Where Camellias and Calm Collide!
This winter, skip the errands and take a stroll through Georgia’s arboretums and botanical gardens. These green spaces stay open and walkable during the colder months, making them easy places to log steps, explore established trail systems, and spend an afternoon outside without crowds or reservations. Pick a trail, start walking, and see how far the paths will take you.
Lockerly Arboretum in Milledgeville is built for covering ground. The 50-acre layout gives you long, continuous paths that loop naturally, so you can walk without constantly checking a map. Start near the main entrance, follow the oak-lined trails past the pond, then work your way through the camellia plantings while they’re in season. If you’re there on a Saturday, schedule your walk around a Rose Hill or Woods Museum tour and use the rest of the time to explore the grounds at your own pace.
Cox Arboretum and Gardens in Canton offers a different setup that suits winter well. The paths connect a series of smaller garden rooms, which makes it easy to wander section by section instead of committing to a full loop. Walk one stretch of woodland trail, cut across to another garden, then circle back if something’s worth a second look. With fewer leaves on the trees, it’s easier to see how the spaces connect, which makes exploring feel straightforward instead of planned.
Down in Statesboro, the Georgia Southern University Arboretum keeps things flexible and free. There’s no admission and no guided route, so you can enter with a general plan or none at all. Follow a themed plant collection, switch directions halfway through, or turn the walk into a photography loop if that’s your thing. The paths are flat and spread out, which makes it easy to adjust how long you stay without committing to a full circuit.
Taken together, these gardens turn winter into a season worth walking. Loop the trails at Lockerly, move from garden room to garden room at Cox, or follow the themed collections at Georgia Southern’s Arboretum. Each spot is ready for a solid afternoon of exploring, photographing, or just putting in the miles. Strap on your boots, pick a path, and let the gardens lead the way!
Georgia’s got flower power! Experience the Peach State in full bloom at gbj.com/botanical-gardens!
