Stone Mountain, Georgia
One of the most visited attractions in Georgia is one of our family’s favorites! Stone Mountain, Georgia is located near Atlanta and is a sight to see. Rising 825 feet about it’s surrounding area it is hard to miss. (1686 feet above sea level) At it’s base it is more than 5 miles in circumference.
Located on 3,200 acres Stone Mountain Park has something for everyone! You will NOT be able to come and experience everything in one day. So, plan to stay for a few days or do as we do and prioritize your “must-do” list.
Things to do at Stone Mountain
Laser Show
One of the most popular items on the “to-do” list for families is the laser show! The show is seen on the large carved face of Stone Mountain, and is free with admission. The show is
- Saturdays from April-May
- Daily from Memorial Day-early August
- Saturdays August-October.
Check their Operating calendar prior to visiting to ensure the schedule. In October the laser show is closed to begin preparing for Snow Mountain that takes place on the Memorial Lawn.
The laser show projection is taller than the Statute of Liberty. It has 3-D effects and includes drones in their shows. It starts at 9:30pm.
Summit Skyride
If you aren’t feeling like taking the mile hike to the top of Stone Mountain, you can take a breathtaking ride to the top! The Skyride cable car takes mere minutes to take you over the carving. From the top of Stone Mountain you can see the rest of the park, the city of Atlanta, and get a glimpse of the Appalachian Mountains. (There is a snack bar/restaurant and restrooms up at the top.)
Skyhike
There are many different routes to take on your journey through this course. The beginner tail is 12 feet tall, intermediate is 24 feet tall and the super challenging course is more than 4 stories up. To take on this adventure children must be 44” tall. Adventurers will go across wooden bridges, across a single rope and will encounter many challenges. With an overhead tie-in safety is their number one concern.
The day we did this was a very busy day at the park and we went immediately to sign up for a time for climbing. My son is a flip-flop wearer most days, but I do believe you must wear close-toed shoes for this.
Camp Highland Outpost
This area is a perfect fit for those kids that want to do a little climbing, but are not quite tall enough or ready for the Skyhike. My daughter and I were able to do some climbing and have fun of our own while my husband and son did Skyhike, and the added benefit was that we were able to look up and see where the boys were on their course as we played on ours.
Dinosaur Explore
This self-guided hike is neat. Our kids aren’t crazy about dinosaurs, but still found it really interesting. The dinosaurs move and make sounds, so it is very entertaining for younger kids. I can’t imagine how exciting this would be for kids that love dinosaurs.
Dinotorium
Four floors of fun! You can shoot sponge balls at people, jump on the trampolines, climb across nets, slide down massive multiple story slides, and climb through tubes. My kids would have been just as happy spending the entire day inside here.
Scenic Railroad
Take a ride on the 5 mile journey around Stone Mountain. From the open air cars you can learn more about the mountain, take a ride through an old western town and see more of the park than you can on foot. This was a great spot to spend some time sitting while still getting to explore more of the park.
Geyser Towers
A fun spot for kids to run and climb off their energy, and parents can take a rest. There is the opportunity for kids to get wet on this, or they can still play and stay dry if they are careful.
Fun for Everyone
There are so many more things to see and do at Stone Mountain. There is a duck ride, a grist mill, a covered bridge, an antebellum plantation, MANY trails to hike or ride on bikes (which you can rent), fishing, a riverboat tour, kayak rentals, miniature golf, golf, a 732 bell carillon, and many picnic areas.
There are many huge events that take place at Stone Mountain and shouldn’t be missed. Make sure you check their events page to plan one that would be right for your family. During the fall they decorate with fun fall pumpkin/halloween decor and have various shows for the season. During the winter they have snow mountain with lots of fun activities and incredible decor. There are festivals and events all year long and even if you go on a weekend with nothing planned, I can assure you that you will not run out of things to see and do.
How Much
Parking at Stone Mountain is $20 per vehicle or $40 for an annual pass. You will pass this fee for your vehicle to enter the park all allow access to the amenities.
Attractions Pass
Daily Pass
(These prices are valid through January 2019.)
- Children under 3 – free
- Children 3-11 $29.95
- Adults $31.95
- Child 49.95
- Adult 59.95
- Child or Adult 109.95
They have a great chart to see the differences in the two annual pass options.
Where to Stay
There are hotels located inside the park (Stone Mountain Inn and Atlanta Evergreen Marriot ; and Stone Mountain Park is home to Georgia’s largest campground. There are package deals you can get when you stay with Stone Mountain. You can also check into AirBnB rentals in the area.
My Tips:
- We have purchased our tickets online in order to save money… and we decided to also buy the meal plan in order to save a little more. BUT… the day that we did this many of the restaurants that were on the meal plan were not open. This option did NOT actually save us money as we wound up eating at a place that wasn’t covered. (Hey, when you have a hot and hungry 3 year old… you just stop somewhere and eat.)
- Wear closed-toe comfortable shoes. Many of the activities require you to be wearing closed-toe shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking. There is so much to see and do in the park and you want to be comfortable while doing it all.
- Stay hydrated. We have gone in the fall and it can be HOT. It is Georgia after all. Again, there is a lot to do and plenty of walking so be sure you stay hydrated… and wear your fit bit!
- Something we said we would do next time is pack a picnic. There is so much to see and do and stopping to eat at a restaurant takes time and can be quite pricey.
- Come early. There is so much to see and do that you aren’t going to want the day to end. Make sure you get an early start. One day isn’t likely going to be enough, so if you can stay the night and make two days out of it.
I would love to hear your experiences with Stone Mountain Park if you have been. Also, if you haven’t taken the trip I am happy to answer any questions you may have that I haven’t covered.
Stone Mountain Park is my favorite place to visit in Atlanta. My husband and I always parked right outside the side entrance on a neighborhood street and walked into the park to avoid the parking fee. The side entrance is also close to the start of the walk up trail to the top of Stone Mountain. It is great exercise, but also steep in areas. I love the view of the downtown skyline once you near the top.
Great ideas, Christine! I hadn’t thought of walking to the park. I have never been for snow mountain, but really want to soon!