Visiting Stone Mountain Park - Drawing an average of more than 4-million annual visitors, Stone Mountain Park is Georgia's most popular attraction. With over 3,200 acres of park, lake and woodlands plus more than a dozen attractions and many recreational activities, Stone Mountain offers plenty of fun for all ages.
The mountain, at 825 feet tall and reaching 1,683 feet above sea level, is the world's largest known free-standing piece of exposed granite. In addition to the 1.3 mile trail to the mountain top, there are 15 miles of nature trails for hiking. Boating and fishing are permitted in the 363-acre lake, although swimming is prohibited.
For golfers, there are two championship courses and club facilities located at the base of the mountain. Bicycling is permitted inside the park only along roadways and single file in a dedicated bicycle lane on Robert E. Lee Blvd., which circles the park. There are no mountain biking trails and bicycles are not permitted on any of the hiking trails.
Location - Stone Mountain Park is 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta on US Highway 78. Take Exit 39 B off of Interstate 285 and follow Highway 78 east for 8 miles. The main entrance is at Exit 8.
Admission - Stone Mountain Park gates are open daily, although attraction hours vary depending on the time of year and the daily park schedule. A cash only parking permit per vehicle per day or an annual parking pass, required for entrance into the park, provides access to the public picnic areas, hiking trails, children's playground, walk-up trail, the spectacular Laser Light Show and several other outdoor adventure areas. Other attractions require additional fees, which may be purchased individually or with an all-day or seasonal pass.
