Atlanta Day Trip: The Rock Ranch is Worth the Drive

Listen, if you live North of Atlanta and you’re looking for things to do this weekend or things to do over school break in Atlanta, The Rock Ranch may not even be on your radar. The Rock Ranch is located just over 60 miles from Downtown Atlanta, making it nearly 100 miles from where we are in the ‘burbs. If you are looking for Atlanta day trip ideas or for where to go for a weekend getaway, let me be the one to tell you that The Rock Ranch is worth the drive.

Our visit to The Rock Ranch was hosted. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mom and son sitting on hay, surrounded by pumpkins and mums, under a sign that says The Rock Ranch.

The Rock Ranch Events Calendar

Before you visit The Rock Ranch, be sure to consult their event calendar, as they’re not open to the public every weekend. They offer special events and open times every season. We were thrilled for an invitation to visit during the fall, as it’s our favorite time of year. The weather was perfect!

Accommodations

The Rock Ranch does offer accommodations to visitors at an additional cost. There is so much to do, that even after a day full of fun, we didn’t get through everything. I would love to go down there with friends and stay for the weekend next time. The rental options include farm stay houses and for something truly unique, Conestoga wagon camping.

Boy pointing to an attraction on The Rock Ranch map.

What to Wear

Be prepared for a lot of walking! Also, you’re on a ranch, so expect to get dirty—especially your shoes. In hindsight, we would have worn beater sneakers, and I probably would have worn workout wear.

Woman smiling and rocking in a rocking chair at The Rock Ranch.

Boy standing on a giant rocking chair at The Rock Ranch.

Smiling employee of The Rock Ranch with a chinchilla on his head.

We were invited to attend a blogger reception, where we got to learn more about The Rock Ranch’s history and programming. Learn more here.

Admission and Attractions

General admission includes access to more than 25 attractions including the giant jumping pillow, carousel, Tiny Town, pedal carts, cane pole fishing, locomotive train rides, pony rides, and more. For an additional cost you can zip line, climb the rock wall, and purchase gemstone mining bags.

Kids jumping on the giant pillow at The Rock Ranch, with their parents watching on.

Girls playing in the Tiny Town pharmacy at The Rock Ranch.

The start of the Encourage! Corn Maze at The Rock Ranch.

Smiling boy holding a flag in the corn maze at The Rock Ranch.

More things to do in Atlanta.

Mom and son looking at each other and smiling in the corn pit at The Rock Ranch. — The corn kernel pit was loads of fun!

Smiling boy mining gemstones at The Rock Ranch.

Smiling dad and son looking at gems they've mined at The Rock Ranch.

Mom and son identifying gemstones at the gemstone mining attraction at The Rock Ranch.

Boy and mom holding gemstones they've mined at The Rock Ranch.

An armadillo rooting around at The Rock Ranch. — We saw this armadillo as we were walking between attractions. I’d never seen one in real life before. Kinda fun to watch it root around!

Smiling boy swinging in a colorful tire swing in front of a flower garden at The Rock Ranch.

Dad and son smiling and posing in a flower garden at The Rock Ranch.

There is a beautiful garden on The Rock Ranch! I love a beautiful garden and definitely took the opportunity to take photos of both the flowers and our family.

Butterfly on a flower at The Rock Ranch.

Food and Dining

Just FYI—they do not allow outside food or coolers unless you’ve reserved a private campfire site. There are lots of options for food and dining, including Chick-fil-A!

Cow-a-Bunga! Zip Lines tower at The Rock Ranch.

The attraction that Benjamin was most excited about and the one I put off until the end of our visit, was the zip line. I have a fear of heights and there have been many experiences I have missed out on because of it. I wasn’t able to go on the AquaDuck when we took the Disney Dream Cruise a couple of years ago, because I couldn’t make it all the way up the stairs. 14 years ago I tried to do a zip line in Mexico and had to take a donkey down the mountain when I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Dad, Mom, and Son smiling in front of the Cow-A-Bunga! Zip Lines at The Rock Ranch. They're wearing helmets and zip line gear.

I wanted to do the Cow-a-Bunga zip line with my family and I set my mind to it. There are two lines—the long and the fast. We were going to do the long, which ended near the parking lot, but because of the winds they raised the minimum weight to above Benjamin’s. I was set to go first but I couldn’t let go, once at the top. Ben ended up going first and then Benjamin. He showed no fear at all! It was so amazing and inspiring. I had to do it for him and for myself. I can’t speak highly enough about the young staffers at The Rock Ranch. The girl at the top was so friendly and encouraging, without being pushy. She really helped me through the mental gymnastics that was happening in my mind. I’m tearing up right now thinking about it. It wasn’t the ride I was afraid of, it was the first step off. She was so kind and cheered as I was finally able to do it. It was the perfect experience to end such a fun day.

Smiling mom and son in zip line gear, ready to go down the Cow-a-bunga! zip line at The Rock Ranch.

We will definitely be back for fun at The Rock Ranch! I am really considering getting a family annual membership. If you live in Atlanta and are looking for family-friendly fun things to do, The Rock Ranch is worth the drive! To quote Benjamin: