Weekend Getaways Near Atlanta

We’ve chosen 7 of our favorite destinations, all within a 4 hour drive from Atlanta, where you can experience a fantastic weekend getaway. These towns are particularly wonderful to visit in the fall with plenty of autumn color and outdoor adventures, but are equally wonderful any season.

We've returned several times to each of the towns listed below and provide everything you need to know: where to stay, eat, and what to see and do! All organized into detailed day-by-day plans.

Each of these destinations offers something different- whether you're looking to escape the heat in a cool mountain town, visit a national park, or simply take a day trip to a fantastic museum.

We’ve also tucked in a few more vacation ideas at the bottom of this post for those looking for summer or winter vacation ideas!

Weekend In Brevard, NC

3 hours and 8 min. from Atlanta

Brevard, NC is a charming mountain town filled with shops (including a great toy store), restaurants, antiques, and art galleries. It’s also home to Dupont State Forest, which offers plenty of hiking and mountain biking trails to explore.

The Hunger Games movie was filmed in Dupont and you can visit Triple Falls, the most recognizable mountain scenery in the movie.

For all the details see our Weekend in Brevard.

2. Weekend In Bryson City, NC

3 hours from Atlanta

View from one of my favorite cabins rentals in Bryson City - just 10 minutes from the cute, walkable downtown.

Bryson City is another fun outdoor town and possibly the most underrated. Its downtown encourages strolling with quaint shops and restaurants, and the Great Smoky Mountain train depot resides right in the heart of it.

Within a 20 minute driving radius of downtown, you have lakes to swim or canoe, rivers to raft, and hikes to waterfalls. Throw in a brewery, a bookstore, an outdoors store, and good restaurants-all downtown. You just can’t beat it.

Learn more about a family trip to Bryson City, NC.

3. Weekend In Asheville, NC

3 hours and 30 minutes from Atlanta

The Wedge in Asheville. A fun place to hang out with kids for a couple of hours.

Asheville makes for a terrific family weekend. It is an architecturally appealing, fun, artsy town with great restaurants and what seems like a craft brewery on every block.

Asheville is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains for scenic hikes and has a river perfect for floating. Make downtown your base camp so you can easily walk to interesting shops, breweries, and restaurants.

Learn more about A Weekend In Asheville With Kids.

4. Weekend In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

3 hours and 50 minutes from Atlanta

Hiking or biking the Cades Cove Loop Road on a cr- free Wednesday is the perfect time to see wildlife.

We have spent many a day in this wonderful national park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park ("The Smokies") spans both Tennessee and North Carolina and is one of the most visited national parks in the country. Last year, the park saw approximately 11.3 million visitors. That being said, you can strategically visit this beautiful park and avoid many of these crowds.

You'll find a selection of the best easy family hikes and other fun activities found in the Townsend, TN side of the park. Lodging and dining recommendations, maps, and more--everything you need to know for a fantastic family vacation. See our Smokies Itinerary for all the details.

5. Weekend In Greenville, SC

2 hours and 20 minutes from Atlanta

Downtown Riverfront in Greenville with the fantastic Swamp Rabbit Trail running right through town.

Calling all foodies and outdoor lovers! Greenville, SC has been on the trendy radar for some time, appearing in multiple travel magazines and blogs for its vibrant food scene and beautiful use of the riverfront downtown.

Take a hike or bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 20 mile paved bike trail running through downtown. Learn more about a weekend in Greenville, SC.

6. Weekend In Chattanooga, TN

2 hours from Atlanta

Downtown Chattanooga has the great aquarium (the triangular glass roofs you see) plus lots of restaurants, the climbing gym, a pedestrian bridge, and long riverside Greenway, and more - all in a compact area.

Chattanooga has no shortage of things to do for kids AND adults. This is a unique city where you can climb in one of the largest climbing gyms in the country, walk across one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world, visit Civil War battlefields, admire a jellyfish exhibition, and squeeze through rock boulders alongside tiny gnomes statues--all in one weekend!

Learn more about a fun weekend in Chattanooga with the kiddos.

7. Weekend In Georgia’s Cloudland Canyon State Park

2 hours and 15 minutes from Atlanta

Georgia’s Cloudland Canyon State Park is one of our absolute favorites. If you haven’t visited this wonderful state park, now is the time to try it! It has several campgrounds, cozy cabin rentals, and even glamping yurts. The rim trail has stunning views and is a family- friendly hike doable for most kids. It is only 30 minutes from Chattanooga too, so you can easily go out for dinner and then come back to your tent for s’mores.

