12 Trails to Visit this Spring
Spend time outdoors meandering along Georgia's nature trails.
Anna Ruby Falls in Helen, Georgia. Photo by Geoff L. Johnson
1. Anna Ruby Falls Recreation Area in Helen
Hike a steep half-mile trail to a double waterfall, with wildflowers lining both sides of a paved path. The stroller-friendly path is lined with boulders and flowering shrubs. The 0.15-mile Lion's Eye interpretive trail near the visitor center and craft shop is available for persons with visual and physical disabilities.
Callaway Resort & Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia
2. Callaway Resort & Gardens in Pine Mountain
The Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl bursts with more than 3,000 colorful azaleas, making it a great backdrop for a spring picnic. Bike, stroll, or drive golf carts through the gardens, play golf, fish for bass, go ziplining, sit among the butterflies at the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, and be amazed at the Birds of Prey shows.
Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve in Lithonia, Georgia
3. Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve in Lithonia
See blooming diamorpha atop Arabia Mountain, an opportunity that only comes during spring. These rare, miniature flowers bring the stone landscape to life. This 2,500-acre preserve is part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and includes panoramic views, trails, creeks, and historic sites. The preserve also includes other large formations of exposed granite, wetlands, pine and oak forests, multiple streams, and two lakes.
Doerun Pitcherplant Bog WMA in Doerun, Georgia
4. Doerun Pitcherplant Bog Wildlife Management Area in Doerun
Imagine 100 acres blooming with native pitcher plants. If you’re lucky, you’ll also see gopher tortoises along the half-mile bog trail. This 600-acre property is perfect for those who want to enjoy Georgia's coastal plains and get a good look at a bog ecosystem.
Hitchiti Nature Trail in Gray, Georgia. Photo by @cute.thulhu
5. Hitchiti Nature Trail in Gray
In one of the few old-growth forests in middle Georgia, hikers can enjoy pines, hardwoods, outcroppings, and wetlands along a four-mile loop that follows Little Falling Creek to the Ocmulgee River.
Jacks River Falls in Epworth, Georgia. Photo by @samanthastaylor
6. Jacks River Falls in the Cohutta Wilderness Area in Epworth
Spanning 37,000 acres in Georgia and Tennessee, the sprawling Cohutta Wilderness is one of the East Coast’s largest nature areas. The remote park contains over 90 miles of hiking and backpacking trails, which descend to tumbling waterfalls, wind by rushing rivers, and ascend to scenic mountain vistas. For a challenging day hike, try the nine-mile Jacks River Falls Trail. Advanced hikers who take on the trail in spring are rewarded with multiple waterfalls and towering hemlocks.
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, Georgia
7. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta
Just minutes from downtown Augusta, the 1,150-acre Phinizy Swamp Nature Park offers the chance to see great blue heron, red-shouldered hawk, river otter, and the elusive alligator in their natural setting. Wildlife and marsh flora make their best showing here in spring, with multiple boardwalks and trails showcasing cattails, turtles, and an occasional beaver.
Crockford Pigeon Mountain WMA in LaFayette, Georgia. Photo by @westy4xer
8. Pigeon Mountain in LaFayette
Springtime gently kisses the Pocket Trail on Pigeon Mountain and changes it remarkably. See redbud, bluebells, bleeding heart, columbine, and trout lilies scattered beside multiple waterfalls and a blue hole cave spring.
General Coffee State Park in Nicholls, Georgia
9. General Coffee State Park in Nicholls
The half-mile loop around Heritage Farm abounds with water and songbirds year-round, peaking in spring. Don’t miss the Gopher Loop Trail for glimpses of gopher tortoises in mating and egg-laying season. Watch your step!
Reynolds Nature Preserve in Morrow, Georgia
10. Reynolds Nature Preserve in Morrow
Explore a series of trails meandering around six ponds and under towering pines and oaks. Wildflowers and turtles make this a perfect spring setting. The Nature Center houses live native animals and environmental displays. A wheelchair-accessible path leads to the center, butterfly garden, and adjacent native plants trail.
Skidaway Island State Park in Savannah, Georgia
11. Skidaway Island State Park in Savannah
Located near historic Savannah, this park borders Skidaway Narrows, a part of Georgia's Intracoastal Waterway. Songbirds use the island as a waystation during spring migrations, but large birds of prey visit year-round. Catch a glimpse of them from the Avian Loop Trail. Several trails wind through the maritime forest and past salt marsh, leading to a boardwalk and observation tower. Visitors can watch for deer, fiddler crabs, raccoons, egrets, and other wildlife.
Sosebee Cove Scenic Area in Blairsville, Georgia
12. Sosebee Cove Scenic Area in Blairsville
This 175-acre tract of large, cove hardwood timber is set aside as a memorial to Arthur Woody, who served as ranger from 1918 to 1945. Ranger Woody, the "barefoot ranger," loved this peaceful cove and negotiated its purchase by the Forest Service. A half-mile trail through the mature forest houses almost every species of Georgia-native wildflower.
