12 Hidden Places in Athens, GA You Need to See

Middle Oconee River Train Track Crossing

Location: 33°52’30.4″N 83°21’28.1″W

For those who are brave enough to walk along a wooden train trestle a couple stories above the Oconee River, this one’s for you! In southern Athens-Clarke County, an expansive trestle stretches across the Middle Oconee River, which marks the border with Oconee County. The trestle is accessible to adventurers from both sides, but it is easiest to approach from the Oconee County side. 

To discover this gem, park along River Bank Ln. and head east to find the train tracks. From there, follow them north toward the river. There’s no pressure to walk out over the river. You can always stand on solid ground and admire the scene. After all, you wouldn’t want to be stuck out on the trestle when a train comes!

Whitehall Beach

Location: 33°54’28.5″N 83°21’36.6″W

I was shocked to discover that my “secret” trail was actually publicly known on AllTrails. However, that does not take away from the beauty of the Whitehall Shoals Natural Area, where you can enjoy hiking trails and river access without seeing a soul. For that reason, this location had to make our list of hidden places in Athens, GA. Whitehall Trail is a 1.5-mile hike that will take you through a dense forest of young pine trees and along the North Oconee River. The hike leads you to what I call “Whitehall Beach”, a sandy area right next to the bridge on Whitehall Rd. 

It’s a perfect place to set up some lawn chairs, enjoy a few cold drinks, and let the dogs run around. During the summer, the river is a great spot to cool off. For those who aren’t up for a hike, the beach is also accessible from the side of Whitehall Rd. 

Birchmore Rock

Location: 33°55’31.1″N 83°23’20.4″W

I lived right by the Birchmore Trail for years and it is still my favorite outdoor spot in Athens. Tucked away between S. Lumpkin St. and Memorial Park’s Bear Hollow Zoo is a 1.5-mile hiking trail that traverses several footbridges, a large ravine, streams, and past the Great Wall of Happy Hollow, a stone wall built by Fred Birchmore himself! The hike includes elevation changes and opportunities to see wildlife (on a few occasions, we’ve seen foxes). There are several peaceful spots along the trail to stop and reflect, including some perfect sitting rocks beside babbling brooks. My absolute favorite spot is Birchmore Rock, a large outcrop reminiscent of Pride Rock from The Lion King.

To get there, park on the side of Gran Ellen Drive where you see a pull off on the shoulder of the road near the trail’s crosswalk. Take the trail that heads downhill (on the opposite side of where you parked), follow the trail to the right, and there will be a stream crossing. Keep heading straight along the trail and you’ll eventually see a large footbridge that crosses the stream (don’t mistake the small wooden one on your left for the larger, metal bridge). Once you cross, take a right and you’ll see the Birchmore Rock on your left! It’s at the end of a side foot trail that leads up a steep hill and offers beautiful views of the forest. From the rock, you can sit, listen, and take in the natural beauty around you. 

For those who don’t want to climb up to the rock, a little ways down the trail you can find a great sitting bench along the switchbacks. The view from the bench is incredible and it’s a great spot for meditation or reflection!

Tanyard Creek Tunnel

Location: 33°56’58.8″N 83°22’29.8″W

Tanyard Creek is a tributary of the North Oconee River that begins near Bolton Dining Hall and flows east, its waters carried underneath Sanford Stadium by culverts and emerging on the other side of the stadium near River Rd. For decades, University of Georgia students have ventured into those dark concrete tunnels, painting their initials on the walls, trying to find a hidden passageway into Sanford Stadium, and even studying the bats that live in the tunnels.

It’s unclear if it is illegal to follow the creek underneath Sanford Stadium, but it definitely is an adventure that has an edge to it. For a sense of thrill and mystery, see if you can find the tunnel’s entrance near the parking lot outside of the Tate Center where the football team does the Dawg Walk on Saturdays. 

You’ll definitely want to bring shoes that can get wet. And a headlamp. 

The Chimney in the Woods

Location: 33°55’43.0″N 83°22’17.4″W

Right off busy College Station Rd. is the University of Georgia’s Recreational Sports Complex (110 Lake Herrick Dr., Athens, GA 30602), primarily known for the visible fields where students compete in intramural sports. However, the complex also includes Lake Herrick and the 60-acre Oconee Forest Park. 

