It’s finally summer! Looking for more ways to get outside? Check out these picturesque places to hike in Atlanta.

Residents of Atlanta get the unique opportunity to be in a big city, but only 20 minutes from many, many locations to escape the concrete jungle and take a hike! These trail beauties are spread throughout the Atlanta Metro Area and are convenient to all Camden Atlanta Properties. I love them all so much that they’re not ranked because they are ALL tops!

Sope CreekEffort Level: Easy to Intermediate

Sope Creek is located off of Paper Mill RD tucked in a high end residential area (pretty houses on the drive there… BONUS) and is part of the Chattahoochee River State Park System. It’s great because it offers a lot of different options as far as distance and effort level. One of the trail will even take you to ruins of a Paper Mill from the Civil War. It features easy-to-intermediate hiking, as well as Mountain Biking trails. It’s beautiful during any season, but the river and heavy tree cover make it picture perfect during the summer!

Another bonus: Sope Creek is connected to Cochran Shoals which has more hiking and a flat 3 mile multi-use trail loop along the Chattahoochee.

Photo courtesy of Third

Kennesaw MountainEffort Level: Easy to Hard

Kennesaw Mountain is a National Park, and is home to quite a few Civil War historical markers. Like Sope Creek, Kennesaw Mountain has a lot of different options. The most notable would be the hike up the actual mountain, which is paved and a gradual, mile long incline. At the top you can see some breathtaking views of Atlanta. You can even see another featured hike in this blog, Stone Mountain! 

If you’re looking for something a little more challenging/scenic, I’d recommend taking the Little Kennesaw Mountain trail down the “back side” of the mountain.

For easy but scenic trails the Knolb Farm trail is a great option. The trail can be changed to different lengths, but the easiest is a 5 mile loop. This hike will take you past some historical markers and the “Illinois Monument”.

There is a lot more to see at this park make so sure to plan your trip to Kennesaw Mountain before heading there. Looking for a home that provides easy access to places to hike in Atlanta? Camden Shiloh is only a 15 minute drive to the park’s visitor center! 

Vickery CreekEffort Level: Easy

Vickery Creek is Atlanta’s hidden gem. Located in Roswell, right off the Chattahoochee, Vickery Creek offers summer time fishing, 3+ miles of hiking trails, a beautiful covered bridge, a spillway dam and the historic remains of a Cotton Mill. The parking lot is a little challenging to find, but the trail system can be accessed from across the river at the Roswell Mill parking lot as well. If you cross over the bridge and hike up a “little” hill you will find a map that will give you great hike options. Even though there are hills, this Atlanta Hike classifies as the easiest in the 5 featured trails. Vickery Creek is a great option for someone looking to do less than a mile without major inclines. 

 This park is especially easy to get to from Camden Deerfield.

Stone MountainEffort Level: Intermediate to Hard

Stone Mountain is an Atlanta institution. Everyone knows it for the walk up trail to the top of the mountain and the huge stone carving of Confederate War heroes, but did you know there is MORE? You can find trails around Stone Mountain Lake. There is also the Cherokee Trail. It takes you up and around the mountain in a different way than most people explore. It’s an approximate 6 mile loop, so it’s not short, and has a fairly difficult terrain. This trail is a great way to experience Stone Mountain, while escaping the tourist crowds.

Sweetwater Creek State ParkEffort Level: Easy to Intermediate

Another hidden gem, this State Park is located off i20-West just past Six Flags. Although this park is one of the furthest out of from the city’s center it has a lot to offer and would be a great weekend day activity.  Sweetwater Creek might have the word “creek” in its title, but that body of water is anything but a creek! The river is wide, with rapids, and has different viewpoints from various trail options. There are many trail lengths and routes to choose from.  Like many of the other before mentioned hikes, this park also has mill ruins! There are lots of other things to do here besides hike, so go explore!

Photo courtesy of Fun fact: the river and mill ruins were featured in a scene from The Hunger Games, Mocking Jay part 1!

For more information and directions to these trails, as well as all kinds of places to hike in Atlanta, visit the Atlanta Trails website!

Now that you know all about the best places to get outside, I hope to see you taking a hike this summer! What other fun places do you like to explore in Atlanta?