Top 5 Atlanta Outdoor Travel stories of 2012

Billing itself as part of the Forgotten Coast, St. George Island, Florida seems unlikely to slip the minds of vacationing Metro Atlanta families. In fact, it is a favorite summer stop for many travelers from our region.On the other hand, a lot of those vacationers think of this barrier island just offshore of Apalachicola only in terms of white sand shores and beach houses. However, the isle has more to offer than that. The ruffed grouse is a game bird that has drawn the attention of sportsmen in America for a couple of centuries. These birds are most closely associated with New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states, which seemingly puts them out of the reach of Atlanta hunters without making a long airline connection.Surprisingly, only two hours north of the metro area the steep ridges of north Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains also support a huntable population of grouse. Travelers from Atlanta venturing south to Florida these days are almost assured of sighting an alligator. Every corner of the Sunshine State is now home to the huge reptiles. On the other hand, it is not quite so easy to cross paths with the other member of that family that inhabits the state. You have to go all the way to the southern end of the peninsula to find the American crocodile. View the list »
The opportunity to hike through a wilderness of semi-tropical marine forest usually requires long airline flights that can include international connections. Fortunately, Atlantan's have such an option only a half day's drive from the city.The Cumberland Island National Seashore is located on Georgia’s Atlantic coast near the old colonial seaport of St. Marys. 

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The votes are all in and counted. The subscribers and casual visitors to the stories posted during 2012 on the Atlanta Outdoor Travel site maintained by Jimmy Jacobs have made their preferences known.

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The following five stories were posted between January and December last year, and received the most page views. The geographic spread of the articles stretched from the north Georgia mountains all the way down to the Florida Keys. The northern part of the Peach State claimed two places on the list, while the Georgia coast had one as well. The other two represented the Florida Panhandle and the Keys.

Just to maintain the suspense as long as possible, let's start with No. 5 and work our way to the most viewed article of last year.

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  • The opportunity to hike through a wilderness of semi-tropical marine forest usually requires long airline flights that can include international connections. Fortunately, Atlantan's have such an option only a half day's drive from the city.The Cumberland Island National Seashore is located on Georgia’s Atlantic coast near the old colonial seaport of St. Marys. 
  • Travelers from Atlanta venturing south to Florida these days are almost assured of sighting an alligator. Every corner of the Sunshine State is now home to the huge reptiles. On the other hand, it is not quite so easy to cross paths with the other member of that family that inhabits the state. You have to go all the way to the southern end of the peninsula to find the American crocodile. 
  • The ruffed grouse is a game bird that has drawn the attention of sportsmen in America for a couple of centuries. These birds are most closely associated with New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states, which seemingly puts them out of the reach of Atlanta hunters without making a long airline connection.Surprisingly, only two hours north of the metro area the steep ridges of north Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains also support a huntable population of grouse. 
  • Billing itself as part of the Forgotten Coast, St. George Island, Florida seems unlikely to slip the minds of vacationing Metro Atlanta families. In fact, it is a favorite summer stop for many travelers from our region.On the other hand, a lot of those vacationers think of this barrier island just offshore of Apalachicola only in terms of white sand shores and beach houses. However, the isle has more to offer than that. 
  • It’s very likely that any traveler in the southeast is at least somewhat familiar with Rock City. That tourist attraction near Chattanooga, Tennessee draws large crowds annually. Those who have never visited it probably have seen the “See Rock City” signs on barns and birdhouse scattered throughout the region.On the other hand, mentioning Georgia’s Rock Town draws blank stares. 
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, Atlanta Outdoor Travel Examiner

Jimmy Jacobs is an outdoor and travel writer that has spent the past two decades exploring the region from the Southern Appalachian Mountains to both the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. Along the way he has won numerous Excellence In Craft Awards for writing and photography from the Florida Outdoor...

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