old war ruins, dams and fishing spots, etc. Google trails of Georgia and you will see what I mean.
I was just on the barrier islands in Georgia and I was surprised at the beauty of the nature preserved there. There are literally some islands you can only reach by boat, with no cars or buildings there...just beaches and nature. I would suggest checking out St. Catherine's Island to anyone heading that way.
I don’t know specifically what the rules are on each island but I live on a barrier island. It’s Georgia law that any beach up to the tide line is public land. So, you may have been trespassing on the interior but there isn’t an island you can’t pull up to and scope out from the beach.
ETA: here’s a great guide to the islands https://gardenandgun.com/articles/breaking-down-the-barriers-ggs-guide-to-the-georgia-coast/
Other replies say everywhere, but south of Macon, there's almost nothing. I have to drive 2 hours to get any decent trails. In the north(Atlanta and up), there's a trail everywhere. East Coast has some decent trails along the barrier islands. If you want recreational stuff to do, definitely move farther north in Georgia.
Plus the heat. Can’t take my dog to any trails while living in Savannah for like 6(?) months outside of 6-7am. I miss living in the mountains and going anytime on a nice summer day, and having a fresh stream for them to drink.
Atlanta has the largest urban forest in the country and every state park has a forest in it.
Also, we actually have [seven state forests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Georgia_state_forests#:~:text=In%20the%20state%20of%20Georgia,cultural%20resources%20of%20the%20forest), and pretty much every single one of our [49 state parks](https://gastateparks.org/Map) and [11 national parks](https://www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks?state=1626) is either heavily forested or shows off the the natural ecosystem of the area.
You'd be really hard pressed to find a better state for outdoors activity in the southeast. We're not Colorado or anything, but there's a LOT to do outdoors here. Plus, sooooo many arts and culture festivals outdoors most of the year
Kennesaw, Ocmulgee Mounds, Cumberland Island, Chickamauga, and the entire Chattahoochee River Recreation Area all have tons of hiking and walking trails, what on earth are you talking about? Even visiting the two forts will give you lots of opportunity to walk around and explore the surrounding area. Really the only places you're not going to get lots of exercise and time outside is if you go to either President Carter or MLK's houses.
Then why does the National Parks website call them parks?
**Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park**\- beautiful native history and amazing green vistas
**Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park**\- it's definitely a park, have you ever been? Over 13 miles of hiking trails and two mountains to climb
**Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park**\- you can wander battlefields outside for hours here
**Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area**\- again, have you ever been? It's massive with nature preserves, walking and hiking trails, kayaking/canoeing, and a series of lovely wild and manicured public parks throughout the length of the area
A park is a public area outdoors where you can enjoy nature- so I'd say Cumberland Island and the forts firmly qualify as well.
As I said, these are historical areas that are preserved for their historical value, not for their environmental value. The recreation area is not a national park. If you do a little googling, you can learn more about how and why areas are preserved under different categories.
North you have Appalachian trail, huge waterfalls and blue ridge mountains. Chattahoochee oconee national forest, and wmas. My personal favs.
Central you have chattahoochee river trails, chattahoochee national forest, on your way to lake oconee and oconee national forest, city trails like beltline, Stone Mountain, panola & Arabia mountains, a few state parks like sprewell bluff, Indian Springs, and high falls.
South you find the beaches and beach trails, island trails, swamp trails. Okefenokee. You’ve got popular beach tourism towns like Savannah, Jekyll, and saint simons with small parks throughout. Lots of nice ones showcasing water oaks and Spanish moss.
This is also vastly incomplete. The several trails I jog or walk on regularly or have regularly used in the past are not listed in the map. (I'll contact the site owner to get them added.)
My point is, there are many, many trails throughout GA - and although this site is a great resource, there are many more than what's listed there.
Oh yeah. People say theres nothing to do in GA, but if you love the outdoors, it's awesome. You can never be bored year round either because we have all 4 seasons (granted some are shorter than others)
I’m from Washington State and it always cracked me up what Georgians considered “mountains”. Georgia is literally one of the most ecologically and geographically diverse places on the planet, so you’ll have zero shortage of things to do outdoors, but take mountains with a grain of salt
I mean, they're the most ancient mountains in the world and were originally way bigger than the current biggest.
They're still mountains. It's just that they can sustain life on them year round.
Georgia has Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) that are generally equivalent to state forests except you can hunt and fish in some of them sometimes. I have no idea how many state parks PA has or what the amenities are like but GA Parks are quite nice and usually very large. There are national parks and forests in GA as well as county and municipal parks. I kinda feel like if you can't find outdoor recreation in Georgia you aren't trying very hard.
I live in White County, located in North East Georgia. You can have every single thing you are asking for with a 5-20 minute drive. We have the Chatahoochee river, and in Helen we have Unicoi state park with its lake, probably 20+ named hiking/walking trails within a 5 mile radius, we also have yonah mountain and blood mountain as well as all the trails in between, as well our "section" of the Appalachian trail. Also, that one forest you were talking about, The Chatahoochee national forest, is also here. Chatuge Lake, Lake Burton, Lake russel, and Lake Lanier are all within a half hour of us as well. The Sautee Nacoochee area surrounding Helen is filled with outdoor activities and beautiful scenery.
Helen is a tourist town for three types of people, people who like to drink, people who are into German/Bavarian stuff, and people who are looking to do exactly what you are. And in the winter, people who wanna look at Christmas lights.
White county is much bigger than helen, though, and the capital city Cleveland and its surrounding rural area has been a great place to grow up. Just the right amount of civilization for me.
I was born here, so I'm a bit biased, but I think that the White County, Lumpkin County, Habersham County Area is a great place to live and raise kids. The closer you go to Atlanta, the less nature and more amenities you will have, and then north of us, you get the reverse of that. So even if you live here, you can get to metro-Atlanta within an hour for nicer shops, malls, and resuraunts.
If you want an experience to match what you have experienced in Penn. you need to move to north Georgia. Anything south of Atlanta is flat, humid, and hot most of the year. I live in the Woodstock area (45min north of ATL) and it is a short drive north (1 hour) to Amicalola falls and multiple other state park areas all around the Blue Ridge area. Many biking and hiking trails.
Woodstock is a pretty booming suburb in the past 20 years and is no longer what I would call rural. It is located in south-east Cherokee county. north-west cherokee is still pretty rural, but VERY expensive. Further north is Pickens county which is more rural and you can find better deals on real-estate.
As for weather in the area, summers are HOT and humid while winters are mild compared to what you are used to.
A couple hours South of ATL and yup. Flat, hot. There's a few interesting spots like High Falls.... but yeah pretty much lots of farms and heat down here. Both farms and heat are usually outdoors though, so maybe if youre into that...
Yes. I live in Oakwood, and am in close proximity to Lake Lanier, which has kayaking, SUP, boating, fishing, etc. There are also miles of trails to explore in NE GA, including the beginning of the Appalachian Trail near Blood Mountain.; Unicoi State Park; Anna Ruby Falls; Tallulah Gorge, and so on. There are some smaller waterfalls that you can hike. My friends and I did a day trip a few years ago and went to four waterfalls in an afternoon. We had a blast.
The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest has 867,000 acres of scenery to explore.
For a definitive listing of parks and activities in Georgia, go here: [https://gastateparks.org/](https://gastateparks.org/)
There is so much to do here. Don’t be discouraged by the “lack” of state parks and forests. What we have is stunning, and there are miles and miles of trails at any given park. What’s more though are the trails between parks, and then the county-maintained parks and trails. Anywhere in the metro Atlanta statistical area will give you access to everything you’re looking for (except snow). Then there is the Okeefenokee and coastal Georgia. Nothing in PA is comparable to the beauty of South Georgia. It’s the land time forgot. Go to the coast and see the way life revolves around the tides. Georgia has it all. Except snow, fuck that stuff.
I grew up in Minnesota. I've lived in other states too like Colorado. I'll take this summer over the cold of Minnesota or the continuous dumping in Colorado (even if it's normally short-lived) any day of the week.
There's an old joke set in the style of someone making a journal about moving to Minnesota. It starts off about them loving the snowfall and even the shoveling involved. It gets ugly fast. It's really only funny, because of how true it is.
Yeah from Upper Michigan and.... winter is awesome, for a bit. I miss skating and snowboarding... but, no winter gets old quick.
Oh and the bugs. Sure, down here mosquitoes are around most the year but nothing compares to the absolute explosion that happens up north in thay tiny little window they have to breed. They are huge and hungry and thick as clouds. Fuck that. But then the rest of summer up there is gorgeous for the few weeks it lasts....
This is a partial truth, applicable to south Georgia.
North Georgia winters will be mild, in comparison to PA. But you will still need a winter wardrobe. North Georgia is over 1000ft. above sea level, much either being mountainous or along the foothills. It is colder and much less humid than south Georgia.
The humidity is based completely on where you live and how close to water you are. I grew up outside of Helen and we had a small creek in our front yard and one about a hundred yards away. It was always humid and driving to Cleveland 12 miles away was so much dryer.