One of the many overlooks of the canyon from the Rim trail at Cloudland Canyon State Park.

See the blogs below for all the insider tips and details.

Featured

Glamping In A Yurt At Cloudland Canyon State Park- All The Details You Want To Know

The Definitive Guide To Cloudland Canyon State Park

Perhaps A Day Trip From Atlanta?

1 hour from Atlanta— Tellus Science Museum

The entrance to the surprisingly fantastic Tellus Science Museum.

Have you ever noticed this large, neat looking museum along I-75 when passing through Cartersville, Georgia? If you've ever thought about stopping to check it out, you should.

At the interactive and fun Tellus Science Museum, you can examine full-size replicas of the Wright Brothers' Flyer, Apollo 1 capsule, and Sputnik, admire large T. Rex replicas, mine for gems, dig for fossils, or watch a show at the planetarium, and more!

To learn all about this fabulous museum, view our blog post "Science And Fun? Yes Please. Both Can Be Found At The Tellus Science Museum In North Georgia."

More Vacation Ideas

A Bonus Destination!--Kiawah Island, SC

--5 hours and 20 min. from Atlanta

Is a beach vacation the ideal escape for your family? Kiawah Island is located about 45 minutes south of Charleston, SC. It is a developed island but has so much natural beauty and wildlife. No chain hotels or hi-rise buildings here!

You will see alligators and even possibly a bobcat on the dunes. It has a wide, 10-mile long beach and 30 miles of paved bike trails. It also has a pool, playground, disc golf, and a nature center that offers many programs such as kayak tours. You can be as lazy as you’d like or as active.

We’ve been visiting Kiawah Island for over 20 years. See Our Insider’s Guide To Kiawah Island for all the details.

Hop On A Plane Destinations

You are fortunate to have direct flights from Atlanta to fantastic destinations around the US and the world! Feel like adventuring out west to Yellowstone National Park or Zion National Park? Perhaps a bucket list trip to Paris or Athens? We've got it covered. You'll find more destinations on our website. Below is a sampling of vacation ideas:

Featured

Family Ski Trip To Brundage In McCall, Idaho

We loved our family ski trip to Brundage Mountain in Idaho. Good terrain for any ski level and plenty of fun for the kids!

A Simply Awesome Day in Southwest Utah

Welcome to our series “A Simply Awesome Day in...” where we share a full day’s excerpt from one of our family vacation destinations. Today, we offer a fun day from our 7 day Southwest Utah Itinerary. Day 4 details a sunrise hike in Bryce Canyon, followed by a scenic drive and some more short, kid-friendly hikes.

A Simply Awesome Day In North Cascades National Park Complex

If you drive just over 2 hours northeast of Seattle's airport, you will find my new favorite national park, the North Cascades. It has everything you could want from an outdoor adventure--hiking trails to breathtaking views, amazingly tall trees, pristine mountain lakes for kayaking, glaciers calling out for photography, and lots of uncrowded campgrounds.

Which Entrance To Yellowstone Is Best?

The best entrance to Yellowstone Nation Park depends primarily on where you’re coming from, what you want to see, where you’re staying, and how long you have to see the park. In general, most visitors enter Yellowstone through the West Entrance.

Where To Stay When Skiing at Big Sky Resort

If you’re thinking about skiing at Big Sky, Montana but can’t figure out where to stay, this guide is for you. Having skied here with our families for over 15 years, we have the best lodging recommendations for skiing with kids or that perfect mountain chalet to share with your friends or family. Our goal is make your visit to Big Sky, MT a simply awesome trip!

Biking The Yellowstone Shortline Trail

The Yellowstone Shortline Trail would be a terrific activity for anyone visiting West Yellowstone or staying nearby. If you are tired of the car time required to tour Yellowstone National Park, or you want a a low key, no crowds day during your trip, biking or hiking the Shortline Trail would be fun for the whole family.

Is Big Sky Good For Beginner Skiers? Yes!

This Big Sky Beginner Skier Guide is dedicated to families like ours, outlining a progression path from the very first ski runs from the magic carpet to mastering some of our favorite beginner terrain. Whether you're a parent looking to guide your little ones or an adult newcomer to skiing, this guide will help you navigate your way!