Outdoors
Refuges, lakes and wild areas near Johns Creek for wildlife viewing and birdwatching.
Good to know: Early mornings and evenings are best for wildlife; bring binoculars and keep a respectful distance.
7 mi southwest · National Park Service
Today the river valley attracts us for so many reasons. Take a solitary walk to enjoy nature’s display, raft leisurely through the rocky shoals with friends, fish the misty waters as the sun comes up, or have a picnic on a Sunday…
10 mi northeast · US Army Corps of Engineers
Nestled in the foothills of the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains lies Lake Sidney Lanier, one of America?s favorite lakes. Over 7.5 million people a year choose to visit Lanier.
Map of 21 places loads as you scroll.
Today the river valley attracts us for so many reasons. Take a solitary walk to enjoy nature’s display, raft leisurely through the rocky shoals with friends, fish the misty waters as the sun comes up, or have a picnic on a Sunday…
Nestled in the foothills of the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains lies Lake Sidney Lanier, one of America?s favorite lakes. Over 7.5 million people a year choose to visit Lanier.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is a 2,965 acre National Battlefield that preserves a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign. Opposing forces maneuvered and fought here from June 19, 1864 until July 2, 1864.
Payne Campground sits on the banks of Allatoona Lake, providing visitors with a variety of water activities in the green rolling hills of Georgia.
For millions of years, granite monadnocks have stood watch over the rivers and forests of Georgia.
Allatoona Lake is one of the most frequently visited U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes in the nation.
Carters Lake Project is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District. Carters Lake is one of the most scenic lakes in the Southeast.
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1939 as a "combination wildlife and game-management demonstration area" to demonstrate that wildlife could be restored on worn out, eroded lands. Today, through the efforts of the U.S.
Hartwell Lake is one of the most popular Corps lakes in the nation. Built by the U.S.
Little River is unique because it flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama.
to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. This park is a prehistoric American Indian site, where many different American Indian cultures occupied this land for thousands of years.
"Ole Dan Tucker was a grand ole man; He washed his face in a fryin' pan; Combed his hair with a wagon wheel; Died with a tooth ache in his heel!" During the 1700's, this famous folk song was sung by slaves in praise of the Reverend Dan…
Fishing is probably the most popular activity on West Point Lake. A dozen creeks and more than 40 square miles of lake provide plenty of good fishing spots for the thousands of anglers who fish here regularly.
Russell Cave National Monument is an archeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast.
Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Thurmond Lake is the largest Corps of Engineers lake east of the Mississippi River. The lake encompasses 1,200 miles of shoreline, 70,000 acres of water and 80,000 acres of land.
Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge, known as Blowing Wind Cave NWR until 1999, lies just above the Sauty Creek embayment of TVA’s Guntersville Reservoir, seven miles west of Scottsboro, Jackson County, Alabama.
Nearly 13,000 men died on these grounds, a site that became infamous even before the Civil War ended. Their burial grounds became Andersonville National Cemetery, where veterans continue to be buried today.
Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1981, consists of 199 acres of forested hillside underlain by a massive cave with many stalactite and stalagmite-filled rooms.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Johns Creek. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
A local activity video shared by JohnsCreekGAgov.
Watch on YouTube ↗
THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
A local activity video shared by JohnsCreekGAgov.
Watch on YouTube ↗
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (National Park Service), about 7 miles southwest of Johns Creek as the crow flies. Next are Lake Sidney Lanier (10 mi) and Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest (21 mi).
Federal agencies including National Park Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.