Best Free Roadside Attractions in North Georgia
Going on a road trip? Check out 10+ awesome (and free!) roadside attractions in north Georgia. Liven up your car ride with these fun places to stop.
I love road trips. Some of my earliest memories are from long car rides with my family, and I saw so much of the United States through the windows of our minivan.
Georgia is a diverse state with a long and often weird history. In this post, I have created a list of my favorite roadside attractions in north Georgia. They are all within 2 hours of Atlanta, and you could even turn a few of them into day trips.
And guess what? All these attractions are free! (I have, however, included some bonus suggestions that require payment.)
Roadside Attractions Along U.S. 23
U.S. Highway 23 enters Georgia from North Carolina and runs down to northern Florida. If you’re heading to or from the Great Smokies or the north Georgia mountains, chances are you will spend some time on 23.
U.S. 23 has a lot of fun places to stop! Here are my favorites in the segment between the North Carolina border and Atlanta.
Goats on the Roof (Tiger)
Goats on the Roof is a country store that has, well, goats on the roof. It’s right on the highway, so you can’t miss it. When I was young, I used to stop here on the way to summer camp in the mountains. It was always fun to have a goat munching away overhead!
You don’t have to spend any money at this location; it’s totally free to take a look. But you may want to buy some homemade fudge, Nitro Homemade ice cream, or souvenirs. And – best of all – you can pay to feed the goats.
Goats on the Roof also has a playground and gem mining. Check out the Goats on the Roof website for updated hours and services.
Address: 3026 Highway 441, Tiger, GA 30576
Big Red Apple (Cornelia)
Apples saved Cornelia from bankruptcy in the 1920s, and the town repaid them in 1925 with a giant apple monument. The 7-ft tall red apple stands on a pedestal in the center of the town, right next to the train tracks and the old depot.
The whole square is quite charming. Railroad buffs may enjoy popping into the old depot, which is now the free Historic Train Museum, and kids will love climbing on two retired cabooses. (The cabooses are accessible even when the museum is closed.) Plus there is a splashpad nearby where kids can cool off!
Address: 141 Clarkesville St, Cornelia, GA 30531
Chenocetah Fire Tower (Cornelia)
While you’re in Cornelia, make sure you visit the Chenocetah Fire Tower on Chenocetah Mountain. Built in 1937, this 54-foot structure is the only surviving granite fire tower in the United States. And it was active all the way up until 2000!
Firefighters used the tower to scan the surrounding forests for flames. And so – as you might expect – the view is excellent. You can gaze out over Lake Russell and the Chattahoochee National Forest. There is even a perfectly positioned bench to relax on.
Normally you can’t climb the tower itself (I couldn’t when I was there). But don’t worry – you will still be able to see gorgeous scenery from the base. I would love to return with a picnic lunch!
Address: Highway 123 East, Cornelia, GA 30531
School Bus Graveyard (Alto)
This is one of the weirdest, and coolest, roadside attractions in north Georgia. Walter and Debbie Wade own a junkyard on a hill overlooking U.S. 23 and they surrounded the yard with a wall of old school buses. Local artists started painting the bus exteriors, and so the School Bus Graveyard was born.
You can see the colorful paintings from the highway, but I recommend getting out and exploring on foot. Pull off and park your car on the side of Crane Mill Road. Then use the cement spillway along the highway to walk back a few hundred meters and up the hill to the buses.
Remember that this is private property, so don’t deface the buses or climb on them. And don’t enter the junkyard itself without the permission of the owners. You can pay to enter, but the best art is on the exterior (for free). Visit the official School Bus Graveyard Facebook page for more information!
Address: on U.S. 23; pull off on Crane Mill Road
BONUS: Jaemor Farms, an amazing family-owned farm, is just down the road from the School Bus Graveyard. Stop by the market to buy yummy local peaches, apples, and other treats. I highly recommend the homemade peach ice cream. It’s absolutely delicious – and cheap!
Address: 5340 Cornelia Hwy, Alto, GA 30510
Solar System Walking Tour (Gainesville)
Do you like science and nature? Then this stop is for you! Gainesville features a walkable scale model of the solar system (1 mile = 2 billion miles). Start with the Sun in the Gainesville town square and then head to the different planets.
I love this activity because it really helps you to understand how vast the solar system is. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars come quickly after the sun, but then the planets start getting further and further apart. You will wander through various parks and eventually end up at Pluto on the shores of Lake Lanier – 1.8 miles from the Sun.
