Situated off Roswell Road Northeast in Atlanta, Blue Heron Nature Preserve is a great place to visit for nature enthusiasts. Spread across an area of 30 acres (12 hectares), this beautiful preserve is home to meadows, wetlands, streams, and forests. Here, you will find a wide range of animals and birds like snapping turtles, river otters, blue herons, coyotes, bullfrog, and others. Visitors can hike along the scenic Blueway Trail and enjoy the picturesque views it has to offer.
Perched at a height of 1,808 feet, Kennesaw Mountain is the highest point in the metro Atlanta area. Nestled between two cities, Marietta and Kennesaw, it includes two mountain ranges namely, Big Kennesaw and Little Kennesaw Mountain. Visitors can find an interpretive center at the base of the mountain and also indulge in activities like hiking and birdwatching here.
Just east of Atlanta, Stone Mountain Park is a 3200-acre (1300-hectare) park centres on the world's largest exposed granite mountain. Skylift gondolas whisk visitors 825 feet (251 meters) to the top, where commanding views of the Georgia countryside await them. The north face's bas-relief memorial to Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson is one of the world's largest. An antebellum plantation, an antique auto museum and a petting zoo are all located within the park. Playing host to myriad activities such as camping, dining, and lodging, this park bears wooden mountain slopes bearing recherche Georgia oak, natural pools as well as delightful, verdant foliage. During the summer, there are evening laser light shows on the mountain, whereas the Great Barn and Geyser Towers are other attractions in the park. Some of the major trails coursing through the park include the Cherokee Trail, Walk-Up Trail, Nature Garden Trail, and Songbird Habitat Trail.
A rolling oasis nestled in the heart of downtown Atlanta, this lush park is interspersed with sprawling rock gardens. Built to enhance the infrastructure for the 1996 Summer Olympics, this park is fringed by a tapestry of buildings significant to the city, like the CNN Center, Philips Arena and the Georgia World Congress Center. The nearly 500,000 commemorative bricks that make up its main walkway were a part of fundraising efforts for the Games. During scorching Atlanta summers, children frolic in the ground-level Olympic Rings, which periodically shoot streams of water through their five rings. One of the most promising features of the park is the fascinating 'Fountain of Rings', a technology-controlled fountain complete with music, light towers and a splash pad; not only is the fountain a hive of fun and frolic, but it is also a great architectural feat. The park is also home to several other water features and is a massive locus for live music in the city's downtown. Bearing stunning semblances of natural wonders and an iconic Olympic legacy, Centennial Olympic Park is a site that Atlanta holds close to its heart.
Clark Atlanta University is a private institution that operates four colleges catering to Arts and Sciences, Education, Business Administration and Social Work under its guidance. The university dates back to 1988 when it was founded with the coming together of Clark College and Atlanta University; Clark University is also ascribed of carrying research work of high importance. The campus offers good quality housing, sports, art galleries and theatrical facilities for its students, staff and alumni.
Sweet Auburn District is one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city. It is primarily an Afro-American settlement. The neighborhood contains several notable buildings and structures like the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the Ebenezer Baptist Church and the APEX Museum. The Sweet Auburn Curb Market is a popular shopping destination for its low-budget produce. The National Black Arts Festival is also held in the Sweet Auburn District.