If the last time you visited Stone Mountain was during a high school trip more than a decade ago, you might be surprised at what the park has to offer today.
The Confederate Memorial Carving on the side of the 825-foot- high granite dome is still a main attraction, but the 3,200-acre destination near Atlanta offers many other family- friendly attractions, according to public relations coordinator Kelley Swann.
“People are always surprised at what we have,” she said. “We have two golf courses, two hotels, a large ropes course, hiking, a gondola and riverboats. There is plenty to do for the whole family.”
The park offers indoor and outdoor activities, including shows, concerts, a laser show and a variety of dining opportunities.
New at the park is Sky Hike, a million-dollar ropes course in the treetops. It offers a quarter- mile of trails that allows visitors to create their own path.
The centerpiece of the park, which opened in 1958, is the Confederate Memorial Carving featuring the carved figures of Jefferson Davis on Blackjack, Robert E. Lee on Traveler and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson on Little Sorrel.
The carving is 90 feet tall, 190 feet wide and 11 feet deep. It covers three acres.
The dome itself is the largest piece of exposed granite in the world. It is estimated to be nearly 300 million years old.
Adventure passes are available for $25 for adults and $20 for children ages 3-11.
Barry Courter is associate features editor, entertainment editor and books editor for the Times Free Press. He started his journalism career at the Chattanooga News-Free Press in 1987. He covers primarily entertainment and events for fyiWeekend and edits the Sunday books page. Born in Lafayette, Ind., Barry has lived in Chattanooga since 1968. He graduated from Notre Dame High School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in broadcast journalism. He previously ...
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