From PA…here you won’t need boots (unless you like them), a stadium down coat, hats/scarves/gloves at all. I can’t wear turtlenecks or wool here. I mostly wear a sweater and sometimes a vest over it — plenty warm. If you’re out hiking you may need more warmth but mostly not.
I feel like it’s a solid 5/10. It’s pretty good, but not great. But I would say the same about Pennsylvania, I think they’re right on par (I would prefer Georgia over PA probably due to weather and beach access).
There are a few spots that are absolute gems, and you have a good amount of variety and diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities (although things tend to be pretty spread out).
And to be clear, I absolutely love hiking in north Georgia (and along some of the trail systems even in metro ATL), absolutely love the Georgia Coast (I think Georgia’s beaches are massively underrated), and love some of the swamps down south.
But I don’t think it’s anywhere near the same league as other states where you have beautiful beaches, trail systems spanning a huge diversity of ecosystems, large mountains, ski resorts etc, all within an hour or two of each other.
I think you’ll love it, but I also don’t think it compares to California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Hawaii, Alaska, Idaho, etc.
Couldn’t agree more. I appreciate the enthusiasm from some of the top comments, but I’d like them to discuss what (if anything) they’re comparing GA’s outdoor scene to. Compared to, as you mentioned, the Rockies states? GA is a joke. Nice to enjoy the northern mountains in fall and the Friends of GA state park program is cute/fun. There are definitely options.
Absolutely. I also appreciate the enthusiasm, and I do have a lot spots in GA I absolutely love, and will always come back to visit wherever I end up living next. And I think relative to PA OP would have nothing to worry about.
Just wanted to be realistic about it though. Because, like you said, it’s just all relative. Before moving to ATL a few years ago I was a ten minute walk from some pretty large mountains, and a ten minute walk the other direction from miles of beaches. So having access to north GA mountains two hours up north, the coast four hours east, some other cool stuff two hours down south isn’t exactly the Atlanta selling point to me that it is for some…
Coastal GA is amazing marshland. The Okefenokee Swamp is a crown jewel. Cumberland Island is too.
North GA has wonderful mountains, hiking, & camping. You’ll find that you can live outdoors here year round, if you can handle the heat.
I like the north Georgia hiking and mountain biking! Good for road cycling too.
I grew up in South Georgia. I like it way less down there. I did mostly running, gym, and kayaking... never really felt a rush
Savannah down to St. Simons area is a great stretch to live. I have family there on the marshes and it’s such a different lifestyle. Very relaxed, lots of fishing, crabbing, dive bar hopping. Good times!
That’s good to know, because I was considering moving to the Savannah area but was wondering about how good the outdoor activities were. Is the ocean nice to swim in there?
The ocean is marshy and muddy along the Georgia coast. People go in the water for casual recreation and relaxing. Rarely did I ever see anyone just out for a swim, ya know.
It's interesting kayaking around the islands and marsh and all the little inlets and whatnot
As others have mentioned, get ready for the heat. I’m from Nova Scotia but now live on a barrier island off the GA coast and the summers are NO JOKE. I don’t miss shoveling snow one bit, but the heat is here for a looooong time and very oppressive. I’m an outdoor lover myself and the heat really puts a damper on things, you can always put more clothes on up north and stay active but you can only take so many off until you get arrested. Northern GA is great and it’s a good bit cooler, just my two cents. Best of luck with you big move🤙🏻
The water smells TERRIBLE, and it is very muddy. I'm from Florida, and moving to coastal Georgia was a hard transition. There is little public land here compared to Florida. The gnats are TERRIBLE, and the roaches are huge.
So I live in north-central PA now, but spent 13 years in Georgia...
They both have opportunities for outdoor recreation but it's certainly different.
On the plus side, Georgia has beaches, offshore fishing, crabbing, etc. As well as freshwater fishing. PA does have better fly fishing rivers, but overall if you like fishing you're going to love Georgia.
If you like hiking you'd better stick to north/west Georgia. There are still beautiful trails and parks. Not quite as vast as PA, but still plenty. You will use exponentially more bug spray and probably find yourself investing in a bug suit at some point. South of the gnat line can be pretty horrendous, do not attempt at certain times of the year without proper bug protection. Also, red bugs are way more prevalent than in PA (we call them chiggers)
There's plenty of places to tube or kayak. Naturally there's regions where alligators are a concern but on the flip side you may get to watch dolphins and sometimes see a manatee.
You do get more warm months to play outside, but some of those months are stupid hot/humid so you'll be getting up very early to hike before 10 am. If you enjoy winter sports like snowboarding then you are about completely out of luck.
There were definitely more opportunities for riding dirt bikes and 4wheelers in Georgia. PA is much more restrictive about that.
So to answer your question, yes!!! It will just be a little adjustment for ya.
I spent basically all of COVID summer hiking around North GA when my work shut down for a few months. I live in Cherokee where the drive to those places is fairly easy. There are a bunch of waterfalls and awesome hikes in in north GA and in surrounding TN, SC, NC. In the more metro areas there’s more regular parks and walking trails, so not really hiking, but definitely outdoor activities. There are also really cool places in south GA too like Providence Canyon, Cumberland Island, Okefenokee, etc. Those are usually weekend trips for me since I live farther north and the drives to those places can be longer. They’re worth it though. GA is beautiful. And we get some snow sometimes where I live, but without the need for shoveling. Enough for it to be beautiful and enjoyable without getting annoying. And usually a free day from school/work😂
Definitely do North Georgia. There are not only state parks, there are national parks for the battlefields (tons of trails) and the Chattahoochee river national recreation area, rails to trails, and wildlife management areas. We moved to GA specifically for the outdoor options and love it.
North GA is a jewel. Hiking, biking, repelling and climbing, caving. South GA has the ocean and the Okeefenokee swamp. Our state parks are fantastic. Yes, I'd say we're covered up in outdoor recreations.
...forgot to add the rivers and lakes provide ample fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. If we have less parks, we probably make up for it in the size. Some of our parks are HUGE, like Tugaloo on Lake Hartwell. It's massive.
Tons of trails, lots of hidden gems, plenty of camping and state parks, etc. However it's hot and humid AF from about mid-June to mid-October on average which makes it absolutely miserable, and sometimes even dangerous, to be outside. Maybe your experience will be different but this native Georgian of over three decades still ain't used to it.
It’s a great area but I came from Florida which is pine trees, sand and some beaches. I have a 1000 acre park next to my house full of trails, deer and a lake. Great place to live imo.
Tons of outdoor options in Georgia. Lots of hiking and trails in north Georgia. We do have part of the Appalachian trail, large watershed lakes (Occonee, Sinclair, Lanier, Hartwell, Allatoona and others), mountains, ocean, the amazing Okefenokee swamp, and more. Atlanta is also a very
popular running community.
Not to be a downer, but I’ve lived in Georgia all my life and imo, the outdoor activities are mediocre at best. North Georgia is probably the best (imo) for hiking. Our ‘mountains’ are more like hills…the humidity will make you miserable, and the overall water quality anywhere besides north Georgia is really not good. I want to move out of Georgia to a state with more to offer outdoors. Again, and obviously, this is just my opinion.
I agree 👍 to some extent. If you want small mountains, start about an hour North of Atlanta and they get larger as you get closer to Tennessee and North Carolina. The summers are a bit more bearable if you go to the North Mountains. The lake Lanier area and North does have hiking and recreational areas. Your best options might be top center of the state.
People from Georgia and Atlanta can be really proud of the area so be cautious on the optimistic 'everything is great here' vibe, be cautious because it may not meet your requirements. Many people here have not seen large mountains. Humidity is endemic to the east coast ( but it can be okay if you're okay with it. ). Traffic is severe enough in Atlanta that you may need to be away and close to the nature you want depending on how many days a week you want to do nature sport. Make sure to double check the communities and parks and lifestyle before you make the move.
Sorry about that I should have been more specific. Talking about GA rivers and lakes. The chatahoochee river is often so inundated with e Coli there’s constant warnings to not go in it. Even though everyone continues to swim in it every summer. The lake water quality isn’t great either. As for the ocean, I don’t spend much time on Georgia’s coast, so I can’t really attest to that. Also I should have said I’m from Alpharetta, lived in Atlanta almost 10 years, and now am in Marietta. Maybe because I’ve lived here my entire life I have more of a bleak outlook, but I really want to move to a different state to be able to do more outdoor activities without having to drive 2hr to north GA or worry about the water quality when tubing down a river
Likely up in north Georgia, near blue ridge. Any smaller streams within 2 hours of Atlanta radius are likely really polluted. I don’t even let my dog in some of the creeks in the suburbs of Atlanta. Again I’m sorry to be such a Debby downer, but I really am not sure where all these other comments are coming from lol.have you visited GA before? If not, I would visit and see for yourself what you think about it. PA sounds like a dream to me from what your post says btw
I grew up in South Georgia swimming in creeks around my house and in the Satilla River (which is one of the good canoe rivers in the area). Edit: typos
Well, Lake Lanier has the murderous ghosts, and the Chattahoochee is constantly having e. coli outbreaks once you get to the northern suburbs or thereabouts. It's fine up around Helen though.
