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Idaho

Idaho Road Trip Itinerary

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Idaho Road Trip Itinerary

Idaho

52,891,597 acres (2.3% of U.S.)

Statehood 1890 (43rd of 50)

Capital: Boise

Population: 1,839,106 (38th of 50)

High Point: Borah Peak (12,662 feet)

Best time of year: Summer for mountain access and whitewater rafting

We recently published our guidebook 50 States of Great: Road Trip Guide to America, so we decided to start a new type of blog post where we create a travel itinerary for all 50 states, in addition to our usual National Forest and National Park entries.  After starting with Kansas and Georgia, we decided to do a western state.  We made an ambitious seven-day plan starting in the northern panhandle of Idaho, with plenty of options to extend the trip.

Day 1

Old Mission State Park

Located right off Interstate 90, this white-painted, timber-frame church dates back to 1850 (making it the oldest building standing in the state).  It was constructed by Coeur d’Alene Indians and Catholic missionaries without using nails and visitors can admire the wooden pegs used instead.  There is a parking fee, plus separate admission to the museum.

St. Joe National Forest

Part of the larger Idaho Panhandle National Forest, this area encompasses the famous Route of the Hiawatha bicycling trail that follows the former Milwaukee Railroad grade, dropping 1,000 feet in 13 miles.  Due to its 200-foot-tall trestles and a 1.6-mile-long unlit tunnel, a flashlight and helmet are required, as are permits available only at Lookout Pass Ski Area, which also offers equipment rentals and shuttles. 

Optional stop at Coeur d’Alene National Forest (click here for our blog post)

Home to the 173-acre Settler’s Grove of Ancient Cedars, it is part of Idaho Panhandle National Forest that also contains 240-acre Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area and 20-acre Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars (technically in neighboring Washington).

Day 2

Nez Perce National Historical Park (click here for our blog post)

An excellent film is shown at the main National Park Service visitor center in Spalding on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.  Nearby, check out interpretive signs at Heart of the Monster and historic buildings of Spalding.

Optional stop at Clearwater National Forest (click here for our blog post)

Highway 12 follows the beautiful Clearwater River providing access points for the dusty Lolo Motorway (a section of the Nez Perce National Historical Trail) and its many scenic overlooks.  It is worth the short, flat hike to soak in Jerry Johnson Hot Springs.

Day 3

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Hells Canyon is considered the deepest in the nation when measured nearly 8,000 feet from river level to the top of 9,383-foot He Devil Mountain.  We did a daytrip combination whitewater rafting and jet boat tour that was a blast with stops to see petroglyphs, McGafee Cabin, and Kirkwood Ranch, which can also be accessed via the Snake River National Recreation Trail in Payette National Forest.

Optional stop at Payette National Forest

Fast-flowing Goose Creek Falls is accessed on an incredibly steep 3.3-mile, out-and-back trail.  Dispersed camping is allowed nearby on the shores of Brundage Reservoir, which has views to the north of the 8,292-foot-tall Black Tip.  The picturesque town of McCall on Payette Lake is home to a Forest Service smokejumper base where tours are available by reservation.

Day 4

World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise

The headquarters of the Peregrine Fund is home to a California condor, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Swainson’s hawk, turkey vulture, western screech owl, and Harris’ hawk, in addition to exotic species like the harpy eagle and ornate hawk-eagle.

Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa

A different kind of “bird of prey” is on display in this hangar next to the small Nampa Airport, with military artifacts and aircraft, some of which still fly on special occasions.

Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area

South of Boise, this 484,873-acre area was established in 1993 because of its dense population of nesting raptors due to huge numbers of ground squirrels and other small burrowing mammals.  It is run by the Bureau of Land Management, so dispersed camping is allowed.

Optional stop at Bruneau Dunes State Park

South of Interstate 84, this is a fun spot for kids with sandcastle building, swimming, camping, sandboarding (rentals available), and stargazing at night around the park’s observatory.

Day 5

Idaho City

This gold rush town was briefly the largest settlement in the Pacific Northwest with a population of 7,000.  It subsequently burned down and was rebuilt four times in 1865, 1867, 1868, and 1871.  Today it retains its Wild West charm with saloons, antique shops, and a couple of parlors where you can try delicious huckleberry ice cream. 

Boise National Forest (click here for our blog post)

Follow the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (Highway 21) 131 miles northeast through Idaho City and Lowman, where the road follows the South Fork of the Payette River past the campgrounds at Kirkham and Bonneville Hot Springs (reservations recommended) and up to 7,056-foot Banner Summit at the boundary with Challis National Forest (click here for our blog post).

