It may not yet feel like the autumn season in the South, but the official start of fall is less than a week away. Before you know it there will be cool mornings, Halloween decorations and falling leaves.
Atlanta locals don't have to go far to experience a true fall season, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Georgia State Parks in and around the city. Peak fall colors appear in Georgia between late October and early November, but they start to turn far earlier.
Take a look at some of the best places to see fall colors close to the city this fall.
Best spots in Atlanta for fall colors
Don't feel like leaving the Atlanta metro area? Here are some of the best spots within the city limits or just outside of Atlanta to see fall colors this year:
- Chattahoochee Nature Center, Roswell (30 min outside Atlanta)
- Grant Park, Atlanta
- Lullwater Preserve at Emory University, Decatur
- Morgan Falls Overlook Park, Sandy Springs (30 min outside Atlanta)
- Piedmont Park, Atlanta
- Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain (30 min outside Atlanta)
- Sweetwater Creek State Park, Lithia Springs (25 min outside Atlanta)
- Westside Park, Atlanta
- Roswell Mill, Roswell (40 min outside Atlanta)
- Big Trees Forest Preserve, Sandy Springs (25 min outside Atlanta)
Best Georgia state parks for fall colors
Every year, the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources goes on "Leaf Watch," where rangers and visitors keep track of the best spots to see fall colors across the state's park system.
Here are the top parks they are watching in 2026:
- Amicalola falls State Park, Dawsonville (1 hour from Atlanta)
- Black Rock Mountain State Park, Clayton (1 hour, 55 min from Atlanta)
- Cloudland Canyon State Park, near Chattanooga (2 hours, 5 min from Atlanta)
- F.D. Roosevelt State Park, Pine Mountain (1 hour, 30 min from Atlanta)
- Fort Mountain State Park, Chatsworth (2 hours, 15 min from Atlanta)
- Moccasin Creek State Park, Lake Burton (2 hours, 30 min from Atlanta)
- Smithgall Woods State Park, Helen (2 hours, 15 min from Atlanta)
- Tallulah Gorge State Park, Clayton (1 hour, 55 min from Atlanta)
- Unicoi State Park, Helen (2 hours, 20 min from Atlanta)
- Vogel State Park, Blairsville (2 hours from Atlanta)
There are an additional six state parks considered "hidden gems" for fall colors. Red Top Mountain State Park, James H. Floyd State Park, Victoria Bryant State Park, Don Carter State Park, Providence Canyon State Park and Hard Labor Creek State Park may all surprise you with their beautiful foliage.
What is the best weekend for fall colors in Georgia?
According to the fall foliage prediction map from Smokymountains.com, the peak days for the best fall colors in North Georgia is between Oct. 27 and Nov. 10.
While there is no way to predict the exact weekend the fall colors will be at their brightest, factors like temperature, seasonal trends, past peak weekends and more are used in the prediction.
Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where are the best spots to see fall colors near Atlanta? See our list
