Stone Mountain State Park

The park in 2001 was not a theme park like Disney or 6 Flags. It had more emphasis on outdoor activities than theme rides. I do not know if that has changed since then but my reminisces are about the park in 2001, not 2010.

There were two main activities or rides if you will that we considered Must-do. One was the Stone Mountain Railroad and the other was the gondola to the top of Stone Mountain.We also took a scenic boat ride around the Stone Mountain Lake on the Scarlett O’Hara an authentic side-wheeler that was built right in the park

The train ride is 5 miles long with some narrations by the staff about the history and sights of the area.. The obligatory train robbery and show took place as expected. Don’t all train rides have these reenactments? But this one was done with a great sense of humor.

I loved the gondola ride to the top of Stone Mountain. The Gondola was quite full but it was worth it to see the views from the top plus it takes you right past the carving so you get an up close view of the main attraction. At the top, you will be gazing out over Atlanta and the Appalachian mountain range from a height of just under 1700 feet .



JR hangs from the stap on the Gondola



Top of Stone Mountain




We ended the day with the leisurely cruise on the Scarlett O’Hara. . That turned out to be a wonderfully , relaxing way to finish the day.

Stone Mountain over looks the lake

　

One of the big attractions today is the laser show. I think they were doing that when I was there in 2001 but if they were , we didn’t stay. I can’t remember now why we skipped it but that is one of the many things at Stone Mountain that I haven’t experienced. In checking the website for the park, it looks like they have added many more activities since I was there almost 10 years ago.

It is a beautiful park and it should be on any outdoor lover’s list of places to visit at least once.

　
　
www.stonemountainpark.com