Sawtooth National Recreation Area (click here for our blog post)

The jagged Sawtooth Mountains live up to their name, rising majestically above the Salmon River Valley.  There are numerous campgrounds, including several on Redfish Lake, which is a gateway for backpackers into the beautiful Sawtooth Wilderness.  The Sawtooth Scenic Byway runs 116 miles from Stanley south to Shoshone, through Galena Pass and the ski resort towns of Ketchum and Sun Valley. 

Optional stop at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (click here for our blog post)

In the 1800s, this massive lava flow proved a major obstacle to avoid for immigrants on the Oregon Trail.  Most of today’s highways follow in their tracks, going around and not through the 62-mile-long Great Rift.  In 1969, the National Monument truly earned its lunar moniker by serving as a field school on volcanic geology for NASA Apollo astronauts.  There are several short lava tubes found here, including Boy Scout Cave that retains ice well into the blazing hot summer months. 

Day 6

Shoshone Falls

Twin Falls is home to this impressive cascade that drops 212 feet down the Snake River canyon.  Its mist can form a brilliant rainbow, especially when the river is flowing strong in the spring before much of its water is diverted for agriculture. 

Malad Gorge in Thousand Springs State Park

Situated directly beneath a bridge on Interstate 84, this is one of seven units in Thousand Springs State Park.  Malad Gorge contains an awesome waterfall known as the Devil’s Washbowl and a beautiful volcanic rock canyon lined with natural springs. 

City of Rocks National Reserve (click here for our blog post)

This collection of granite spires served as a rest stop along the California National Historic Trail.   At the height of the gold rush in 1852, some 50,000 emigrants passed this site in a single year, many leaving their names painted in axle grease (still legible on Camp Rock and Register Rock).  Today the National Reserve is a popular destination for rock climbers, and it also has 78 primitive campsites and 30 miles of hiking and equestrian trails. 

Optional stop at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (click here for our blog post)

Numerous mammal fossils from the Pliocene Epoch are on display at the National Park Service visitor center located on the main drag in the small town of Hagerman.  Scenic overlooks of the Snake River and Oregon Trail are located further south, but there is no public access to the fossil beds.

Day 7

Minidoka National Historic Site (click here for our blog post)

Most of the 13,000 Japanese-Americans imprisoned in central Idaho were from Oregon, Alaska, and Washington (specifically Bainbridge Island where a memorial stands today).  There is a new visitor center completed in 2020 with a large museum space and a small theater that shows an excellent film.  A 1.6-mile interpretive trail loops past historic structures, including the Hermann House, root cellar, baseball field, barracks, and mess hall. 

Museum of Clean in Pocatello

Located in a six-story building in downtown Pocatello, the museum offers more than one mile of displays, many of them light-hearted and downright hilarious (especially if you like puns).  It was established by Don Aslett who started a janitorial services company while studying at nearby Idaho State University.  The museum has a reasonable admission fee, and it is easy to spend two hours or more perusing the 10,000 artifacts and pieces of artwork inside.

Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot

A 15-foot-long model spud sits out front, providing an excellent photo opportunity.  The museum has a collection of exhibits on cultivating the state’s principal crop and also boasts the world’s largest potato chip. 

Optional stop at Caribou National Forest (click here for our blog post)

Even though the signs still read Cache National Forest, Minnetonka Cave offers one of the few developed cave tours offered by the U.S. Forest Service.  In the 1930s, 444 stairs were installed to allow large groups to visit, and guides make multiple stops on this steep, out-and-back tour to allow you to catch your breath at this high elevation.

Day 8+ optional swing through eastern Idaho

Targhee National Forest

Mesa Falls Scenic Byway provides overlooks of both the 114-foot Upper Falls and 65-foot Lower Falls on the Henrys Fork of the Snake River.  Palisades National Recreation Trail may be the most popular trail in Idaho as it leads to two beautiful mountain lakes located at 5,700 and 6,750 feet in elevation.

Salmon National Forest

Salmon National Forest includes a significant section of the 2.4-million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (the second largest Wilderness in the contiguous U.S.).  Many multi-night rafting trips on the Salmon National Wild and Scenic River begin around the small town of North Fork.  This upper 46-mile segment of the river is designated Recreational, so it only requires a self-issued permit.  Those wishing to raft the 79-mile section west of Corn Creek Campground must enter a lottery, but out-of-state travelers typically go with a guide.