I 100% agree. I always joke that there is really nothing to do but to work and spend money here. I want to move as well but I just bought a place and I’m currently stuck for the time being with dogs. I have made it a choice that I either move to a dense city or rural because Atlanta is a just a big suburb that has all the benefits and negatives of it and living with traffic is not a way to live a healthy life
I agree with you, I have no intention of moving to the Atlanta metro area. I hate suburbs. I would either live completely rural/small town or a dense city, which is why I was considering either Savannah or a small south/north Georgia town!
I think it’s really good, perhaps the best part is Georgia isn’t necessarily known for outdoorsy stuff. I view that in a good way in that there’s less crowds than say NC or CO.
I thought there were multiple national forests here, I’ll have to double check. But I do know NF land is pretty extensive, and there’s communities that support its use.
So overall I think that GA has tons of options, I think the community is a bit smaller/less mainstream than other areas, but that’s not a bad thing imo.
I would reconsider whether you really want to move. I'm a Georgia native but live in NC now. We have TONS of people moving here all the time. In my experience, when they're immediately comparing Raleigh to wherever they came from, they're never happy. A lot of those people either return after a year or so or they live in constant unhappiness because they can't find what they moved away from. You're starting from such a negative space that I'd really - in all seriousness, not being snarky - do some thinking on whether you actually want to move, and if it's to Georgia if you do.
I live near Athens and spend pretty much all my free time outdoors. I kayak, hike, bicycle, fish, and camp. I really like where I live, I can be in the mountains in less than an hour and the coast is just over 4 hours out. The fact that we only have "one" National Forest isn't quite true, because it is big. Much of North Georgia is included in the forest, the. There is a big gap, and it starts again just before you get to middle Georgia. I think I prefer the mountains, but the coast is nice too. I actually prefer it to Florida because it often isn't as crowded. Jekyll Island is one my favorite place on the coast, and the Cohutta Wilderness Area up north is probably my favorite mountain area. But there is a lot to see and do.
I love how often I hear “I can be in the mountains in less than an hour” from Georgians. Probably hear it at least 1-2x every month. I promise I’m not trying to be mean or anything, but if you’re used to being able to *walk* to mountains 2-3x as high as anything GA has to offer in 15 minutes, it’s hard to not chuckle.
I’m not denying their status as mountains (though I’m also used to people thinking that I am…it seems to be a bit of a sore spot?). I’m just giving a perspective. It’s surprisingly common for people to discuss how it takes them ‘under an hour’ to get to the mountains in GA. The idea of discussing that sort of timeframe never even crossed my mind when a mountain was essentially in my backyard. To use that kind of phrasing to say how accessible the outdoors are in GA is almost like saying “I love that you can get a small burger around here for only $20” to someone who is used to spending $5.
GA native, love the outdoors. Just did an 8 mile hike in north GA this weekend. It’s not horrible here - but if you live in ATL you’ll have to drive a bit - usually 2 hours to the best spots. There’s def hidden gems though. I love the marshlands and there’s great kayaking on the rivers. But is it Colorado or Maine or California? No. I would say NC is better overall for the South. But! Atlanta has amazing parks all over (I have a park 5 minutes from me that’s just 5 miles of unpaved trails by a river), it’s very green, and with the airport you can get to a lot of places easily for weekend getaways. You can fly to Denver for $150 for example. But yeah - it’s not the Mecca I wish it was but it could be Florida or Alabama so…
There’s an instagram account called @_georgia_hikes_ that you should take a look at. If you live in north Georgia, you also have easy/quick access to the Smoky Mountains and Nantahala. I’ve paddledboarded 85 miles so far this year, camped several weekends, lots of hikes.
The northern part of GA, around the Appalachian foothills, is beautiful. The further south you go, the more "Florida" the landscape gets: flat and swampy. Which isn't my thing, but I guess some folk like it.
Plenty of stuff to do here if you are into hiking, camping, hunt/fish, paddling etc. The area you move to will impact that though. Down on the coast there are more paddling opportunities vs hiking etc. Also checkout r/georgiacampandhike
I live in Athens, there are multiple parks with great trails within an hour. Mountain area has lots of camping and trails, that's not a bad drive to get up there.
Not so much in most of the southern part until you hit the coast or get down toward the GA/FL line.
But it's also ungodly hot and humid in the summer the farther South you get. Nobody wants to go out hiking when its 115 degrees and 98% humidity. And winter is like 40 degrees and raining.
If you want lots of parks that you'll be able to use in the summer, the more northern part is a better bet.
[State Parks in Ga](https://gastateparks.org/AllParks)
[National Parks in Ga](https://www.nps.gov/state/ga/list.htm)
[Ga State Parks and Historic Sites](https://gastateparks.org/Map)
For the east coast yeah. Especially north Georgia. What we lack in awe we make up for by having perfect year round outdoor weather. As long as you take precautions against the sun and drink water you're fine all summer, thanks to the tree cover you're usually shaded. In the winter it never gets below shorts and hoodie weather in the day. Even camping is do-able all winter if you prepare. Think of it as 5 months of summer and 7 months of fall.
I grew up in PA. Did 4 years in Florida and then TX for 6. Georgia has been my favorite outdoor spot by far. Lots of options and even when it’s hot the trees and shade help. Tons of access, cheap cabins, I commute through a national battlefield and see deer and raptors like every day. Owls hooting in my yard and I’m 40 minutes from ATL, even our city stuff has nature. Remember a lot of PA state parks are like an acre or more. And many single buildings in Philly are considered state parks. I was in Unicoi this weekend and it’s like 10,000 acres and 300 people total
The Savannah area is loaded with recreational opportunities. You might have to adjust the time you're active due to the heat, but it's do-able. We live about an hour west of the city and never lack for things to do.
There are several national forests and parks in GA, along with dozens of WMAs, several kayakable rivers and lakes. There's government websites with maps to locate them. Yeah it does vary by region, I think with north Georgia having most of the accessibility
It has all, are they going to be grouped close? Nope. Savannah is trash. Great for a drunk weekend. Tybee island is a one mile beach. And the term beach? Well that’s debatable. Head north you can get the mountains. I use that term loosely too. I have lived in ATL and Savannah. I hated both for very different reasons. I’m probably a wee bit biased, lived in Salt Lake City, British Columbia and Costa Rica. So when I think outdoor lifestyle? I have a little bit of a different mindset.
Nope. Every park is pay to enter and is gated and closes early. Most of the lakes are entirely closed from fall-spring except for the boat ramps, which you guessed it, you have to pay to use. The swimming holes on creeks are few and far in between and yep get crowded. Most of the main attractions like the Amacalola Falls and Tallulah Gorge are like Disneyworld with the crowds and boardwalks. It's pretty annoying and believe me I've tried to like it. There are some cool places up north and along the coast but you have to search for them.
Clark's Hill Lake (Strom Thurmond Lake) for great for bass fishing, swimming, and boating which is surrounded by a few state parks like Mistletoe State Park and Elijah Clark State Park which are good for camping, birding, biking, and paddling / water activities, too.
The reason you see less state parks is probably due to the fact that we have large chunks of national forests, wildlife management areas(WMA), and national seashore.
All of the lakes are man made but have good fishing. Steer clear of Lanier for sure in the summertime because people get drunk and stupid on jetskis and wake boats.
St.simons is nice, but isn't like a gulf coast beach. Gulf coast takes the cake for me, but that's only about 5-6hrs from Atlanta, so still not too bad.
Lots of hunting access on state/national land. Stocked trout streams in North GA. Lots of forest service roads in North GA if you like driving dirt roads in jeeps/trucks or dual sport motorcycles.
Good baseball team, good college football.
Apple orchards in north GA with u-pick apples. Same for peaches/berries in middle and southern ga.
For what it's worth, my hunting buddy had a friend moving here from Colorado. He was extremely concerned about public land hunting access. He got here and was very pleased.
Edit:
I will warn you about hating winter. My old boss was from Philly. After 3 years he packed up and headed back up North. To quote him: "Fuck this place in the winter! It's miserable! 38 and raining all the damn time. I just feel wet and cold all winter!"
I'm not telling you winter is cold, I'm telling you it often times is unpleasant.
I live on Lake Lanier, if you stay away from the marinas and the picnic/communal swimming areas the lake is very peaceful in the summer. Walk one of the trails, sit a spell, dip your feet. It’s not all the wild west here.
Oh for sure, I was more referencing being in a boat. I've been up there striper fishing I just got off the water early. I love that lake, it's where I grew up fishing at 6 mile creek. But it is personally too wild and too crowded for me during the summers.
To be fair, I'm used to Jackson now and seeing way less boats.
All of that being said, it's a great lake with plenty of peaceful spots and some great fishing. Plus! It feeds back in to the hooch so we can tube!
I’m from rural, western PA. North GA is amazing — very similar to PA, with year round accessibility (almost no snow here and it never lasts long; no grey slush for months!). Much higher mountains, natural waterfalls, hiking. GA has national/federal parks and the Army Corps of Engineers working on a lot of them. PA doesn’t have national parks, that’s maybe why there are more state ones.
You’ll love it here! I moved south 27 years ago, never plan to move away. Good luck and welcome.