The Solar System Walking Tour offers the perfect chance to stretch your legs on a long car ride. But beware – this will be a longer stop. My husband and I spent a total of 3 hours going out to Pluto and back again. It was a gigantic scavenger hunt, and we were often a bit lost, even using the Solar System Walking Tour map!
Address: Spring St, Gainesville, GA 30501 (Gainesville Square)
NOTE: Make sure you don’t get this walking tour confused with the one in Gainesville, Florida. This is Gainesville, Georgia!
Eastern Continental Divide Monument (Duluth)
The eastern continental divide runs from Pennsylvania to Florida and separates two watersheds. Basically, on one side of the divide water drains east to the Atlantic Ocean. On the other side, however, water drains west to the Gulf of Mexico.
In Duluth the divide cuts right through the historic town center. So we have a monument to mark the spot, with the town green providing a beautiful background. Visitors often stop to snap a photo before exploring the nearby shops and cafes.
Duluth is my hometown, so I know I’m biased, but still – the atmosphere is great and it’s worth a visit. The Eastern Continental Divide Monument does not appear in maps, so I have given you the address of the Maple Street Biscuit Company. The monument is right across the street. And while you’re there, try these 10+ fun things to do in Duluth!
Address: 3550 W Lawrenceville St, Duluth, GA 30096
Roadside Attractions Along I-75
Interstate 75 enters Georgia from Chattanooga, Tennessee. It curves southeast through Atlanta before heading down to Florida.
In this section, I’ll list some roadside attractions on I-75 between Chattanooga and Atlanta. (But if you are looking for things to do in Chattanooga, check out my posts on the Incline Railway and Point Park.)
Rock Garden (Calhoun)
The Rock Garden in Calhoun is the brainchild of artist DeWitt Boyd. Since 2007 Boyd and his family have built dozens of miniature castles, towns, and towers out of pebbles, shells, and bits of glass.
Some of the designs are original, while others reproduce real-life buildings such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Colosseum. Flowers grow all around, and a stream bubbles nearby. Nature and art merge seamlessly to create a peaceful environment.
The Rock Garden is located behind the Calhoun Seventh Day Adventist church where Boyd is a parishioner. There are Bible verses and calls to reflection sprinkled throughout the garden, but you don’t need to be religious to visit here. This peaceful North Georgia roadside attraction is definitely worth a visit!
Address: 1411 Rome Rd, Calhoun, GA 30701
Big Chicken (Marietta)
In Georgia we love our fried chicken – whether from KFC, Chik-fil-A, or Zaxby’s. So it really shouldn’t be a surprise that someone built a 56-foot steel chicken on the side of the road.
Wizardkiss at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The chicken was designed in 1963 to attract customers to Johnny Reb’s Chick, Chuck and Shake. This local restaurant is now part of the KFC franchise, but the chicken still stands tall.
You can stop briefly to look, or you can eat a meal here. (Because why not?) The chicken’s beak also opens and closes, so watch carefully!
Address: 12 Cobb Parkway, Marietta, GA 30062
John Lewis Mural (Atlanta)
An enormous mural in the historic Sweet Auburn district of Atlanta honors John Lewis, a civil rights activist and US Representative. There is a parking lot right in front of the mural, so you can pull off for a few minutes to admire the painting and reflect on the message.
The mural is so big that you can get a glimpse of it from I-75! But you should exit the interstate to appreciate the painting fully.
Address: 219 Auburn Ave, Atlanta, GA 30303
BONUS: Atlanta is full of tourist attractions, so if you want more ideas for pit stops, check out my favorite free things to do in Atlanta. One of these destinations – the Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home – is just down the road from the John Lewis Mural.
EXTRA: Etowah Indian Mounds (Cartersville)
This isn’t a free stop, but I thought I would mention it anyway since I-75 takes you right past Cartersville. An ancient Native American settlement is hidden in the hills of rural Georgia!
Native Americans of the Mississippian culture inhabited Etowah between 1000 and 1500 CE. They left behind impressive mounds, one of which is as tall as a 6-story building.
I loved this site and learned so much there about the Mississippian culture and the Ancient South. To hear all about my experience, you can read my full post on the Etowah Indian Mounds.