Land of the Yankee Fork State Park

An Interpretive Center in Challis celebrates the mining history of this region with audiovisual programs and gold panning stations making this a great place to bring children.  The State Park also includes the Challis Bison Kill Site where animals were stampeded off a cliff by American Indians.

Challis National Forest (click here for our blog post)

It is an all-day affair to summit Borah Peak, the highest point in Idaho, typically starting before sunrise to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. 

Learn more about Idaho’s Most Scenic Drive, Wonderful Waterfall, Top State Park, and other categories in our new travel guidebook 50 States of Great: Road Trip Guide to America.

Indiana

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

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Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

Indiana

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1962

200 acres

Website: nps.gov/libo

Overview

In 1816, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln moved their two children, Sarah and Abraham, from Hodgenville, Kentucky to a 160-acre farm in southern Indiana.  The future-President Abraham Lincoln lived there 14 years until he turned 21 and the family relocated to Illinois.  In 1818, his mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln died of milk poisoning because a dairy cow had eaten white snakeroot plant, and visitors can learn more about the poison tremetol in the Memorial Visitor Center and stop at her memorial stone in the pioneer cemetery (although her exact burial place is unknown).

Highlights

Museum, film, Abraham Lincoln Hall, U.S. Post Office, cemetery, spring, Living Historical Farm, Cabin Site Memorial

Must-Do Activity

Start at the Memorial Visitor Center to visit the museum inside and use the U.S. Post Office if needed.  If the weather is nice, take a walk past the pioneer cemetery to the Cabin Site Memorial where a bronze casting of sill logs and the fireplace hearthstones are at the site of the Lincoln’s cabin begun in 1829.  The Living Historical Farm has costumed interpreters in the summer that depict homestead life at an authentic cabin and several outbuildings that were moved here from other parts of Indiana.

Best Trail

It is about one mile roundtrip to walk from the museum to the Living Historical Farm and then return on the Trail of Twelve Stones.  There is a parking area closer to the Cabin Site Memorial, if you do not wish to walk the entire way.  The Boyhood Nature Trail offers an additional one-mile loop through the forest.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The five relief panels on the outside of the Memorial Visitor Center were created from Indiana limestone by E.H. Daniels to depict different periods in Abraham Lincoln’s life.  The building was constructed in the 1940s by the state of Indiana and given to the National Park Service when they took over the site in 1962.

Peak Season

Summer when living history demonstrations occur

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/libo/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All roads are paved

Camping

There is a campground with running water and RV hookups at adjacent Lincoln State Park.

Related Sites

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park (Kentucky)

Lincoln Home National Historic Site (Illinois)

Lincoln Memorial (District of Columbia)

Hoosier National Forest (Indiana)

U.S. Post Office inside memorial
Abraham Lincoln Hall
White snakeroot plant
Marker for Nancy Hanks Lincoln, although her exact gravesite is unknown
Cabin Site Memorial

Explore More – How many step-siblings did Abraham Lincoln gain when his father wed the widow Sarah Bush Johnston from Kentucky in 1819?

Indiana

Hoosier National Forest

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Hoosier National Forest

Indiana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

644,214 acres (202,814 federal/ 441,400 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/hoosier

Overview

Southern Indiana’s Hoosier National Forest was created in 1935 from cutover and abandoned farm land.  Six years later an additional 88 acres of old-growth forest was purchased that became Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest, which has never been cut and is used to study natural succession.  A 0.8-mile trail runs through the woods and accesses the Indiana Pioneer Mothers Memorial and Lick Creek Settlement Site.  The latter was a community of free African-Americans led by the Quaker Jonathan Lindley from 1819 to 1865, and located nearby is an archaeological site where there was a stockaded village in the 1300s. 

Highlights

Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest, Monroe Lake, Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower, German Ridge Lake, Lick Creek Settlement Site, Sundance Lake, Potts Creek Rockshelter Archeological Site, Lake Tarzian, Rickenbaugh House, Tipsaw Lake, Buzzard Roost Overlook, Clover Lick Barrens, Hardin Ridge Recreation Area, Birdseye Trail, Hemlock Cliffs Trail

Must-Do Activity

There are 266 miles of trails in Hoosier National Forest, including the 36.3-mile Terrill Ridge Trail that enters the Charles C. Deam Wilderness (Indiana’s one and only) and the 24.1 miles of trails around German Ridge Lake.  Horse camps provide access to miles of bridle trails, including the 48.7-mile Hickory Ridge Trail.  Many of the National Forest’s trails are old roads (even in the Wilderness), so while hiking watch for evidence of house foundations, fences, domestic plants, and cemeteries.

