7 Weekend Getaways Within 4 Hours Of Atlanta

Our Favorite Family Weekend Getaways Near Atlanta

Charming Mountain Towns, Foodie Cities, Camping In The Woods… Your Choice. All 7 Are An Easy Weekend Getaway From Atlanta.

We’ve chosen 7 of our favorite destinations, all within a 4 hour drive from Atlanta, where you can experience a fantastic weekend getaway. These towns are particularly wonderful to visit in the fall with plenty of autumn color and outdoor adventures, but are equally wonderful any season.

We’ve returned several times to each of the towns listed below with our families and provide everything you need to know: where to stay, eat, and what to see and do! All organized into detailed day-by-day plans.

Each of these destinations offers something different- whether you’re looking to escape the heat in a cool mountain town, visit a national park, or simply take a day trip to a fantastic museum.

We’ve also tucked in a few more vacation ideas at the bottom of this post for those looking for summer or winter vacation ideas. Enjoy!

1. Weekend In Brevard, NC

Distance from Atlanta to Brevard- 3 hours and 8 min.

A rustic cabin in a wooded area, perfect for weekend getaways near Charlotte, NC, features a porch adorned with string lights. Two people stand on the porch, embraced by lush greenery and blooming bushes. The setting is tranquil and inviting. — *Mountain cabin in Brevard, NC*

Brevard, NC is a charming mountain town filled with shops (including a great toy store), restaurants, antiques, and art galleries. It’s also home to Dupont State Forest, which offers plenty of hiking and mountain biking trails to explore.

The Hunger Games movie was filmed in Dupont and you can visit Triple Falls, the most recognizable mountain scenery in the movie.

explore a family vacation in brevard, NC

2. Weekend In Bryson City, NC

Distance from Atlanta to Bryson City, NC– 3 hours

A scenic view of rolling green hills and a distant mountain range under a clear blue sky at sunset. Soft clouds and a faint contrail are visible, with lush foliage in the foreground. — *View from one of my favorite cabins rentals in Bryson City – just 10 minutes from the cute, walkable downtown.*

Bryson City is another fun outdoor town and possibly the most underrated. Its downtown encourages strolling with quaint shops and restaurants, and the Great Smoky Mountain train depot resides right in the heart of it.

Within a 20 minute driving radius of downtown, you have lakes to swim or canoe, rivers to raft, and hikes to waterfalls. Throw in a brewery, a bookstore, an outdoors store, and good restaurants-all downtown. You just can’t beat it.

explore a family vacation in bryson city

3. Weekend In Asheville, NC

Distance from Atlanta to Asheville- 3 hours and 30 minutes

A large beige building with the " Wedge Studios" written on the side in a graphic design. A silver food truck sits in front and there are people eating at tables, typical of an Asheville brewery. — The Wedge in Asheville. A fun place to hang out with kids for a couple of hours.

Asheville makes for a terrific family weekend. It is an architecturally appealing, fun, artsy town with great restaurants and what seems like a craft brewery on every block.

Asheville is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains for scenic hikes and has a river perfect for floating. Make downtown your base camp so you can easily walk to interesting shops, breweries, and restaurants.

explore a family vacation in asheville, nc

4. Weekend In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Distance from Atlanta to the Smokies- 3 hours and 50 minutes

A black bear walks across a grave road in Cades Cove with the Great Smoky Mountains seen in the background. — *Hiking or biking the Cades Cove Loop Road on a car free Wednesday is the perfect time to see wildlife.*

We have spent many a day in this wonderful national park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (“The Smokies”) spans both Tennessee and North Carolina and is one of the most visited national parks in the country.

Last year, the park saw approximately 11.3 million visitors. That being said, you can strategically visit this beautiful park and avoid many of these crowds.

You’ll find a selection of the best easy family hikes and other fun activities found in the Townsend, TN side of the park. Lodging and dining recommendations, maps, and more–everything you need to know for a fantastic family vacation.

explore a family vacation in the smokies

5. Weekend In Greenville, SC

Distance from Atlanta to Greenville, SC- 2 hours and 20 minutes

A scenic view of a riverside park perfect for weekend getaways near Charlotte, NC, features a walking path, river, and small waterfalls. Modern buildings and brick structures line the bank, while trees are budding under the clear sky of a sunny day. — *Downtown Riverfront in Greenville with the fantastic Swamp Rabbit Trail running right through town.*

Calling all foodies and outdoor lovers! Greenville, SC has been on the trendy radar for some time, appearing in multiple travel magazines and blogs for its vibrant food scene and beautiful use of the riverfront downtown.

