When we decided to get away for a few days after Christmas, we had a few qualifications for our destination.
- south, so hopefully warmer than home
- closer than driving all the way to Florida
- enough in the area to keep us busy for a few days
- lodging for us in our RV and for some family who do not have an RV
We decided on Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. It turned out not to be as warm as we’d hoped, but it was close enough for day trips to Atlanta, and the park had lodging options for everyone.
I-20 East Trees
While on I-20 East, about halfway between Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC, we noticed a lot of downed trees. Not trees that were cut, but ones that had snapped or tipped over completely. In other places, we saw large piles of branches on the side of the highway, as if trees had been cut up to remove them from the road. Our best guess is this could be damage from Hurricane Helene. I have never seen so many fallen trees along one stretch of road.
Where We Stayed
Stone Mountain Park consists of 3,200 acres east of Atlanta, including an 800-foot-tall quartz monzonite dome. There are so many activities and attractions, I can’t list them all. To name a few: hiking, golf, mini golf, swimming, a scenic railroad, and a quarry exhibit. For lodging, there are two hotels and a campground on the property.
Stone Mountain Park Campground was much larger than I expected. On the map, the site numbers reach almost 400, including RV and tent camping sites. In addition, they have more than a dozen yurts. There’s also a playground, a volleyball area, an outdoor pool, and a small general store. They have scheduled activities in a building near the front. We saw arts & crafts and bingo on the schedule during our stay. The large fireplace inside keeps away the chill and made for a lovely pit stop when we were out walking the dogs in the cold.
| Campground Name | Stone Mountain Park Campground |
| Location | Stone Mountain, GA |
| Dates | December 26-30, 2024 |
| Site Number | Site 100 |
| Site Surface | gravel |
| Hook-ups | full hookups |
| Cost | $94.35 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | forgot to write it down! |
| Voltage | forgot to write it down! |
| Verizon Speed Test | # Mbps down; # Mbps up |
| T-Mobile Speed Test | # Mbps down; # Mbps up |
| Campground WiFi | Kept disconnecting; couldn’t even do a speed test |
Our site was close to the entrance and at an easy angle with the road for backing in.
On one side of our site was another RV site. On the other, the pool. During the summer, I could see it being noisy, but since we visited in December, it was nice not having a neighbor to our left. Behind the row we were in was a small field. It was nice not having RVs right behind us, but in warmer weather I can see the field getting busy. Probably good if you have kids, but if you want quiet, not so much.
The site had a picnic table in a slightly elevated patio (for lack of a better word). The railing enclosed the entire space except one spot for the entrance/exit. Add a small baby gate and you’d have a great space for dogs (or kids) to safely hang out. Sadly, we didn’t get to use this space because of the weather/time of year.
The only tricky part was the incline. I’m not sure it comes across well in photos, but there was a difference of a few feet from the level of the road to the level of our site. Fortunately, backing up a small hill doesn’t phase Jesse or our truck.
Lakeside Hotel
Technically we didn’t stay there, but our family did, so I’m going to include some details. The hotel has a restaurant, an indoor pool and hot tub, an outdoor pool (and another hot tub), and a gym. The rooms weren’t as nice as I expected them to be, but still perfectly adequate. There was a TV, a mini fridge, and a coffee maker.
Because we went with family who were staying in the hotel, we were able to use the pool. Attached to the bathroom in the pool area were 2 shower stalls with shampoo, conditioner, and soap. We changed into/out of our suits there and were able to take a hot shower before going back to the RV.
What We Did
Zoo Atlanta
The weather wasn’t ideal for a day at the zoo, but we made the most of it. It was less crowded than it would have been on a nicer day. (That person in the photo in a t-shirt is crazy! It was much too cold for that.)
I think my favorite feature of this zoo was the mini ropes course. Many zoos have some sort of ropes course for adults/older kids, but Zoo Atlanta also has a small one for little kids.
I don’t usually pay much attention to the carousel at zoos, but this one has some fun choices, including a sea otter, cassowary, tapir, sandhill crane, and manatee.
I have mixed feelings about this zoo. I appreciated that the red pandas got to climb real trees.