Best Trail

Hemlock Cliffs Trail is a 1.2-mile loop through a sandstone canyon that passes two unique waterfalls.  Tall eastern hemlock trees surround both waterfalls that you can walk behind where the cliffs are undercut by erosion in this crumbly sedimentary rock.  The falls only flow seasonally, but when they do the trail is often muddy and slippery, so take caution. 

Watchable Wildlife

In 1972, wild turkeys were reintroduced to 6,000 acres around Clover Lick Barrens, an area of prairie vegetation.  Other birds of interest include red-shouldered hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, scarlet tanagers, and pileated woodpeckers.  Timber rattlesnakes and copperheads are two venomous snake species found here.  Mammals include fox squirrels, raccoons, and white-tailed deer, which attract hunters in season.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Southern Indiana is known for its Karst topography, which often forms limestone caves, as well as some beautiful Swiss-cheese formations that can be seen along the Hemlock Cliffs Trail.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Road access is paved to the pullout for the Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest, and the unpaved road to Hemlock Cliffs Trailhead was a good enough for our mini-van.

Camping

There are horse camps at Shirley Creek, Blackwell, Hickory Ridge, and Youngs Creek, in addition to other campgrounds dispersed throughout Hoosier National Forest.

Wilderness Areas

Charles C. Deam Wilderness

Related Sites

Shawnee National Forest (Illinois)

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (Indiana)

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park (Indiana)

Nearest National Park

Indiana Dunes

Behind the falls at Hemlock Cliffs
Tiff with a huge American beech tree
Tiff with a shagbark hickory
Tulip-poplar bloom

Conifer Tree Species

eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, shortleaf pine, eastern redcedar

Flowering Tree Species

American beech, tulip-poplar, basswood, Ohio buckeye, white ash, green ash, American elm, winged elm, black walnut, white oak, northern red oak, black oak, chinquapin oak, rock chestnut oak, post oak, blackjack oak, sugar maple, red maple, ironwood, sassafras, black cherry, black gum, black walnut, honeylocust, Kentucky coffeetree, flowering dogwood, redbud, basswood, sycamore, mockernut hickory, shagbark hickory, pawpaw, slippery elm, butternut, hophornbeam, sweetgum, mountain laurel

Explore More – Who was Charles C. Deam, the namesake for the only Wilderness in Indiana (designated in 1982)?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

Mississippi

Homochitto National Forest

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Homochitto National Forest

Mississippi

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Southern Region

373,497 acres (191,839 federal/ 181,658 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mississippi/recarea/?recid=28865

Overview

In southwest Mississippi, Homochitto National Forest is comprised of former cotton fields purchased and replanted with trees by the federal government in the 1930s.  It is named for the 90-mile-long Homochitto (“huh-mah-CHIT-ah”) River that runs through the forest on its way to the Mississippi River south of Natchez.  All six National Forests in Mississippi are managed as one administrative unit, including Bienville, De Soto, Delta, Holly Springs, Homochitto, and Tombigbee National Forests.  The Homochitto district ranger station is located in Meadville.

Highlights

Clear Springs Lake Recreation Area, Pipes Lake Recreation Area, Mt. Nebo Recreation Area, Stephenson Lookout Tower, Pellucid Bayou, Brushy Creek Loop, Tally’s Creek Trail, Richardson Creek Trail

Must-Do Activity

Homochitto National Forest has developed facilities at three small lakes: Clear Springs, Pipes, and Mt. Nebo.  A one-mile trail encircles scenic Clear Springs Lake, which has a picnic shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935 listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Elsewhere, Brushy Creek Loop is a 5.7-mile horse trail that is not recommended for hikers due to abundant mud and manure.

Best Trail

Just north of the Clear Springs Lake Campground is a trailhead (fee) for three long hiking trails, also maintained for mountain biking.  Only the 10-mile-long Richardson Creek Trail was open during our visit with Tally’s Creek (10.8 miles) and Mill Branch (5.6 miles) closed due to downed trees.  The route was well-marked with red blazes and had several nice bridges as it wound through the forested hills around Richardson Creek.