Oconee Forest Park, all that is left of a larger old-growth hickory forest, is one of our go-to hiking spots. It has eight different hiking trails, providing endless combinations and distances for hiking routes. Hidden right in the middle of the woods is a clearing with an old stone chimney. It’s a great spot to sit down, catch a breath, and take in the sounds of the forest. 

To find it, park at the trailhead of the Boardwalk Trail next to the inner tennis courts off Alumni Drive. Then, walk across the boardwalk and take a left to follow the Lake Trail (blue blazes). Take a right to follow the yellow blazes and take the fork to the left when it splits. Keep an eye out for a trail to the left, marked with both the yellow and green blazes. Follow that and take the right fork when it splits to follow the green blazes until you come to the clearing!

South Milledge Sunset Spot

Location: 33°53’57.1″N 83°22’10.4″W

For arguably the best sunset view in all of Athens, head south on S. Milledge Ave. and continue past the State Botanical Gardens. As you drive toward the roundabout where S. Milledge Ave. ends, there’s a spot on the side of the road to pull off. 

It’s on the right, just after a large wooden barn. You’ll be able to see the places where the car wheels of other sunset seekers have worn down the grass. That’s how you know you’ve arrived.  Get out, hop on top of your car, and look west. 

You’ll have the most splendid sunset view in all of Athens. The sunset colors shine bright over a picturesque pasture filled with horses. It’s almost like you’re not even in Athens. 

Top of College Ave. Parking Deck

Location: 289 College Ave. Athens, GA 30601
Downtown Parking Services: (706) 613-7978 – Must Call In Advance For Access to 7th Floor

The open-air seventh level of downtown’s College Ave. Parking Deck rivals South Milledge for the best sunset spot in Athens. The parking deck is adjacent to City Hall, which is already standing on one of the tallest hills in the county (761 feet above sea level). Add another seven stories to that elevation and you get the most incredible 360-degree view of the northeast Georgia piedmont from the top of the deck! 

If you arrive before sunset, you can get a 2-for-1. To the north, you can see several Blue Ridge mountain peaks on the horizon. And to the west, enjoy an expansive view of the sky as orange and yellow rays burst across the Athens skyline. 

But, there is a caveat. While the College Ave. Parking Deck has long been recognized as a top sunset view in Athens, you are actually not allowed on the seventh level. The parking area is gated off and signs warn that the level is closed (too much bad stuff has happened up there apparently). There are cameras everywhere and the parking attendant will come up and make you leave! 

However, there is hope! If you call Downtown Parking Services ahead of time, you can get special permission to go up and enjoy the views. Please be sure to call and do this the right way, or else we risk losing this spot completely!

Ruins of Pinecrest Lodge

Location: 33°54’49.6″N 83°21’21.4″W

When I was kid, my dad took me and my brothers to Charlie Williams’ Pinecrest Lodge every Sunday after church. It was a rustic, down-home environment. The restaurant was hidden among the woods out of town and water from a stream slowly spun a large, antique water wheel out back. Every time, I would order the fried shrimp and drown them in ketchup while gulping down sweet tea and eating French fries. Then, for some reason, Charlie Williams was no more. 

The restaurant closed in 2004 and I didn’t see it again until 2020, when I stumbled across its ruins when I took a few wrong turns. It’s a spooky place to see. All signs of life at what was once a glorious Athens institution are all gone. There are no cooks frying up fish in the back. No Vince Dooley football teams dining inside. And no fathers and sons enjoying a post-church lunch on a Sunday afternoon. The long front breezeway recently collapsed and the building itself isn’t too far from doing the same. The historic slave house on the property is deteriorating. And the waterwheel sits motionless. 

To see this piece of Athens history, turn onto Pine Ridge Trce from Whitehall Rd. Then turn onto Pinecrest Lodge Rd., an old gravel road leading back to the old restaurant and a few cabin properties. The restaurant will be on the right. Please be respectful of the people who live at the properties nearby. 

Ben Burton Park

Location: 615 Mitchell Bridge Rd, Athens, GA 30606

Ben Burton Park is our favorite Athens-Clarke County park! It’s tucked away off Mitchell Bridge Rd. in West Athens, far enough away from town and hidden from view enough to make it feel low-key and secretive. The 32-acre park provides the best public river access in Athens, with hiking trails that follow the banks of the Middle Oconee. The park is actually on the site of an old hydroelectric power station that was in use from 1896 until 1964 and you’ll be able to see remnants of other industrial activities along the river.