Address: 813 Indian Mound Rd, Cartersville, GA 30120
Other Roadside Attractions in North Georgia
The following north Georgia roadside attractions aren’t located along one single highway, but they are still awesome places to stop.
Georgia Guidestones (Elberton)
Remember when I said that the history of Georgia is often weird? Well, the Georgia Guidestones are an excellent example of bizarreness. On a deserted hilltop near Elberton, just off Georgia State Route 77, four huge granite slabs bear a post-apocalyptic message.
The slabs contain guidelines for humanity in eight modern languages, while the capstone features inscriptions in four ancient languages. The first piece of advice is to keep the world population under 500 million and maintain “perpetual balance with nature”. Successive guidelines discuss justice, love, and reason.
The Guidestones were erected in 1980, but we have no idea why. All we know is that a “small group of loyal Americans” raised money to share this message. For more information about this fascinating spot, check out my post on the Georgia Guidestones and Elberton.
Address: 1031 Guidestone Rd, Elberton, GA 30635
The Tree That Owns Itself (Athens)
Are you a tree-lover? Then you won’t want to miss the Tree That Owns Itself, a white oak growing in a quiet neighborhood in Athens, Georgia.
As the story goes, William H. Jackson loved his oak so much that in 1832 he deeded the tree, and the land it stands on, to the tree itself. Although technically US law does not permit trees to possess property, Athens-Clarke County respects the tree’s right to ownership.
The original tree perished in 1942, but soon its devoted friends planted a seedling from one of its acorns in its place. The new tree is sometimes called “The Son of the Tree That Owns Itself” and remains a beloved Athens landmark.
Address: 277 S Finley St, Athens, GA 30605 (a few miles off US-441 / US-129 / GA-15)
BONUS: While you are in Athens, drive down to the city hall and take a look at the Double-Barreled Cannon, a relic of the Civil War era. This Confederate experimental weapon failed to work as planned and never saw battle, but it lives a second life as a roadside oddity.
Address: 301 College Ave, Athens, GA 30601
The Iron Horse (Watkinsville)
If you are driving on Georgia State Route 15, then make sure you stop to see the Iron Horse. This 12-foot, 2-ton iron sculpture has a surprisingly turbulent past.
In 1954 sculptor Abbott Pattison created the Iron Horse for the University of Georgia. But it only stood on the Athens campus for a day, since students hated it. They vandalized the statue and rioted – police had to disperse the crowd with water hoses.
So a UGA professor rescued the horse and set it up on his farm in Greene County south of Watkinsville. Now the Iron Horse is a beloved roadside attraction, and UGA students make pilgrimages to visit it.
The statue is a little off the highway, so don’t miss it. It is right across from Old Watson Springs Road and there is a small parking lot for visitors. I thought it was pretty cool – I have no idea why students disliked it so passionately.
Address: on GA-15 just across from Old Watson Springs Road
Rock Eagle Effigy Mound (Eatonton)
How does visiting a 1000-year-old Native American site sound? Awesome, right? Near Eatonton thousands of milky quartz rocks are piled into the shape of an eagle.
Archaeologists think the Rock Eagle Effigy Mound is between 1000 and 3000 years old. It may have been a religious site or a burial ground, but what is certain is that it is a cool thing to see.
The eagle’s wings spread 120 feet, so it is hard to see the shape from the ground. Fortunately there is a convenient tower nearby. Climb to the top and you will have a perfect view of the eagle.
This is one of my very favorite roadside attractions in north Georgia! And if you want to hear more about this unique site, read my full post on the Rock Eagle Effigy Mound.
Address: on Rock Eagle Road off US-441/US-129
Plan Your North Georgia Road Trip
As you can see, there are a lot of different things to do as you travel through north Georgia. Visiting various roadside oddities and historic sites is a great way of spicing up your road trip.
If you are traveling with children, you might also like my list of amazing family road trip activities.
Have you visited any of these north Georgia roadside attractions? Would you add anything to the list?
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All of these look so fun! I love all of the history in Georgia so I definitely want to add a handful of these on my list 🙂 My fiance and I visit Savannah every year, but maybe we’ll need to go more North next year!
You should! North Georgia has so many cool destinations. 🙂 And I need to head down south more!
so fun! We’ve only ever explored Atlanta… but we’re driving down the coast this June.. I think you just helped me convince my husband to add a day or two in Georgia 😉
You definitely should add a day or so! There are so many cool things to do in Georgia 🙂