Watchable Wildlife

Clear Springs Lake has a sign warning of alligators, but we did not see any reptiles other than painted turtles.  While camping overnight we heard what possibly was a frog making an interesting call that sounded like a lightsaber from Star Wars.  Birds we spotted were a wild turkey, cardinal, goldfinch, and tufted titmouse.  It is likely the National Forest allows hunting for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ducks, and invasive wild pigs.  Fishing for largemouth bass, catfish, and other species is allowed at Clear Springs, Pipes, and Mt. Nebo Lakes.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The picnic shelter at Clear Springs Lake was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Fees

Clear Springs Lake Recreation Area charges a day use fee of $5 per vehicle or half price with the America the Beautiful pass. 

Road Conditions

The road is paved to Clear Springs Lake, about 32 miles east of Natchez.

Camping

There is a nice campground with showers on Clear Springs Lake, accessed by a paved road four miles south of Highway 84.  Campsites with hookups cost $20 per night and those without cost $7. 

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

De Soto National Forest (Mississippi)

Natchez National Historical Park (Mississippi)

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (Mississippi-Alabama-Tennessee)

Nearest National Park

Hot Springs

Umbrella magnolia leaf
Scott’s mother on the Richardson Creek Trail
Tulip-poplar bloom

Conifer Tree Species

baldcypress, shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, longleaf pine

Flowering Tree Species

tulip-poplar, American beech, water oak, Nuttall oak, cherrybark oak, southern red oak, sweet bay, red maple, swamp red maple, horse sugar, chesnut oak, sweetgum, devil’s walkingstick, American holly, hophornbeam, southern magnolia, umbrella magnolia, tupelo gum, flowering dogwood

Explore More – The Homochitto River still carries its Choctaw name, which translates as what?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

Georgia

Georgia Road Trip Itinerary

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Georgia

36,808,634 acres (1.6% of U.S.)

Statehood 1788 (4th of 50)

Capital: Atlanta

Population:  10,711,908 (8th of 50)

High Point: Brasstown Bald (4,784 feet)

Best time of year: Spring for mild temperatures and flowering dogwood blooms

We recently published our guidebook 50 States of Great: Road Trip Guide to America, so we decided to start a new type of blog post where we create a travel itinerary for all 50 states, in addition to our usual National Forest and National Park entries.  After starting with Kansas, we decided to do an east coast state.  We made an ambitious seven-day plan starting in the northwest corner of Georgia, with many options to extend the trip.

Day 1

Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area (click here for our blog post)

Formerly named after Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (click here for our blog post) is marked with a bronze plaque and trail register.  Most backpackers start from potholed Forest Service Road 42 and ascend 0.9 miles south to the summit then spend the night in the open-front trail shelter or turn around to head back north.  For day hikers, a nice option is to add the eastern part of the Benton MacKaye Trail to make a 4.7-mile loop that passes Owen Vista.

Chattahoochee National Forest (click here for our blog post)

The Gennett Poplar (a tulip-poplar tree more than five feet in diameter) is accessed by hiking 1.8 miles out-and-back with two stream crossings on the Bear Creek Tail.  Other large tulip-poplars and yellow buckeyes are found in 175-acre Sosebee Cove Scenic Area.  You can spend the night riverside at the free Hickey Gap Campground, one of our Top 10 National Forest Campgrounds. 

Optional stop at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (click here for our blog post)

Half of this park is situated in Tennessee around Lookout Mountain, but at Georgia’s Chickamauga battlefield a seven-mile long driving tour explains what happened there on September 20, 1863.

Optional stops at Brasstown Bald, Tallulah Gorge State Park, Amicolola Falls State Park, and Cloudland Canyon State Park

Start your itinerary a day early in Georgia’s northeast corner by enjoying some State Parks and the state’s high point Brasstown Bald, managed by Chattahoochee National Forest.

Day 2

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (click here for our blog post)

Wait out the morning traffic into Atlanta by driving or hiking to the top of this steep hill in the city’s suburbs.

Georgia Aquarium

Holding more than 10-million gallons of water in its numerous tanks, Georgia Aquarium is the best in the nation (even better than California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium).  It contains more than 500 aquatic species, but the most impressive are the 30-foot-long whale sharks that reside in the 6.3-million-gallon Ocean Voyager Gallery, the world’s largest indoor marine exhibit. 

Optional stop at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (click here for our blog post)

A short walk from the visitor center is required to enter King’s boyhood home (which is wheelchair accessible).  Silence is mandatory while inside.  Outside the neighboring King Center, the Reflection Pool contains the tombs of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King, as well as an eternal flame.