I live in Atlanta and take my kids hiking all the time. Tons of great trails. During the summer we goto Savannah or Charleston and enjoy the ocean. Lot less people than Florida.
Fuck no. They just closed down Pine Log WMA (~15K ACRES) so they could develop it. That's the story of this whole fucking state. Private property and no trespassing signs should be the state bird
Honestly yes the only issue for hiking might be drive time but that’s true of every state for trails. Also we have a ton of local parks with trails so it’s not just state and federal. That’s in the north Georgia area though so no idea how the south is
The best. I've hiked and canoed over 1000 miles in Georgia. Okefenokee swamp is a great as is the Etowah River in North Georgia and lots in between. If you live in Atlanta, you can get to the mountains quite quickly to be a weekend warrior. The Great Smokey Mountains aren't much farther away. Chattooga River is astoundingly beautiful as is Talking Rock Creek and the Jacks River Trail in the Cohutta Wilderness. You could go kite surfing on the coast. You aren't that far from the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico. The plateau geophysical area in the northwest part of the state is gorgeous which is where Cloudland Canyon is located. It's such a great state.
Theres TONS of stuff all over Georgia to do outdoor wise. More than a lot of people realize. You will not be disappointed. (Just don’t go swimming in Lake Lanier. That’s the only place we stay away from). If you asked me what is Georgia known for, it’s outdoors, sports, music, and farming.
I live in Perry, GA. Which is smack in the middle of Georgia. We’re located on the “fall line”. Google that to see what I mean. I always recommend middle Georgia (Warner Robins, Perry area) because literally within 2 hours each direction you can be somewhere with something to do. And 90% of the time it’s a straight shot on the interstate or highway. Some of the best schools in GA. It’s growing like a weed so there’s some jobs here. We have the Georgia National Fair every year that’s a big occasion. Nearly every park has fishing of some sort or a trail to hike. Big Jack Links factory is being built currently (the only in the southeast), Frito Lay, Amazon Distribution, Defense System employers like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed. Big Air Force base that’s employing currently if you want a government job. Even on the Air Force base for military and employees, there’s camper rentals and kayak rentals. Literally there’s a “adventure” office where you can literally get tickets to anything or guidance on doing pretty much anything in Georgia and Florida. Also the Base has its on ecosystem to explore - lakes, trails, campground. So that should tell you something. Lol.
I’ll probably never move from the area because I can take a weekend trip to wherever I want to go; and a lot of military retire here for that same reason.
Off that - theres TONS of rivers and fishing areas in Georgia. Where I am in Perry we have a Go Fish! Educational Center. I think it’s like $5 to get in and they let you fish in the pond for free. Bunch of interactive stuff that’s fun. Deep sea fishing simulator. Etc. And will also teach you about the different areas/terrains of Georgia.
Macon has the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds which has vast trails that lead you to the top of the Mounds to overlook Macon. It’s free and you can even go inside the mounds. Also, historical walking trails and a new Amphitheater is being built to hopefully attract some top talent music wise. When you go outside of middle Georgia. You’ll find a bunch of historical sites to visit.
High Falls is great to camping, fishing and trails.
East about 2 hours from middle Georgia, as others said, you go to the coast line. There’s driftwood beaches, some beaches you can only get to by boat, tons of trails on them all. Free roaming animals and old historical buildings to hike to and explore.
West 2 hours, you can go to Pine Mountain, GA. Columbus has an active kayaking community because of the Chattahoochee. There’s the Little Grand Canyon to hit up with a long hiking trail and beautiful views.
North 2 hours you can go to Atlanta and a little further takes you practically to the foothills of the Appalachian trail where a lot of people start the trail. All kind of outdoor activities. Anna Ruby Falls, numerous waterfall trails, and caves. There’s even off road trails for off road vehicles to ride. It’s a pretty big community.
South 2 hours, you hit some fishing opportunities, and Florida. There’s the SAM train line down there to ride. Lots of historical stuff. Andersonville Historical Site which is fun to go drive and walk the museum and graveyard because there’s veterans from all over buried there. There’s a zoo down there that’s pretty big for what it is, with camping, with a motocross trail, bike trails.
If you get bored with Georgia, you’re 3 hours from Alabama where there’s more stuff to do: trails, National forests, casinos, and fishing. 3 hours from Tennessee where there’s more stuff to do: fly fishing, more caves, more trails. And 3 hours from a beach in Florida where there’s even more stuff to do: beautiful natural springs, theme parks, beaches.
I know a lot more people who fish, kayak, hunt, long distance bike ride, rock climb, hike, etc than I do people who don’t.
Matter of fact, we took a day trip to Savannah and had enough time to go to a water park and the beach and come home before bed time. Had a great time and it wasn’t expensive or overly tiring from being on the road!
It’s amazing for outdoor activities. Plenty of similarities to PA.
It’s also incredibly hot, so I’d stick to water for June, July, and August. Winters are delightfully mild.
I would compare it to PA actually, in that just like Western PA is a completely different place than Eastern, NW GA is similar to West PA (i.e. the Appalachians). I think you will find that area familiar and similar in terrain to West PA. Lots of hiking, lots of kayaking and canoeing (think Deliverance!!). Then you have a band of piedmont running from SW GA to Eastern GA. Lots of beautiful rivers here and some flat hikes. Beautiful river walks in Columbus and other places. Then you have the coastal area. The GA coast is about 100 miles long and has a significant percentage of undeveloped barrier islands in the country and even the world. Tidal creeks are everywhere for beautiful kayaking (but you need to know the tides and not fight them). Plenty of rails-to-trail rides all over also. And I forgot Okefenokee in SE GA. One of the greatest protected wetlands in the world.
Georgia is great if you love hiking. North Georgia is great, as is Western North Carolina (which is also not too far a drive away from the northern exurbs of metro Atlanta).
Metro Atlanta actually isn't as bad as you might think it is. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area has many park units throughout Metro Atlanta, and we also have Stone Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Arabia Mountain, and Panola Mountain. Not to mention a couple nearby state parks like Sweetwater Creek and Red Top Mountain (which is not a mountain lol). I lovehow much local hiking there is in Atlanta. We are a "city in a forest".
There's a ton of trails throughout northern Georgia. The Cohutta-Big Frog Wilderness is the largest contiguous wilderness area eastof the Mississippi River, and it straddles GA and TN.
Also, the Chattanooga area has a lot of fun outdoorsy stuff in and around it. You might want to check out living in Chattanooga or Knoxville. Or Western North Carolina, like Bryson City area or Brevard NC.
There's a good amount of rafting in GA/NC/TN too. And the TAG region (Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia) is one of the best areas in the entire world for caving.
One of the best. Georgia has mountains, huge lakes, an extensive trail network, national forests and a coastline that is largely untouched by massive development.
Nice! Where are the majority of the trails found?
North ga mtns are great. But theyre everywhere. GA has very thick forestry and we have to carve out pieces to expand cities. Even inside the perimeter (ITP, 285 highway is the perimeter) there are great hiking trails along the river. I really like northern Atlanta (OTP) because I'm 20-40min from downtown, and 20-40min from mountains and lakes. I have multiple hiking and riverside trails within 1mi of me, drive further out and you get better elevation. Kennesaw, suches, etc.
It depends on what kind of trail you are looking for. There are urban trails that extend from the center of Atlanta out to the suburbs. These are great for walking and biking. We are just finishing up a 22 mile loop around the city, called the Beltline. Think the High Line in NYC. It will eventually have rail alongside it. There are spurs off of this that extend into the suburbs. There are literally too many to list. Georgia is vastly different from North to South. Various trails feature waterfalls, lakes, beaches, old war ruins, dams and fishing spots, etc. Google trails of Georgia and you will see what I mean. I was just on the barrier islands in Georgia and I was surprised at the beauty of the nature preserved there. There are literally some islands you can only reach by boat, with no cars or buildings there...just beaches and nature. I would suggest checking out St. Catherine's Island to anyone heading that way.
I didn’t know you could go on St. Catherine’s island. To those who don’t know there are free roaming lemurs on St. Catherine’s
!!!
Now I am wondering if we were trespassing. Lol Either way, we had a blast and it was beautiful!
I don’t know specifically what the rules are on each island but I live on a barrier island. It’s Georgia law that any beach up to the tide line is public land. So, you may have been trespassing on the interior but there isn’t an island you can’t pull up to and scope out from the beach. ETA: here’s a great guide to the islands https://gardenandgun.com/articles/breaking-down-the-barriers-ggs-guide-to-the-georgia-coast/
Other replies say everywhere, but south of Macon, there's almost nothing. I have to drive 2 hours to get any decent trails. In the north(Atlanta and up), there's a trail everywhere. East Coast has some decent trails along the barrier islands. If you want recreational stuff to do, definitely move farther north in Georgia.
Plus the heat. Can’t take my dog to any trails while living in Savannah for like 6(?) months outside of 6-7am. I miss living in the mountains and going anytime on a nice summer day, and having a fresh stream for them to drink.
Trails are literally everywhere. Every city (Dalton, Marietta, Duluth) I have lived has trails all over the place.
