City: Atlanta, GA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (770) 498-5690

Description: The world’s largest exposed mass of granite, Stone Mountain, stands 825 feet high, rises 1,683 feet above sea level, and covers 583 acres of rolling plateau. Formed when molten lava began pushing upward through the earth’s surface, Stone Mountain took 300 million years to emerge in its present state. Stone Mountain Park—encompassing 3,200 acres of lakes, woodlands, and attractions—surrounds the mountain and hosts millions of visitors each year. Many pour in to see the world’s largest bas-relief carving on the mountain’s north face. The 90-foot-high by 190-foot-wide sculpture depicts Confederate war heroes Robert E. Lee, Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, and Jefferson Davis, all on horseback. The project, conceived in 1912, took more than 50 years to complete due to creative differences and technical problems. Originally, the plan called for a continuous line of Confederates on foot and on horseback to “wrap” all the way around the mountain. In case you ever need them for a trivia game, here are a few colossal facts about the memorial carving: Its area is three acres, or more than a city block. At its deepest, the carving sinks 42 feet into the mountain’s surface. Lee’s horse, Traveler, is 147 feet long; a 6-foot man can stand comfortably inside the mouth of Davis’s horse, Kentucky. To celebrate the memorial’s completion, 20 people ate lunch on Lee’s shoulder! Although no major Civil War battles were fought on the soil of Stone Mountain (a small cavalry action took place in the nearby village during the July battles around Atlanta), Sherman destroyed the Georgia Railroad Line between Stone Mountain and Decatur during his march to the sea. The Union army came within close range when it burned New Gibraltar, the small town at the base of the mountain. Today the rebuilt town is known as the Village of Stone Mountain. Spend a day at Stone Mountain Park. Diverse recreational, leisure, historic, and scenic attractions ensure something for everyone. Athletic types will enjoy the 15 miles of scenic sidewalks for walkers and joggers as well as the nature trails set aside for hiking. A 1.3-mile trail leads to the top of the mountain, where you’ll find a panoramic view of the Atlanta metro area and a glimpse of the Appalachian Mountains. If you want the view without the work, ride the Mountaintop Skylift to the huge rock’s summit. On the skylift, you’ll be whisked up and will pass right by the memorial carving on the quiet ride to the summit. There you’ll enjoy a sweeping view that includes Atlanta and Kennesaw Mountain to the west and the Olympic Velodrome to the south. The park boasts a 36-hole championship golf course. The park’s Sports Center offers 18 holes of minigolf, eight lighted tennis courts, batting cages, a game room, and bicycle and stroller rental. Fishing buffs can angle in the park’s stocked lake from mid-March through October. The 363-acre Stone Mountain Lake offers swimming and sunning at the beach as well as canoe, rowboat, hydro-bike, pedal boat, and pontoon rentals. Those who prefer being piloted can traverse the lake aboard an authentic paddle-wheel riverboat, the Scarlett O’Hara. Train aficionados will enjoy the Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad. This attraction gives you a 25-minute ride around the base of the mountain in one of three Civil War–era steam trains. Fans of Robert James Waller will delight in the century-old covered bridge on the site of Stone Mountain’s Grist Mill, a rustic structure moved to the park from its original site in Ellijay, Georgia. For history buffs, Confederate Hall houses a 3-D look at the Civil War in Georgia. The Antebellum Plantation emulates a pre–Civil War agricultural establishment with 19 restored and authentically decorated buildings. The Road to Tara Museum, a name taken from one of the several titles Margaret Mitchell originally considered for her best-seller, is a collection of autographed and foreign editions of Gone With the Wind, movie posters, artists’ renderings of key scenes, and Gone With the Wind dolls. The Auto & Music Museum offers an intriguing array of antique automobiles and eclectic musical memorabilia. On spring and fall weekends and every night from May to mid-August, Atlantans and visitors enjoy Stone Mountain Park’s spectacular Lasershow, a free extravaganza that begins after dark. As the audience relaxes on the park’s Memorial Lawn, the mountain’s north face lights up with laser-projected stories, special effects, and graphic images. Rousing musical accompaniment adds to the drama. Special events scheduled throughout the year include the Highland Games Scottish Festival in the fall. Guests can find accommodations at the Stone Mountain Inn or pitch a tent or hook up an RV at the 441-site lakeside campground. The park’s Evergreen Conference Center and Resort is a popular destination for meetings and other large indoor events. Stone Mountain Park is approximately 15 miles east of downtown Atlanta, easily accessible from US 78, also called the Stone Mountain Freeway. The park opens at 6 a.m. and closes at midnight every day of the year. Attractions open at 10 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. during the summer; hours are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. September through May. Attractions close on Christmas Day. Admission to the park, $10 per car, includes the grounds, picnic areas, Lasershow, and annual festivals. Individual tickets to attractions such as the Summit Skyride, Antebellum Plantation, Stone Mountain Museum, Scenic Railroad, the Riverboat, Great Barn, and Treehouse Challenge are $9 for ages 12 and up, $7 for ages 3 to 11. Ride the Ducks Sightseeing Tour is $12 for ages 3 and up. A full attraction pass is $26 ages 12 and up, $23 for seniors and military, and $21 for ages 3 to 11. Limited attractions passes are also available. Check the park’s website for details.