However, some of their exhibits left a bit to be desired. For example, this is one side of the tiger enclosure…viewing was not optimal. Fortunately, there was another area that had a much better view, but I question some of their exhibit design choices.
On the plus side, several animals were up and about while we were there and we witnessed some interesting behaviors. We were lucky enough to see this orangutan brachiate from one rock to another.
It was neat to watch the Malayan sun bears dig at this log.
Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium is a must-see if you’re ever in the area. The exhibits are well done and include several animals that aren’t common in aquariums. Beluga whales and whale sharks are the first that come to mind, but there are others.
If you’re in the area around Christmas, it’s even better because of the decorations.
The whole aquarium is amazing, but you don’t want to miss the enormous tank with the whale sharks. This is one of the largest viewing windows in the world.
For that same tank, there’s a tunnel you walk through so you can see all the critters swimming above you. The underside of a guitarfish is wild!
The zebra sharks were fun too! We saw one with the normal coloring, but if you’re ever there, keep watching for a white one. She’s not albino, just has unusual coloring/pattern.
Sturgeon are another favorite of mine. Couldn’t tell you why, but I love them. They are very impressive fish. Georgia Aquarium had a few small ones near the touch tank area.
And who doesn’t love a weedy sea dragon?
Georgia Aquarium Travel Tips
- Come early. It was a madhouse by the time we left around 3:00.
- There are lots of experiences, tours, etc. and some are very reasonably priced. Be sure to check their website for details.
- Bring empty water bottles with you and use the bottle-filling stations inside the aquarium to help keep down the cost for the day.
I was impressed with their customer service. We purchased tickets online for Friday, both for general admission and for a tour. Because of the weather forecast, we thought it might be better to go on Saturday. I called Thursday morning to try to reschedule and they were able to change our tickets around.
The chicken tenders are the way to go for lunch. They were much higher quality than I expected, and the fries were decent, too.
Parking Confusion
The parking situation left something to be desired. Parking is $25 for the day, whether you purchase a prepaid pass or not. As I understand it, there are a limited number of passes sold each day. Parking passes being sold out does not mean the parking garage is full. I believe having the prepaid pass just guarantees you a spot in the parking garage, but I’m not sure.
The other benefit to paying in advance is to avoid the hassle of the pay stations. We left the parking ticket in the car, so we had to come back up to the car before we could try to pay. At that point, we should have been able to scan the QR code on the sign by the elevator, download the app, and pay, but the app wouldn’t load. We drove down a few levels to find a pay station, which turned out to be broken, so we took the elevator to another level and were finally able to pay. The prepaid parking pass looked pretty good by then.
Behind the Seas: Explore the Surface Tour
The Behind the Seas tour was great and affordable. Our guide was informative and funny. There were maybe 15 people in our tour at most. We saw several behind-the-scenes areas and learned a lot about the aquarium that you don’t get from reading the signs around the exhibits.
Our seven-year-old niece really enjoyed it and asked a lot of questions. The information might have been a little much for the five-year-old, but the tour was short enough and there was enough to look at that it wasn’t a problem. I would definitely recommend looking into it if you’re planning a visit.
King’s Trail
When we checked in, we got a wonderful map of the park. It showed the roads, trails, the campground, and so much more. On the map, #13 is the Washington W. King Bridge.
If you cross the bridge, there’s a parking lot and a trail (King’s Trail) around the island. (The trail is #5 on the map.)
Our truck exceeded the weight limit of the bridge, so we did not drive across. Instead, we parked in one of the 2 or 3 available spots that are just before the bridge.
King’s Trail is a short, easy trail around the little island. The trail is wide at first but eventually narrows.
We found plenty of spots to let the dogs wade into the lake.
This spot by the bridge was Corona’s favorite. It stayed really shallow for a while and the bottom was nice and sandy. (See our truck in the background? That’s where we had to leave it since we couldn’t drive it across the bridge.)
There are several spots with trash cans and picnic tables. I think this would be a good spot for a snack or picnic lunch.