The front area of the park provides a beautiful open space for picnics, sunbathing, and frisbee throwing. There’s also a boat ramp for those who want to go paddling. But don’t stop there! Continue walking further into the park and you’ll be rewarded with incredible views of the river, perfect spots to get your feet wet, and a unique rocky outcrop that provides a view of the river for those who dare to climb to the top! Be cautious when swimming or allowing dogs to swim though. The currents can get pretty strong after a lot of rainfall so just be particular!

Keep following the orange blazes to finish the loop trail and see what other discoveries await you! Our favorite spot is the little stream that feeds into the river toward the back of the park where the trail curves to head back. Our dogs love frolicking in the shallow water and chewing on sticks there! And it’s a great shaded spot to hang out for a bit.

The Tree That Owns Itself

Location: 227 S. Finley St., Athens, GA 30605

So this isn’t exactly a secret place in Athens. This tree is famous! But it is definitely hidden away, lost in the grid of narrow streets of Old Athens. Given its fame, you would expect a more prominent location, visible to all visitors to Athens! But it’s not. You have to search for it and that’s why it made the list. 

The Tree That Owns Itself is actually a descendent of the original tree, a white oak which inherited all the land within eight feet of it from a man who just really loved the tree. It was uprooted in a 1942 wind storm, but a new tree was planted from one of its acorns. That’s the one you’ll see today. 

Be sure to turn onto Finley Street from Broad Street (not Baxter), so that you can experience the best approach to the tree! You’ll turn onto a cobblestone section of Finley St. and drive up a steep hill before the tree rises into your field of view.

The Tire Swing

Location: 33°57’59.9″N 83°23’02.4″W

Hidden away behind Pulaski Heights BBQ north of downtown, legend has it there used to be a scene straight out of a summer daydream: an old wooden plank swing suspended in the air by a long rope attached to the curving tree branch that looms over it. The grass beneath the swing was worn away by the feet of visitors, leaving a sandy patch reminiscent of what you’d find underneath a school yard swing set. Just a few feet away were train tracks. It was a beautiful place to visit alone, or to bring someone special. The student-run Red & Black newspaper even wrote about it in 2015.

Well, the swing’s still there. But now, it’s a tire swing and it’s just a few feet behind the backyard fence of a new house, making the spot seem less serene and shared by all. Still, you can go and swing there and look for railroad spikes among the rocks of the tracks. Just be mindful of the folks who live nearby and be respectful of the fact that the swing is now so close to their property.

To get there, just park at Pulaski Heights BBQ (675 Pulaski St. Suite 100 Athens, GA 30601), follow the train tracks behind the restaurant, and you’ll be able to experience the same simple experience that has blessed thousands of wanders before you.

If you’re feeling extra adventurous, head back toward the way you came on the tracks but venture all the way to the railroad trestle near the Pulaski Heights Trail. Underneath the bridge, you’ll find old metal tracks reclaimed by nature and a mosaic of graffiti and other street art gracing the concrete walls.

North Oconee River Greenway Trail

Location: 286 S Poplar St, Athens, GA 30601

For those who are looking to walk, run, or bike, the North Oconee River Greenway Trail provides a 3-mile, multi-use path that connects Dudley Park and Sandy Creek Nature Center. There are several parking areas and trailheads available, as well as unique opportunities to see Athens from a different perspective.

Look out for the Rainbow Forest along Martin Luther King Ave!

Honorable Mention: Redneck Beach

Location: 33°54’41.6″N 83°24’08.6″W

Redneck Beach may be past its prime. For years, college students and locals alike have flocked to the old dam near Macon Highway on hot summer days. However, recent tragedies and construction in the area signal the days of trespassing at Redneck Beach have ended. New barriers have been erected around the property, inhibiting access to both Redneck Beach and the Macon Highway water tower. The adjacent mill that was burned in a fire in 2015 was recently demolished. 

Hopefully, the new development will capitalize on the river’s natural beauty and provide safe ways for the public to again enjoy the area. In the meantime, however, adventurers should no longer attempt to access the property. 

Conclusion: Hidden Places in Athens, GA

There you have it, our list of the best hidden places in Athens, GA. Now, it’s time for you to start exploring! Be safe, be respectful, and enjoy getting to know The Classic City in an entirely new way.