5 Georgia destinations worth adding to your fall bucket list

A bucket-list trip doesn’t always mean crossing an ocean or boarding a long-haul flight. With the fall and holiday season around the corner, these five destinations offer memorable and delightful experiences worth the trip.

Hop aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

The vibrance of fall colors swishes by as the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway makes its way from its depot in downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia, to McCaysville on a 26-mile journey through the countryside while skirting the Toccoa River.

The crisp autumn air flows through the open-air car, and this becomes the ideal outing to greet the season.

Throughout the year, seasonal rides offer a round-trip or one with a two-hour layover with enough time to snap the iconic photo of straddling the Georgia and Tennessee state line.

Rise early with the sun at Brasstown Bald

As Georgia’s highest peak of 4,784 feet, Brasstown Bald provides 360-degree views of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains in their most perfect state. Located in North Georgia’s Towns and Union counties, the summit delivers quite the spectacular sight.

The good news: you can drive to the visitor’s center and walk the trailhead to access the summit. Although the trail is short, it is steep and begins immediately. The wide, paved serpentine pathway is just over a mile round-trip. As the sun rises on a clear day, view four states and, possibly, Atlanta’s skyline.

Explore nature’s artwork at Providence Canyon State Park

Considered Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon, Providence Canyon State Park feels more like the West than the South. The colorful rock walls make it one of the most photographed and hiked destinations in the state. The geological wonder combines pinks, oranges and reds to create its own natural artwork.

Whether seeking a leisurely hike or one more challenging, all hikes begin at the visitor center. The visitor favorite, the Canyon Loop Trail, is an accessible, easy-to-moderate, two-and-a-half-mile walk that loops around its nine canyons.

For more experienced hikers seeking extremes, the Backcountry Trail is a rugged seven-mile trek with steep grades passing primitive campsites, perfect for spending the night underneath the stars.

Witness the wild horses on Cumberland Island National Seashore

If you’re lucky, this is a sight you will never forget. With the Atlantic providing the backdrop, horses roam freely along the dunes and grassy ruins of Georgia’s Cumberland Island National Seashore.

The island is the only place where feral horses can be found, with the earliest known arrival being in the mid-1700s. Over the years, horses were brought to and taken away from the island; those that remain are wild and considered descendants of domestic breeds. The National Park Service counts the population yearly.

Access to the island is restricted each day, and reservations are recommended. A daily ferry departs from the visitor’s center in St. Marys.

Explore on your own or take ranger-led tours, including the Lands and Legacies Tour, which includes Plum Orchard and the First African Baptist Church, each located on opposite ends of the island. The Main Park Road directs toward a canopy of live oaks, a cooler setting that attracts the horses and leads toward the Dungeness historic district.

Walk among the pecan groves at Sunnyland Farms