Carrollton, GA Outdoor Activities

From the ground, it’s easy to tell when Skydive Georgia’s airplane reaches 14,000 feet—just look for the tiny specks barreling out of its side. These specks are really the company’s team of certified skydive instructors and their clients, both beginners and experts alike. To ensure everyone’s safety at that extreme altitude, the staff meticulously maintains their turbine airplane and equips all of their parachutes with zero-porosity canopies, digital altimeters, and Cypress automatic-activation devices for a flawless jump. Before and after their big moment, clients can prepare or relax at Skydive Georgia’s climate-controlled training facility, which boasts a simulator, observation deck, and picnic area ideal for swooping down and stealing tuna sandwiches.

Hundreds of exotic and native plants spread across more than 30 acres of growing space at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Under the careful watch of the garden's horticulture team, these species provide a serene backdrop for garden visitors even as they educate them on the wonders of the natural world. The botanical discovery doesn't stop after the sun goes down. At night, visitors can explore the verdant pathways lit by millions of twinkling bulbs for the second annual Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, or decamp to the conservatory for a look at a mammoth collection of species orchids and the chirping poison dart frogs that keep them company. Amid its ever-changing visual display, the Atlanta Botanical Garden hosts frequent events such as concerts, holiday light shows, seasonal festivals, and an annual member-plant dance.

As U.S. Olympian Jeff Galloway, race director for the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk told The Weekly, “What makes this program unique is that it’s not just a one-day event.” The race begins two months before the starting gun fires with a free eight-week training program, whose curriculum Galloway designed. Galloway describes the weekly sessions, created to foster fitness among corporate employees and people with essentially sedentary jobs, as “a perfect way to help someone get started with a fitness program,” much like a treadmill that emails embarrassing photos of its owner when no one is running on it.

During the culminating race, The Weekly predicts a turnout of more than 15,000 runners and walkers, affiliated with more than 350 companies. The throng departs from the Turner Field starting line, chugging through the route to collect finishing commemorative T-shirts and the cheers of high-school gym coaches at the awards ceremony.

With the Atlanta skyline as their backdrop, players at Dosser Works Paintball fire rounds of pigment on four outdoor fields, each covered to keep out inclement weather and the sun’s judgmental glare. Experienced paintball players run these facilities, and they channel their knowledge of the game by supervising safety and regularly changing field layouts and game scenarios. Themed competitions and night games play out on two tournament-size fields, an astroturf-covered speedball field dotted with air bunkers, and a post-apocalyptic warzone where competitors dive and shoot from behind mounds of tires, sandbags, and an authentic burned-out Ford Windstar. A sniper tower between the speedball and dirt fields lets players take aim and give constructive haircut critiques to those below.

Piedmont Park preserves the luxury of yesteryear. Designed in the late 1800s, the park's facilities have withstood the test of time with recreational halls that reflect the simplicity of its lush landscapes, wetlands, and the onsite Atlanta Botanical Garden. Over the past 20 years, the Piedmont Park Conservancy has restored the park to its historic natural beauty, transforming a dilapidated space into a frequented green space. A slew of activities engage the community with outdoor programs ranging from environmental day camps to team sports such as soccer and softball. Park tours explore the history of the neighborhood and the weekly Green Market whets appetites with fresh produce from local farmers and thieving rabbits.

The 18-hole course at St. Andrews Country Club drapes over 400 acres of countryside, demanding precise ball placement and keen focus as players navigate its two distinct sides. Course superintendent Heath Hammond keeps a meticulous watch over the conditions of the bermuda fairways and bentgrass greens, ensuring they stay not only pleasing to the eye but also lush enough for comfortable celebratory somersaults. Players choose from five separate sets of tees to start their round, rendering the course as long as 6,629 yards from the back tees but enjoyable for golfers of all ability levels. On the front nine, players must exhibit precise control over shots as they wind through the course's residential portion. The game relaxes on the back nine as it winds through open spaces dotted with handsome trees and allows players to unleash power. Before a round or during practice sessions, golfers can hone their strokes on St. Andrews' two-tiered driving range. A chipping green, a sand trap, and a bentgrass putting green round out the practice area's offerings, allowing players to re-create actual course conditions.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course
• Total length of 6,629 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 71.7 from the back tees
• Course slope of 135 from the back tees
• Five sets of tees per hole