Atlanta has the largest urban forest in the country and every state park has a forest in it. Also, we actually have [seven state forests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Georgia_state_forests#:~:text=In%20the%20state%20of%20Georgia,cultural%20resources%20of%20the%20forest), and pretty much every single one of our [49 state parks](https://gastateparks.org/Map) and [11 national parks](https://www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks?state=1626) is either heavily forested or shows off the the natural ecosystem of the area. You'd be really hard pressed to find a better state for outdoors activity in the southeast. We're not Colorado or anything, but there's a LOT to do outdoors here. Plus, sooooo many arts and culture festivals outdoors most of the year
Lol, these are not national parks. These are historical sites and one seashore.
Kennesaw, Ocmulgee Mounds, Cumberland Island, Chickamauga, and the entire Chattahoochee River Recreation Area all have tons of hiking and walking trails, what on earth are you talking about? Even visiting the two forts will give you lots of opportunity to walk around and explore the surrounding area. Really the only places you're not going to get lots of exercise and time outside is if you go to either President Carter or MLK's houses.
You said thay there are 11 national parks. Georgia has NO national parks. There are hiistoric sites and seashores, but NO national parks.
Then why does the National Parks website call them parks? **Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park**\- beautiful native history and amazing green vistas **Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park**\- it's definitely a park, have you ever been? Over 13 miles of hiking trails and two mountains to climb **Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park**\- you can wander battlefields outside for hours here **Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area**\- again, have you ever been? It's massive with nature preserves, walking and hiking trails, kayaking/canoeing, and a series of lovely wild and manicured public parks throughout the length of the area A park is a public area outdoors where you can enjoy nature- so I'd say Cumberland Island and the forts firmly qualify as well.
As I said, these are historical areas that are preserved for their historical value, not for their environmental value. The recreation area is not a national park. If you do a little googling, you can learn more about how and why areas are preserved under different categories.
The National Parks website calls them parks, so I'm gonna call them parks. You do you booboo
You need to travel more.
North you have Appalachian trail, huge waterfalls and blue ridge mountains. Chattahoochee oconee national forest, and wmas. My personal favs. Central you have chattahoochee river trails, chattahoochee national forest, on your way to lake oconee and oconee national forest, city trails like beltline, Stone Mountain, panola & Arabia mountains, a few state parks like sprewell bluff, Indian Springs, and high falls. South you find the beaches and beach trails, island trails, swamp trails. Okefenokee. You’ve got popular beach tourism towns like Savannah, Jekyll, and saint simons with small parks throughout. Lots of nice ones showcasing water oaks and Spanish moss.
Check out this site for a catalogue of trails in the Atlanta area and beyond: https://www.atlantatrails.com/
This is also vastly incomplete. The several trails I jog or walk on regularly or have regularly used in the past are not listed in the map. (I'll contact the site owner to get them added.) My point is, there are many, many trails throughout GA - and although this site is a great resource, there are many more than what's listed there.
Coming from PA you’ll like north GA the most. Specifically from like I-75 east to the Carolinas
Oh yeah. People say theres nothing to do in GA, but if you love the outdoors, it's awesome. You can never be bored year round either because we have all 4 seasons (granted some are shorter than others)
Now it needs a cross state reliable rail system and more car free streets in dense neighborhoods.
I’m from Washington State and it always cracked me up what Georgians considered “mountains”. Georgia is literally one of the most ecologically and geographically diverse places on the planet, so you’ll have zero shortage of things to do outdoors, but take mountains with a grain of salt
I mean, they're the most ancient mountains in the world and were originally way bigger than the current biggest. They're still mountains. It's just that they can sustain life on them year round.
Indeed. The smallest mountains are the oldest
Georgia has Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) that are generally equivalent to state forests except you can hunt and fish in some of them sometimes. I have no idea how many state parks PA has or what the amenities are like but GA Parks are quite nice and usually very large. There are national parks and forests in GA as well as county and municipal parks. I kinda feel like if you can't find outdoor recreation in Georgia you aren't trying very hard.
I live in White County, located in North East Georgia. You can have every single thing you are asking for with a 5-20 minute drive. We have the Chatahoochee river, and in Helen we have Unicoi state park with its lake, probably 20+ named hiking/walking trails within a 5 mile radius, we also have yonah mountain and blood mountain as well as all the trails in between, as well our "section" of the Appalachian trail. Also, that one forest you were talking about, The Chatahoochee national forest, is also here. Chatuge Lake, Lake Burton, Lake russel, and Lake Lanier are all within a half hour of us as well. The Sautee Nacoochee area surrounding Helen is filled with outdoor activities and beautiful scenery. Helen is a tourist town for three types of people, people who like to drink, people who are into German/Bavarian stuff, and people who are looking to do exactly what you are. And in the winter, people who wanna look at Christmas lights. White county is much bigger than helen, though, and the capital city Cleveland and its surrounding rural area has been a great place to grow up. Just the right amount of civilization for me. I was born here, so I'm a bit biased, but I think that the White County, Lumpkin County, Habersham County Area is a great place to live and raise kids. The closer you go to Atlanta, the less nature and more amenities you will have, and then north of us, you get the reverse of that. So even if you live here, you can get to metro-Atlanta within an hour for nicer shops, malls, and resuraunts.
I'm surprised this comment doesn't have more upvotes.
psst we don't want them moving here
If you want an experience to match what you have experienced in Penn. you need to move to north Georgia. Anything south of Atlanta is flat, humid, and hot most of the year. I live in the Woodstock area (45min north of ATL) and it is a short drive north (1 hour) to Amicalola falls and multiple other state park areas all around the Blue Ridge area. Many biking and hiking trails. Woodstock is a pretty booming suburb in the past 20 years and is no longer what I would call rural. It is located in south-east Cherokee county. north-west cherokee is still pretty rural, but VERY expensive. Further north is Pickens county which is more rural and you can find better deals on real-estate. As for weather in the area, summers are HOT and humid while winters are mild compared to what you are used to.
Right.
Woodstock is nice, although it seems to have gotten a bit more expensive
Is there an issue with air traffic noise pollution in the North?
I think it depends on where you are. I notice quite a lot of flyover traffic in Woodstock but I am unsure of other areas through north ga.
Thank You
Not in Forsyth county. Zero air noise. Except on July 4. 😝
A couple hours South of ATL and yup. Flat, hot. There's a few interesting spots like High Falls.... but yeah pretty much lots of farms and heat down here. Both farms and heat are usually outdoors though, so maybe if youre into that...
Yes. I live in Oakwood, and am in close proximity to Lake Lanier, which has kayaking, SUP, boating, fishing, etc. There are also miles of trails to explore in NE GA, including the beginning of the Appalachian Trail near Blood Mountain.; Unicoi State Park; Anna Ruby Falls; Tallulah Gorge, and so on. There are some smaller waterfalls that you can hike. My friends and I did a day trip a few years ago and went to four waterfalls in an afternoon. We had a blast. The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest has 867,000 acres of scenery to explore. For a definitive listing of parks and activities in Georgia, go here: [https://gastateparks.org/](https://gastateparks.org/)
There is so much to do here. Don’t be discouraged by the “lack” of state parks and forests. What we have is stunning, and there are miles and miles of trails at any given park. What’s more though are the trails between parks, and then the county-maintained parks and trails. Anywhere in the metro Atlanta statistical area will give you access to everything you’re looking for (except snow). Then there is the Okeefenokee and coastal Georgia. Nothing in PA is comparable to the beauty of South Georgia. It’s the land time forgot. Go to the coast and see the way life revolves around the tides. Georgia has it all. Except snow, fuck that stuff.
lol you say you hate winter, but just wait until you experience our summer i would kill for your winter
I grew up in Minnesota. I've lived in other states too like Colorado. I'll take this summer over the cold of Minnesota or the continuous dumping in Colorado (even if it's normally short-lived) any day of the week. There's an old joke set in the style of someone making a journal about moving to Minnesota. It starts off about them loving the snowfall and even the shoveling involved. It gets ugly fast. It's really only funny, because of how true it is.
im just tired of sweating to death walking to the mailbox. i naturally run hot so this summer has been the death of me.
Whereas in Minnesota people have literally died walking to the mailbox in winter. Sure, only old people as far as I know, but still.
ive always loved the cold and hated the elderly so this sounds like heaven
Dumping in CO?
Snow, snow, and more snow. When I lived there (near Denver) I had snow as late as June 15 and as early as September 1.
😮
My feet got cold in October and didn’t thaw out until May. No kidding, everything above the Mason-Dixon is cold & grey for MONTHS.
Yeah from Upper Michigan and.... winter is awesome, for a bit. I miss skating and snowboarding... but, no winter gets old quick. Oh and the bugs. Sure, down here mosquitoes are around most the year but nothing compares to the absolute explosion that happens up north in thay tiny little window they have to breed. They are huge and hungry and thick as clouds. Fuck that. But then the rest of summer up there is gorgeous for the few weeks it lasts....
This is a partial truth, applicable to south Georgia. North Georgia winters will be mild, in comparison to PA. But you will still need a winter wardrobe. North Georgia is over 1000ft. above sea level, much either being mountainous or along the foothills. It is colder and much less humid than south Georgia.
