This small town in Georgia ranks among the nation’s best places to visit. Here’s why
A Georgia destination brimming with museums is one of the nation’s best small towns to visit, new rankings show.
Cartersville earned a spot on a list of places offering the best cultural activities, scenery and other qualities that attract tourists to more intimate locations, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
“Our picks for the 15 best small towns to visit this year all have a population of 25,000 or under, a high density of cultural offerings and natural beauty, and a compelling reason to visit in 2022,” the magazine said in a report published Friday, June 3.
Of the destinations across the country that received recognition, Cartersville was the only place in the Peach State to make the list. The town of about 23,000 people is roughly 40 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.
While it received a nod for being close to the state capital, the magazine also gave the quaint location praise for its proximity to the “pristine beauty of the north Georgia mountains.” It’s also not far from Red Top Mountain State Park, which offers hiking trails, boating and other water activities along Lake Allatoona.
“Cartersville is perfectly poised for cultural enthusiasts and outdoor lovers alike,” the magazine wrote in its report. “It also happens to be the smallest town in the U.S. with three Smithsonian Affiliate museums: The Booth Museum, which tells the American story through works such as Civil War art and Native American artifacts; the Tellus Science Museum, with its replica of the Apollo I capsule and a wealth of hands-on exhibits; and the new Savoy Automobile Museum.”
In addition to the recently completed museum, the magazine’s report highlighted places with deeper roots in the region, including the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site and African American Heritage Trail. If you work up an appetite, the magazine also suggests heading into town to grab food with Southern flare.
It’s not the first time a Georgia town has been considered an ideal place to vacation.
In March, the tourist hot spot of Savannah landed on a list of top U.S. spring break destinations. A month before, Tripadvisor named a Jekyll Island beach among the best in the country, McClatchy News reported.
This time around, the magazine said it narrowed down the top small towns after considering submissions from state tourism boards and receiving help from Esri, a geographic information system company.
Other places that ranked among the most attractive for travelers were: Cambria, California; Winslow, Arizona; Africatown, Alabama; Chatham, Massachusetts; Everglades City, Florida; Cañon City, Colorado; Bemidji, Minnesota; Gallup, New Mexico; Banner Elk, North Carolina; Chillicothe, Ohio; Newport, Rhode Island; Ste. Genevieve, Missouri; Cape May, New Jersey; and Livingston, Montana.
This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 11:26 AM.
