Some road trips are all about the big-name stops.
This one is about the places hiding in plain sight—the ones you won’t find plastered on billboards or featured in glossy brochures.
We’re talking about spots with crumbling brick walls swallowed by vines, rusting relics tucked deep in the woods, and strange bits of history that will make you stop the car.
You’ll pass old buildings that look like they’re keeping secrets, trails that lead to unexpected finds, and forgotten pieces of Georgia’s past that feel almost too weird to be real.
Let’s hit the road!
1. New Manchester Mill Ruins (Sweetwater Creek State Park)
Located inside Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs, the New Manchester Mill Ruins are the haunting remains of a massive five-story cotton mill that was burned by Union troops in 1864 during the Civil War.
You can hike the easy-to-moderate 1-mile Red Trail along Sweetwater Creek to reach the brick skeleton of the mill, with towering walls, arched windows, and ivy creeping up the sides.
It’s one of the most photographed spots in the park, partly because it’s stunning, and partly because of its historic charm and striking riverside setting.
2. Old Car City USA (White)
Next up is Old Car City USA in the small town of White, which feels like stepping into a time capsule, where over 4,000 rusting classic cars sit frozen in place under pine needles and moss.
The winding trails take you past everything from vintage cars to vans, and even a couple of school buses, with faded paint and chrome.
It’s both a scrapyard and an outdoor art gallery, as well as a wild treasure hunt, making it one of the most unique roadside stops you’ll ever stumble across in the South.
3. Marble Mine Trail (James H. Floyd State Park)
About 50 minutes from Old Car City USA, you’ll hit James H. Floyd State Park in Summerville, home to the short but sweet 1.7-mile round-trip Marble Mine Trail.
The hike climbs gently through quiet hardwood forest before ending at an old abandoned marble mine, featuring a cave-like entrance and a 35-foot waterfall that spills into a clear, shallow pool.
The mine itself was once a marble quarry dating back to the early-to-mid 20th century, but now it’s pure postcard material, especially in spring when the water flow is at its best.
4. Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory (Dawson Forest)
From the abandoned marble mine, head into Dawson Forest near Dawsonville to find the eerie remains of the Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory, a Cold War research site that’s been off-limits for decades.
You can’t go inside, but hiking trails in Dawson Forest give you clear views of the old reactor area, concrete foundations, and rusting equipment hidden among the trees.
It’s a strange mix of history and mystery, and knowing the place was once used for nuclear testing makes every snapped twig on the trail feel just a little more dramatic.
5. Scull Shoals Historic Site
Just 30 minutes from downtown Watkinsville, you’ll land at Scull Shoals Historic Site, the crumbling ghost town of what was once a bustling 19th-century mill village.
You can drive down a dirt road to reach the site, then wander past brick chimneys, an arched brick bridge, and old foundations scattered through the ruins.
It’s quiet, shady, and a little haunting, with signs that tell stories of floods, fires, and the boom-and-bust life of this forgotten Georgia town.
6. Central State Hospital (Milledgeville)
Down in Milledgeville, Central State Hospital is a relic of Georgia’s mental health history, once the largest psychiatric hospital in the world.
You can’t go inside but the guided trolley tours roll past towering brick buildings, abandoned wards, and the grand 1842 Administration Building with its white-columned front porch.
It’s both fascinating and eerie, and hearing the stories as you pass these weathered structures makes you feel like you’re flipping through a living, ghostly photo album.
Please note: The two-hour guided trolley tours are available on select Saturdays, so be sure to check online and purchase tickets in advance.
7. Harville House (Statesboro)
Near Statesboro, the Harville House rises out of the fields like something straight out of a Southern Gothic novel with its three-story brick frame slowly giving in to time.
Built in 1894 as a one-story home, it was expanded around 1904 with the addition of a full second story, bringing the total to 14 rooms.
This once-grand home has crumbling walls and many empty window frames, letting sunlight pour right through as vines begin to creep up its walls.
You can’t go inside, but pulling over to see it from the road is worth it for the sheer drama of watching history slowly crumble in plain sight.
8. Dungeness Ruins (Cumberland Island)
At the southern tip of Cumberland Island, the Dungeness Ruins sprawl across a windswept lawn where wild horses graze between crumbling stone walls.
Once the lavish mansion of steel tycoon Thomas Carnegie, the 35,000-square-foot home burned in 1959, leaving behind empty windows and stone walls.
You’ll need to catch a ferry from St. Marys to get here, but wandering these ruins with the ocean breeze in your hair feels like stepping into a forgotten chapter of the Gilded Age.
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