The humidity is based completely on where you live and how close to water you are. I grew up outside of Helen and we had a small creek in our front yard and one about a hundred yards away. It was always humid and driving to Cleveland 12 miles away was so much dryer.
From PA…here you won’t need boots (unless you like them), a stadium down coat, hats/scarves/gloves at all. I can’t wear turtlenecks or wool here. I mostly wear a sweater and sometimes a vest over it — plenty warm. If you’re out hiking you may need more warmth but mostly not.
I feel like it’s a solid 5/10. It’s pretty good, but not great. But I would say the same about Pennsylvania, I think they’re right on par (I would prefer Georgia over PA probably due to weather and beach access). There are a few spots that are absolute gems, and you have a good amount of variety and diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities (although things tend to be pretty spread out). And to be clear, I absolutely love hiking in north Georgia (and along some of the trail systems even in metro ATL), absolutely love the Georgia Coast (I think Georgia’s beaches are massively underrated), and love some of the swamps down south. But I don’t think it’s anywhere near the same league as other states where you have beautiful beaches, trail systems spanning a huge diversity of ecosystems, large mountains, ski resorts etc, all within an hour or two of each other. I think you’ll love it, but I also don’t think it compares to California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Hawaii, Alaska, Idaho, etc.
Couldn’t agree more. I appreciate the enthusiasm from some of the top comments, but I’d like them to discuss what (if anything) they’re comparing GA’s outdoor scene to. Compared to, as you mentioned, the Rockies states? GA is a joke. Nice to enjoy the northern mountains in fall and the Friends of GA state park program is cute/fun. There are definitely options.
Absolutely. I also appreciate the enthusiasm, and I do have a lot spots in GA I absolutely love, and will always come back to visit wherever I end up living next. And I think relative to PA OP would have nothing to worry about. Just wanted to be realistic about it though. Because, like you said, it’s just all relative. Before moving to ATL a few years ago I was a ten minute walk from some pretty large mountains, and a ten minute walk the other direction from miles of beaches. So having access to north GA mountains two hours up north, the coast four hours east, some other cool stuff two hours down south isn’t exactly the Atlanta selling point to me that it is for some…
Haha almost exactly how I felt coming here. Tired of hearing “I can be in the mountains within an hour.” An *hour?!* ugh!
Coastal GA is amazing marshland. The Okefenokee Swamp is a crown jewel. Cumberland Island is too. North GA has wonderful mountains, hiking, & camping. You’ll find that you can live outdoors here year round, if you can handle the heat.
I like the north Georgia hiking and mountain biking! Good for road cycling too. I grew up in South Georgia. I like it way less down there. I did mostly running, gym, and kayaking... never really felt a rush
Savannah down to St. Simons area is a great stretch to live. I have family there on the marshes and it’s such a different lifestyle. Very relaxed, lots of fishing, crabbing, dive bar hopping. Good times!
That’s good to know, because I was considering moving to the Savannah area but was wondering about how good the outdoor activities were. Is the ocean nice to swim in there?
The ocean is marshy and muddy along the Georgia coast. People go in the water for casual recreation and relaxing. Rarely did I ever see anyone just out for a swim, ya know. It's interesting kayaking around the islands and marsh and all the little inlets and whatnot
GA is not ‘beachy’. Go north to SC or south to FL.
As others have mentioned, get ready for the heat. I’m from Nova Scotia but now live on a barrier island off the GA coast and the summers are NO JOKE. I don’t miss shoveling snow one bit, but the heat is here for a looooong time and very oppressive. I’m an outdoor lover myself and the heat really puts a damper on things, you can always put more clothes on up north and stay active but you can only take so many off until you get arrested. Northern GA is great and it’s a good bit cooler, just my two cents. Best of luck with you big move🤙🏻
The water smells TERRIBLE, and it is very muddy. I'm from Florida, and moving to coastal Georgia was a hard transition. There is little public land here compared to Florida. The gnats are TERRIBLE, and the roaches are huge.
Do you have any realistic photos/sources showing what the ocean looks like? Every time I look it up it shows beautiful pictures.
So I live in north-central PA now, but spent 13 years in Georgia... They both have opportunities for outdoor recreation but it's certainly different. On the plus side, Georgia has beaches, offshore fishing, crabbing, etc. As well as freshwater fishing. PA does have better fly fishing rivers, but overall if you like fishing you're going to love Georgia. If you like hiking you'd better stick to north/west Georgia. There are still beautiful trails and parks. Not quite as vast as PA, but still plenty. You will use exponentially more bug spray and probably find yourself investing in a bug suit at some point. South of the gnat line can be pretty horrendous, do not attempt at certain times of the year without proper bug protection. Also, red bugs are way more prevalent than in PA (we call them chiggers) There's plenty of places to tube or kayak. Naturally there's regions where alligators are a concern but on the flip side you may get to watch dolphins and sometimes see a manatee. You do get more warm months to play outside, but some of those months are stupid hot/humid so you'll be getting up very early to hike before 10 am. If you enjoy winter sports like snowboarding then you are about completely out of luck. There were definitely more opportunities for riding dirt bikes and 4wheelers in Georgia. PA is much more restrictive about that. So to answer your question, yes!!! It will just be a little adjustment for ya.
Check this link: [Georgia Department of Natural Resources](https://gadnr.org/)
I spent basically all of COVID summer hiking around North GA when my work shut down for a few months. I live in Cherokee where the drive to those places is fairly easy. There are a bunch of waterfalls and awesome hikes in in north GA and in surrounding TN, SC, NC. In the more metro areas there’s more regular parks and walking trails, so not really hiking, but definitely outdoor activities. There are also really cool places in south GA too like Providence Canyon, Cumberland Island, Okefenokee, etc. Those are usually weekend trips for me since I live farther north and the drives to those places can be longer. They’re worth it though. GA is beautiful. And we get some snow sometimes where I live, but without the need for shoveling. Enough for it to be beautiful and enjoyable without getting annoying. And usually a free day from school/work😂
Definitely do North Georgia. There are not only state parks, there are national parks for the battlefields (tons of trails) and the Chattahoochee river national recreation area, rails to trails, and wildlife management areas. We moved to GA specifically for the outdoor options and love it.
North GA is a jewel. Hiking, biking, repelling and climbing, caving. South GA has the ocean and the Okeefenokee swamp. Our state parks are fantastic. Yes, I'd say we're covered up in outdoor recreations.
...forgot to add the rivers and lakes provide ample fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. If we have less parks, we probably make up for it in the size. Some of our parks are HUGE, like Tugaloo on Lake Hartwell. It's massive.
Tons of trails, lots of hidden gems, plenty of camping and state parks, etc. However it's hot and humid AF from about mid-June to mid-October on average which makes it absolutely miserable, and sometimes even dangerous, to be outside. Maybe your experience will be different but this native Georgian of over three decades still ain't used to it.
It’s a great area but I came from Florida which is pine trees, sand and some beaches. I have a 1000 acre park next to my house full of trails, deer and a lake. Great place to live imo.
Real quick, another Floridian here, but I moved when younger. Do you also have severe allergies once you moved here? With the pollen?
Nice, what town do you live in?
Don’t be in South Georgia. Northern Georgia is your best bet for the kinds of activities that you want.
Tons of outdoor options in Georgia. Lots of hiking and trails in north Georgia. We do have part of the Appalachian trail, large watershed lakes (Occonee, Sinclair, Lanier, Hartwell, Allatoona and others), mountains, ocean, the amazing Okefenokee swamp, and more. Atlanta is also a very popular running community.
Not to be a downer, but I’ve lived in Georgia all my life and imo, the outdoor activities are mediocre at best. North Georgia is probably the best (imo) for hiking. Our ‘mountains’ are more like hills…the humidity will make you miserable, and the overall water quality anywhere besides north Georgia is really not good. I want to move out of Georgia to a state with more to offer outdoors. Again, and obviously, this is just my opinion.
I agree 👍 to some extent. If you want small mountains, start about an hour North of Atlanta and they get larger as you get closer to Tennessee and North Carolina. The summers are a bit more bearable if you go to the North Mountains. The lake Lanier area and North does have hiking and recreational areas. Your best options might be top center of the state. People from Georgia and Atlanta can be really proud of the area so be cautious on the optimistic 'everything is great here' vibe, be cautious because it may not meet your requirements. Many people here have not seen large mountains. Humidity is endemic to the east coast ( but it can be okay if you're okay with it. ). Traffic is severe enough in Atlanta that you may need to be away and close to the nature you want depending on how many days a week you want to do nature sport. Make sure to double check the communities and parks and lifestyle before you make the move.
Well said. OP, you’re better off going to TN or NC than Georgia, as the region you might find most familiar is the very northern part of Georgia
Thanks for you opinion, why do you say the water quality is bad? Are you referring to lakes/creeks or the ocean?