Stone Mountain Christmas
I have mixed feelings about the Stone Mountain Christmas experience. The ticket includes access to a lot of different activities: the Christmas sing-along train, mini golf, the Dinotaurium, Cookie Corner with Mrs. Claus, the drone light show, several stores (candy, toy store, Christmas store, and more), and several walk-through light displays. Food and drinks are not included and neither is the Flight to the North Pole experience. You get a lot for your money. However, the overall experience wasn’t as high-quality as I expected.
A Note About Cinnamon Bread
When we got to Stone Mountain and saw a place with hot cinnamon bread, we decided we had to get some. Now, I’ve been to Dollywood, where it seems the cinnamon bread is legendary. My sister has not, so it’s possible my expectations were higher than hers. However, we were both disappointed. The top was tasty, but the bottom was soggy. In general, we felt it wasn’t worth it and we’d skip it if we ever came back.
Dinotorium
The Dinotorium was an interesting place. The building has four stories. There are stairs on the far wall, and the other three have climbing structures, slides, and mesh nets to get up and down the levels.
In the middle of the room on the first floor, there are machines, tubes, containers, etc., some of which go all the way up to the top floor.
Each level has some number of dinosaur statues. There are plastic balls all over the floor and if you’re lucky, you’ll find a mesh bag. The idea is the balls are “food” for the dinosaurs. Kids run around collecting the balls and use them in the machines to “feed” the dinosaurs.
It felt dated and a little dingy. Several machines were broken, and there’s a loud air hiss every so often. However, our nieces (5 and 7) spent almost an hour there. I would not call it educational, but it is a chance to let the kids run around for a bit.
I’m guessing it’s not interesting enough for kids much older than 9ish. The slides were closed when we were there, which was a bummer. I’m glad it was included in the ticket; I would not have wanted to pay extra for it. The kids did enjoy it, but it wasn’t as great as the website made it sound.
Flight to the North Pole
This was not inexpensive, but overall, I was impressed with the Flight to the North Pole Experience. It was well thought out and even had some clever details. While I am going to leave out the biggest spoiler, I will share some of the details. If you plan to go and want to be surprised, I’d skip reading this section of the post.
After getting your passport, the experience begins with a cup of hot chocolate and all of the marshmallows and chocolate chips you could want. Then you and your group wait in line to board the tram.
I was very impressed with their customer service. First, we had an issue with the five-year-old’s wristband and had to cut it off. I was worried they wouldn’t let her on or something, but they were wonderful. It sounded like as long as they could see the time listed, they were fine. Then we had a dropped hot chocolate incident and they were again wonderful. They cleaned it all up, brought her a wet paper towel to clean her hands, and got her a new hot chocolate.
When you get to the top, they stamp your passport (since you’ve arrived at the North Pole, of course). As you walk down the hallway, be sure to look down to see the elf and reindeer prints!
If you take the skyride up to the top during the day (separate from the North Pole experience) we think you can walk around on the mountain. It’s also daylight so you get better views. In hindsight, we kind of wish we’d done that. But it was a pretty cool experience for the kids.
Drone Show
We’ve seen plenty of fireworks, but this was our first drone show. It was interesting to see. It was certainly quieter.
Actually, there were fireworks near the end of the drone show. After the first ones, we checked the RV cameras on Jesse’s phone to check on the dogs. They were up and moving around, so we think they heard the fireworks and were less than thrilled. Just something to be aware of if you have dogs and stay at the campground: they will probably hear the fireworks.
Where We Ate
The Grove
The Grove was completely decorated for the holidays, inside and out! It was crowded the night we were there, but the food was delicious.
Wildlife
I have no way to confirm this, but I suspect this campground has the highest concentration of squirrels in all of Georgia. They were everywhere! Aiken got lots of practice with “leave it” on this trip.
We also saw a heron in the lake (in addition to several ducks and geese). Please excuse the blurry photo; he was pretty far away.
We also saw a few deer. There were tracks all over the campground, but these were the only actual deer we saw.
Extra Photos
Corona is so funny sometimes. She doesn’t like walking on rocks. If they’re much bigger than gravel, I think it hurts her paws. When given an alternative, she’ll avoid it. Frequently, that means walk along the wood that lines many campground paths/trails. I finally caught her on video!
Happy travels!