Take a hike or bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 20 mile paved bike trail running through downtown. You can cycle an easy 10 miles to nearby Travelers Rest, a cute town with a couple of great restaurants and a brewery. It makes a fun day outing.

explore a family vacation in greenville, sc

6. Weekend In Chattanooga, TN

Distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga- 2 hours

Looking down a glass bottom pedestrian bridge towards Chattanooga's downtown with the pyrmaid glass roofs of the aquarium seen in the distance — Downtown Chattanooga has the great aquarium (the triangular glass roofs you see) plus lots of restaurants, the climbing gym, a pedestrian bridge, and long riverside Greenway, and more – all in a compact area.

Chattanooga has no shortage of things to do for kids AND adults. This is a unique city where you can climb in one of the largest climbing gyms in the country, walk across one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world, visit Civil War battlefields, admire a jellyfish exhibition, and squeeze through rock boulders alongside tiny gnomes statues–all in one weekend!

explore a family vacation in chattanooga, TN

7. Weekend In Georgia’s Cloudland Canyon State Park

Distance from Atlanta to Cloudland Canyon State Park- 2 hours and 15 minutes

A person wearing an orange hat observes a lush, forested canyon under a blue sky with scattered clouds. The landscape features vibrant autumn foliage and tall cliffs. — *One of the many overlooks of the canyon from the Rim trail at Cloudland Canyon State Park.*

Georgia’s Cloudland Canyon State Park is one of our absolute favorites. If you haven’t visited this wonderful state park, now is the time to try it! It has several campgrounds, cozy cabin rentals, and even glamping yurts.

The rim trail has stunning views and is a family- friendly hike doable for most kids. It is only 30 minutes from Chattanooga too, so you can easily go out for dinner and then come back to your tent for s’mores.

The yurt camping at Cloudland is a fun weekend getaway! Glamping In A Yurt At Cloudland Canyon State Park- All The Details You Want To Know

explore a family vacation to cloudland canyon state park

Perhaps A Day Trip From Atlanta?

Distance from Atlanta to Tellus Science Museum- 1 hour

A silver spherical satellite with four long antennas is suspended from the ceiling of a dimly lit exhibition room. A sign reads "Sputnik: The World's First Earth Orbiting Artificial Satellite. — *The surprisingly fantastic Tellus Science Museum.*

Have you ever noticed this large, neat looking museum along I-75 when passing through Cartersville, Georgia? If you’ve ever thought about stopping to check it out, you should.

At the interactive and fun Tellus Science Museum, you can examine full-size replicas of the Wright Brothers’ Flyer, Apollo 1 capsule, and Sputnik, admire large T. Rex replicas, mine for gems, dig for fossils, or watch a show at the planetarium, and more!

explore the Tellus science museum

More Vacation Ideas

A Beach Vacation To Kiawah Island, SC

Distance from Atlanta to Kiawah Island- 5 hours and 20 min.

A child in colorful pants stands on a sandy beach, gazing at seagulls gathered along the shoreline. This serene escape is one of the perfect weekend getaways near Charlotte, NC, where ocean waves gently lap under a clear blue sky. — *We have watched our kids grow up on the beaches of Kiawah Island over the years.*

Is a beach vacation the ideal escape for your family? Kiawah Island is located about 45 minutes south of Charleston, SC. It is a developed island but has so much natural beauty and wildlife. No chain hotels or hi-rise buildings here!

You will see alligators and even possibly a bobcat on the dunes. It has a wide, 10-mile long beach and 30 miles of paved bike trails.

Kiawah Island also has a pool, playground, disc golf, and a nature center that offers many programs such as kayak tours. You can be as lazy as you’d like or as active.

We’ve been visiting Kiawah Island for over 20 years!

explore a family vacation to kiawah island, sc

A Ski Vacation To Big Sky, MT

Flight time from Atlanta to Bozeman, MT- 4 hours and 8 min

A ski lift ascending a snowy mountain ranges amidst dense evergreen trees. The sky is partly cloudy, and the distant peaks are blanketed with snow, creating a picturesque winter scene.

For over 15 years, Big Sky Resort near Bozeman, MT has been our family’s annual winter escape. Our two daughters, who grew up skiing the slopes of Big Sky, have enjoyed the soft powder and groomed trails since they were just 4 years old.

We’ve consistently found Big Sky to be the perfect combination of family-friendly, excellent ski terrain, and less crowded compared to other large western ski resorts.

explore a family vacation to big sky, mt