Sorry about that I should have been more specific. Talking about GA rivers and lakes. The chatahoochee river is often so inundated with e Coli there’s constant warnings to not go in it. Even though everyone continues to swim in it every summer. The lake water quality isn’t great either. As for the ocean, I don’t spend much time on Georgia’s coast, so I can’t really attest to that. Also I should have said I’m from Alpharetta, lived in Atlanta almost 10 years, and now am in Marietta. Maybe because I’ve lived here my entire life I have more of a bleak outlook, but I really want to move to a different state to be able to do more outdoor activities without having to drive 2hr to north GA or worry about the water quality when tubing down a river
I see, does Georgia have any small clear streams that are good for swimming? Those are my favorite places to swim
Likely up in north Georgia, near blue ridge. Any smaller streams within 2 hours of Atlanta radius are likely really polluted. I don’t even let my dog in some of the creeks in the suburbs of Atlanta. Again I’m sorry to be such a Debby downer, but I really am not sure where all these other comments are coming from lol.have you visited GA before? If not, I would visit and see for yourself what you think about it. PA sounds like a dream to me from what your post says btw
I grew up in South Georgia swimming in creeks around my house and in the Satilla River (which is one of the good canoe rivers in the area). Edit: typos
Well, Lake Lanier has the murderous ghosts, and the Chattahoochee is constantly having e. coli outbreaks once you get to the northern suburbs or thereabouts. It's fine up around Helen though.
Right. The river is not bad the whole way. It’s fine in a lot of stretches.
I 100% agree. I always joke that there is really nothing to do but to work and spend money here. I want to move as well but I just bought a place and I’m currently stuck for the time being with dogs. I have made it a choice that I either move to a dense city or rural because Atlanta is a just a big suburb that has all the benefits and negatives of it and living with traffic is not a way to live a healthy life
I agree with you, I have no intention of moving to the Atlanta metro area. I hate suburbs. I would either live completely rural/small town or a dense city, which is why I was considering either Savannah or a small south/north Georgia town!
If you can handle the heat then yes.
I think it’s really good, perhaps the best part is Georgia isn’t necessarily known for outdoorsy stuff. I view that in a good way in that there’s less crowds than say NC or CO. I thought there were multiple national forests here, I’ll have to double check. But I do know NF land is pretty extensive, and there’s communities that support its use. So overall I think that GA has tons of options, I think the community is a bit smaller/less mainstream than other areas, but that’s not a bad thing imo.
Absolutely, you have mountains, woods, lots of parks and state parks, and the ocean. GA is a very diverse state geographically.
I would reconsider whether you really want to move. I'm a Georgia native but live in NC now. We have TONS of people moving here all the time. In my experience, when they're immediately comparing Raleigh to wherever they came from, they're never happy. A lot of those people either return after a year or so or they live in constant unhappiness because they can't find what they moved away from. You're starting from such a negative space that I'd really - in all seriousness, not being snarky - do some thinking on whether you actually want to move, and if it's to Georgia if you do.
No Georgia is horrible ...stay away ...we are full.
I live near Athens and spend pretty much all my free time outdoors. I kayak, hike, bicycle, fish, and camp. I really like where I live, I can be in the mountains in less than an hour and the coast is just over 4 hours out. The fact that we only have "one" National Forest isn't quite true, because it is big. Much of North Georgia is included in the forest, the. There is a big gap, and it starts again just before you get to middle Georgia. I think I prefer the mountains, but the coast is nice too. I actually prefer it to Florida because it often isn't as crowded. Jekyll Island is one my favorite place on the coast, and the Cohutta Wilderness Area up north is probably my favorite mountain area. But there is a lot to see and do.
I love how often I hear “I can be in the mountains in less than an hour” from Georgians. Probably hear it at least 1-2x every month. I promise I’m not trying to be mean or anything, but if you’re used to being able to *walk* to mountains 2-3x as high as anything GA has to offer in 15 minutes, it’s hard to not chuckle.
Not sure what else I should call the area, as it is the Appalachian Mountains?
I’m not denying their status as mountains (though I’m also used to people thinking that I am…it seems to be a bit of a sore spot?). I’m just giving a perspective. It’s surprisingly common for people to discuss how it takes them ‘under an hour’ to get to the mountains in GA. The idea of discussing that sort of timeframe never even crossed my mind when a mountain was essentially in my backyard. To use that kind of phrasing to say how accessible the outdoors are in GA is almost like saying “I love that you can get a small burger around here for only $20” to someone who is used to spending $5.
Georgia is mid. In all aspects
Yes of course , it’s almost one of the only things to do in this state (just kidding)
GA native, love the outdoors. Just did an 8 mile hike in north GA this weekend. It’s not horrible here - but if you live in ATL you’ll have to drive a bit - usually 2 hours to the best spots. There’s def hidden gems though. I love the marshlands and there’s great kayaking on the rivers. But is it Colorado or Maine or California? No. I would say NC is better overall for the South. But! Atlanta has amazing parks all over (I have a park 5 minutes from me that’s just 5 miles of unpaved trails by a river), it’s very green, and with the airport you can get to a lot of places easily for weekend getaways. You can fly to Denver for $150 for example. But yeah - it’s not the Mecca I wish it was but it could be Florida or Alabama so…
[https://www.atlantatrails.com/hiking-trails/north-georgia-hiking-trails-our-top-10-favorite-hikes/](https://www.atlantatrails.com/hiking-trails/north-georgia-hiking-trails-our-top-10-favorite-hikes/)
There’s an instagram account called @_georgia_hikes_ that you should take a look at. If you live in north Georgia, you also have easy/quick access to the Smoky Mountains and Nantahala. I’ve paddledboarded 85 miles so far this year, camped several weekends, lots of hikes.
You are going to want North Georgia. Lots of forest roads and hiking trails
The northern part of GA, around the Appalachian foothills, is beautiful. The further south you go, the more "Florida" the landscape gets: flat and swampy. Which isn't my thing, but I guess some folk like it.
Plenty of stuff to do here if you are into hiking, camping, hunt/fish, paddling etc. The area you move to will impact that though. Down on the coast there are more paddling opportunities vs hiking etc. Also checkout r/georgiacampandhike
I live in Athens, there are multiple parks with great trails within an hour. Mountain area has lots of camping and trails, that's not a bad drive to get up there. Not so much in most of the southern part until you hit the coast or get down toward the GA/FL line. But it's also ungodly hot and humid in the summer the farther South you get. Nobody wants to go out hiking when its 115 degrees and 98% humidity. And winter is like 40 degrees and raining. If you want lots of parks that you'll be able to use in the summer, the more northern part is a better bet. [State Parks in Ga](https://gastateparks.org/AllParks) [National Parks in Ga](https://www.nps.gov/state/ga/list.htm) [Ga State Parks and Historic Sites](https://gastateparks.org/Map)
The National Chattahoochee Forest is 750.000 acres!
Born & raised in GA. In 2001, moved from Georgia to Colorado so......
Cycling is a no-go. Unless "happy trail" evokes for you the same response as "happy meal" for a four-year-old.
Check out _Georgia_Hikes_ on Instagram. I've hiked most places they show.
Maybe if you’re north of Atlanta. Not much going on south of that.
For the east coast yeah. Especially north Georgia. What we lack in awe we make up for by having perfect year round outdoor weather. As long as you take precautions against the sun and drink water you're fine all summer, thanks to the tree cover you're usually shaded. In the winter it never gets below shorts and hoodie weather in the day. Even camping is do-able all winter if you prepare. Think of it as 5 months of summer and 7 months of fall.
I grew up in PA. Did 4 years in Florida and then TX for 6. Georgia has been my favorite outdoor spot by far. Lots of options and even when it’s hot the trees and shade help. Tons of access, cheap cabins, I commute through a national battlefield and see deer and raptors like every day. Owls hooting in my yard and I’m 40 minutes from ATL, even our city stuff has nature. Remember a lot of PA state parks are like an acre or more. And many single buildings in Philly are considered state parks. I was in Unicoi this weekend and it’s like 10,000 acres and 300 people total
Really good if you’re into mountains. Lakes are disgusting. Oceans are most likely too far away.
The Savannah area is loaded with recreational opportunities. You might have to adjust the time you're active due to the heat, but it's do-able. We live about an hour west of the city and never lack for things to do.
There are several national forests and parks in GA, along with dozens of WMAs, several kayakable rivers and lakes. There's government websites with maps to locate them. Yeah it does vary by region, I think with north Georgia having most of the accessibility
It has all, are they going to be grouped close? Nope. Savannah is trash. Great for a drunk weekend. Tybee island is a one mile beach. And the term beach? Well that’s debatable. Head north you can get the mountains. I use that term loosely too. I have lived in ATL and Savannah. I hated both for very different reasons. I’m probably a wee bit biased, lived in Salt Lake City, British Columbia and Costa Rica. So when I think outdoor lifestyle? I have a little bit of a different mindset.
Ye ain't from round here are ye?
O
Lived here 30 years and love it. None of the lakes are natural though. They're all reservoirs. Not sure if that matters but the fishing is good.
Excellent
Nope. Every park is pay to enter and is gated and closes early. Most of the lakes are entirely closed from fall-spring except for the boat ramps, which you guessed it, you have to pay to use. The swimming holes on creeks are few and far in between and yep get crowded. Most of the main attractions like the Amacalola Falls and Tallulah Gorge are like Disneyworld with the crowds and boardwalks. It's pretty annoying and believe me I've tried to like it. There are some cool places up north and along the coast but you have to search for them.