Optional stop at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (click here for our blog post)

Established in 1978, this park is a combination of government jurisdictions and private land that protects 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River downstream from Lake Sidney Lanier northeast of Atlanta.  Due to its lack of large rapids it is popular with canoers.

Day 3

Andersonville National Historic Site (click here for our blog post)

This notorious Civil War prison remains an active military cemetery and is also home to the National Prisoner of War Museum run by the National Park Service.  This may not be the best place to bring children, given that the exhibits in the museum do not pull punches in their depictions of the brutality endured by captured combatants throughout the ages.

Museum of Aviation in Macon

This free Air Force aviation museum has airplanes on display both inside and outside, everything from a P-40 Flying Tiger to an SR-71 Blackbird.

Optional stop at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (click here for our blog post)

One of the best examples of temple mounds from the Mississippian Culture that began around 1,100 years ago.  Starting from the National Park Service museum (which contains artifacts dating back to 8000 B.C.E.), walk under the railroad tracks, go inside the replica earth lodge, and up the stairs to access the top of the 55-foot-tall Great Temple Mound. 

Day 4

Savannah

Savannah is a great city for walking that offers countless public squares, beautifully landscaped Forsyth Park with its iconic fountain, spooky Bonaventure Cemetery (see photo), legendary River Street shopping district, and architectural gems like the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (who founded the Girl Scouts of America in 1912).  Do not miss a photo at the tree-lined entrance to Wormsloe State Historic Site, a plantation located on the edge of an expansive marsh. 

Optional stop at Tybee Island

After touring the city, drive on to the Atlantic Ocean for some beach time.  Once you have soaked up some saltwater, sand, and sun, check out the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum, built at this site in 1773, then reconstructed after the Civil War.  Also, check out the nearby World War II-era Battery Garland in the decommissioned Fort Screven. 

Day 5

Fort Pulaski National Monument (click here for our blog post)

Located 17 miles from Savannah on Cockspur Island, photogenic Fort Pulaski National Monument protects a brick fort named for a Polish Count who was killed in action during the American Revolution.  Claimed by the Confederacy early during the Civil War, it was surrendered to the Union Army in April 1862 after thirty hours of shelling from nearby Tybee Island. 

Optional stop at Fort Frederica National Monument (click here for our blog post)

The British established Fort Frederica in the 1730s to stop Spanish encroachment from Florida into their American colonies.  The town that formed around the fort peaked at a population of 1,000.  Today it is a beautiful setting with tabby wall ruins and Spanish moss-draped trees.

Day 6

Cumberland Island National Seashore (click here for our blog post)

Only accessible by boat, most visitors arrive by ferry from St. Marys (reservations recommended) and spend a full day here.  Bicycles can be rented once you arrive on the island (they are not allowed on the ferry) and are permitted on the many miles of roads, but not on the trails or beach.  While it is fun to spend time beachcombing or seeing the ruins of the Dungeness mansion, what really sets Cumberland Island apart are the 50 miles of hiking trails that cut through the maritime forest of twisty live oak trees.  Watch for feral horses, white-tailed deer, armadillos, turkeys, and other birds along the way. 

Day 7

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

The largest freshwater wetlands in the country are home to about 12,000 alligators.  The baldcypress swamp spreads across 448,000 acres around the Suwannee River.  There are no roads across Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and it is most easily accessible from the west through Stephen C. Foster State Park, which has a campground and kayak rentals to access camping platforms in the swamp.

Day 8+ optional swing through western Georgia

Providence Canyon State Park

Clearing the forests for farmland in the mid-1800s is what allowed these 16 gullies to erode the soft red-clay hills into the colorful spectacle they are today (with many shades of orange, pink, lavender, and yellow).  The 1,003-acre State Park was established in 1971 to protect the area and it is featured as a U-Haul Super Graphic.  The best views are from the rim walk, but to truly appreciate the depth (up to 150 feet deep) and palette of colors you need to hike down into some of the nine canyons with trails. 

Jimmy Carter National Historical Park (click here for our blog post)

The former Governor, Nobel Peace Prize-winner, and U.S. President Jimmy Carter is the most well-known peanut farmer in Plains, and was a regular at the Plains Peanut Festival held every September.  The National Park Service manages the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park with two visitor centers, one at the former Plains High School and the other at the family’s 360-acre farm. 

Learn more about Georgia’s Most Scenic Drive, Wonderful Waterfall, Top State Park, and other categories in in our new travel guidebook 50 States of Great: Road Trip Guide to America.