The Georgia Bucket List

Providence Canyon State Park, Lumpkin, GA | Photo Credit: @capturecalliope

Put these iconic spots on your must-see list when visiting Georgia.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir: Lilburn, Georgia
This stunning temple outside Atlanta invites visitors to learn about Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest faiths. The building is breathtaking. Inaugurated in 2007, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir(link is external) includes more than 34,000 individual pieces of stone — Turkish limestone, Italian marble, and Indian pink sandstone — carved by hand in India and assembled here. Colorful lighting accentuates the intricate designs, while an audio tour helps put the place of worship into context.

Driftwood Beach: Jekyll Island, Georgia
Stepping onto this beach on the north end of Jekyll Island(link is external) is like stepping into another world. It’s a place that Dr. Seuss might have created, if it didn’t already exist. Tree trunks twist and turn, worn down by water and bleached by the sun. Their limbs are great for climbing, jumping, or just relaxing. They also provide the perfect backdrop for that stunning beach photo that will help tide you over until your next vacation.

Georgia Aquarium: Atlanta, Georgia
Dive into all things aquatic at the country’s largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium(link is external). This state-of-the-art facility holds more than 10 million gallons of water and is home to tens of thousands of animals, including beluga whales, California sea lions, horned and tufted puffins, dolphins, and much more. New in 2020? A new saltwater gallery expansion featuring sharks is scheduled to open in late fall.

Little White House: Warm Springs, Georgia
Made famous by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s search for a polio cure, the buoyant spring waters have offered a therapeutic environment for many patients. Visitors enjoy learning more about the warm springs through museum exhibits at Roosevelt’s Little White House(link is external) before exploring Georgia’s largest state park(link is external). More than 40 miles of trail offer endless adventure winding through forests, glimpsing waterfalls, and crossing creeks in the rolling mountains southwest of Atlanta.

Okefenokee Swamp: Folkston, Georgia
Located in the 400,000-acre Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge(link is external), the Okefenokee is North America’s largest blackwater swamp. Paddle among abundant wildlife in a mysterious, breathtaking landscape of reflective waters and gorgeous cypress forests draped in Spanish moss. An unforgettable overnight experience, seven shelters and three islands offer paddlers secluded camping under the darkest skies in the state. (Permits required).

Providence Canyon: Lumpkin, Georgia
At Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon,” layers of bright orange, pink, purple, and red combine to create a colorful tableau at Providence Canyon(link is external). It looks like the work of an artist. But, in reality, years of poor agricultural practices are responsible for the spectacular landscape. Take a stroll along the picturesque rim for a birds-eye view of the canyon, or hike down into a few of its gullies. Some are as deep as 150 feet.

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