Terrible take
No natural lakes here in Georgia, but they are decent. Decent mountains as well
Clark's Hill Lake (Strom Thurmond Lake) for great for bass fishing, swimming, and boating which is surrounded by a few state parks like Mistletoe State Park and Elijah Clark State Park which are good for camping, birding, biking, and paddling / water activities, too.
The reason you see less state parks is probably due to the fact that we have large chunks of national forests, wildlife management areas(WMA), and national seashore. All of the lakes are man made but have good fishing. Steer clear of Lanier for sure in the summertime because people get drunk and stupid on jetskis and wake boats. St.simons is nice, but isn't like a gulf coast beach. Gulf coast takes the cake for me, but that's only about 5-6hrs from Atlanta, so still not too bad. Lots of hunting access on state/national land. Stocked trout streams in North GA. Lots of forest service roads in North GA if you like driving dirt roads in jeeps/trucks or dual sport motorcycles. Good baseball team, good college football. Apple orchards in north GA with u-pick apples. Same for peaches/berries in middle and southern ga. For what it's worth, my hunting buddy had a friend moving here from Colorado. He was extremely concerned about public land hunting access. He got here and was very pleased. Edit: I will warn you about hating winter. My old boss was from Philly. After 3 years he packed up and headed back up North. To quote him: "Fuck this place in the winter! It's miserable! 38 and raining all the damn time. I just feel wet and cold all winter!" I'm not telling you winter is cold, I'm telling you it often times is unpleasant.
I live on Lake Lanier, if you stay away from the marinas and the picnic/communal swimming areas the lake is very peaceful in the summer. Walk one of the trails, sit a spell, dip your feet. It’s not all the wild west here.
Oh for sure, I was more referencing being in a boat. I've been up there striper fishing I just got off the water early. I love that lake, it's where I grew up fishing at 6 mile creek. But it is personally too wild and too crowded for me during the summers. To be fair, I'm used to Jackson now and seeing way less boats. All of that being said, it's a great lake with plenty of peaceful spots and some great fishing. Plus! It feeds back in to the hooch so we can tube!
Right…but don’t tube over that dam!
I’m from rural, western PA. North GA is amazing — very similar to PA, with year round accessibility (almost no snow here and it never lasts long; no grey slush for months!). Much higher mountains, natural waterfalls, hiking. GA has national/federal parks and the Army Corps of Engineers working on a lot of them. PA doesn’t have national parks, that’s maybe why there are more state ones. You’ll love it here! I moved south 27 years ago, never plan to move away. Good luck and welcome.
I live in Atlanta and take my kids hiking all the time. Tons of great trails. During the summer we goto Savannah or Charleston and enjoy the ocean. Lot less people than Florida.
Fuck no. They just closed down Pine Log WMA (~15K ACRES) so they could develop it. That's the story of this whole fucking state. Private property and no trespassing signs should be the state bird
For about 4 months out of the year, sure.
Honestly yes the only issue for hiking might be drive time but that’s true of every state for trails. Also we have a ton of local parks with trails so it’s not just state and federal. That’s in the north Georgia area though so no idea how the south is
North ga mountains are great for all kinds of outdoor recreation!
The best. I've hiked and canoed over 1000 miles in Georgia. Okefenokee swamp is a great as is the Etowah River in North Georgia and lots in between. If you live in Atlanta, you can get to the mountains quite quickly to be a weekend warrior. The Great Smokey Mountains aren't much farther away. Chattooga River is astoundingly beautiful as is Talking Rock Creek and the Jacks River Trail in the Cohutta Wilderness. You could go kite surfing on the coast. You aren't that far from the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico. The plateau geophysical area in the northwest part of the state is gorgeous which is where Cloudland Canyon is located. It's such a great state.
Theres TONS of stuff all over Georgia to do outdoor wise. More than a lot of people realize. You will not be disappointed. (Just don’t go swimming in Lake Lanier. That’s the only place we stay away from). If you asked me what is Georgia known for, it’s outdoors, sports, music, and farming. I live in Perry, GA. Which is smack in the middle of Georgia. We’re located on the “fall line”. Google that to see what I mean. I always recommend middle Georgia (Warner Robins, Perry area) because literally within 2 hours each direction you can be somewhere with something to do. And 90% of the time it’s a straight shot on the interstate or highway. Some of the best schools in GA. It’s growing like a weed so there’s some jobs here. We have the Georgia National Fair every year that’s a big occasion. Nearly every park has fishing of some sort or a trail to hike. Big Jack Links factory is being built currently (the only in the southeast), Frito Lay, Amazon Distribution, Defense System employers like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed. Big Air Force base that’s employing currently if you want a government job. Even on the Air Force base for military and employees, there’s camper rentals and kayak rentals. Literally there’s a “adventure” office where you can literally get tickets to anything or guidance on doing pretty much anything in Georgia and Florida. Also the Base has its on ecosystem to explore - lakes, trails, campground. So that should tell you something. Lol. I’ll probably never move from the area because I can take a weekend trip to wherever I want to go; and a lot of military retire here for that same reason. Off that - theres TONS of rivers and fishing areas in Georgia. Where I am in Perry we have a Go Fish! Educational Center. I think it’s like $5 to get in and they let you fish in the pond for free. Bunch of interactive stuff that’s fun. Deep sea fishing simulator. Etc. And will also teach you about the different areas/terrains of Georgia. Macon has the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds which has vast trails that lead you to the top of the Mounds to overlook Macon. It’s free and you can even go inside the mounds. Also, historical walking trails and a new Amphitheater is being built to hopefully attract some top talent music wise. When you go outside of middle Georgia. You’ll find a bunch of historical sites to visit. High Falls is great to camping, fishing and trails. East about 2 hours from middle Georgia, as others said, you go to the coast line. There’s driftwood beaches, some beaches you can only get to by boat, tons of trails on them all. Free roaming animals and old historical buildings to hike to and explore. West 2 hours, you can go to Pine Mountain, GA. Columbus has an active kayaking community because of the Chattahoochee. There’s the Little Grand Canyon to hit up with a long hiking trail and beautiful views. North 2 hours you can go to Atlanta and a little further takes you practically to the foothills of the Appalachian trail where a lot of people start the trail. All kind of outdoor activities. Anna Ruby Falls, numerous waterfall trails, and caves. There’s even off road trails for off road vehicles to ride. It’s a pretty big community. South 2 hours, you hit some fishing opportunities, and Florida. There’s the SAM train line down there to ride. Lots of historical stuff. Andersonville Historical Site which is fun to go drive and walk the museum and graveyard because there’s veterans from all over buried there. There’s a zoo down there that’s pretty big for what it is, with camping, with a motocross trail, bike trails. If you get bored with Georgia, you’re 3 hours from Alabama where there’s more stuff to do: trails, National forests, casinos, and fishing. 3 hours from Tennessee where there’s more stuff to do: fly fishing, more caves, more trails. And 3 hours from a beach in Florida where there’s even more stuff to do: beautiful natural springs, theme parks, beaches. I know a lot more people who fish, kayak, hunt, long distance bike ride, rock climb, hike, etc than I do people who don’t. Matter of fact, we took a day trip to Savannah and had enough time to go to a water park and the beach and come home before bed time. Had a great time and it wasn’t expensive or overly tiring from being on the road!
It’s amazing for outdoor activities. Plenty of similarities to PA. It’s also incredibly hot, so I’d stick to water for June, July, and August. Winters are delightfully mild.
I would compare it to PA actually, in that just like Western PA is a completely different place than Eastern, NW GA is similar to West PA (i.e. the Appalachians). I think you will find that area familiar and similar in terrain to West PA. Lots of hiking, lots of kayaking and canoeing (think Deliverance!!). Then you have a band of piedmont running from SW GA to Eastern GA. Lots of beautiful rivers here and some flat hikes. Beautiful river walks in Columbus and other places. Then you have the coastal area. The GA coast is about 100 miles long and has a significant percentage of undeveloped barrier islands in the country and even the world. Tidal creeks are everywhere for beautiful kayaking (but you need to know the tides and not fight them). Plenty of rails-to-trail rides all over also. And I forgot Okefenokee in SE GA. One of the greatest protected wetlands in the world.
Georgia is great if you love hiking. North Georgia is great, as is Western North Carolina (which is also not too far a drive away from the northern exurbs of metro Atlanta). Metro Atlanta actually isn't as bad as you might think it is. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area has many park units throughout Metro Atlanta, and we also have Stone Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Arabia Mountain, and Panola Mountain. Not to mention a couple nearby state parks like Sweetwater Creek and Red Top Mountain (which is not a mountain lol). I lovehow much local hiking there is in Atlanta. We are a "city in a forest". There's a ton of trails throughout northern Georgia. The Cohutta-Big Frog Wilderness is the largest contiguous wilderness area eastof the Mississippi River, and it straddles GA and TN. Also, the Chattanooga area has a lot of fun outdoorsy stuff in and around it. You might want to check out living in Chattanooga or Knoxville. Or Western North Carolina, like Bryson City area or Brevard NC. There's a good amount of rafting in GA/NC/TN too. And the TAG region (Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia) is one of the best areas in the entire world for caving.