Which areas have the best scenic beauty around the Atlanta-Metro area?

I am leaving the state of Georgia because nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING has worked out for me here. However, I would like to see some of the more beautiful ';safe'; and scenic areas before I go. Currently, I reside in Cobb County and have seen plenty of trees and forests, but no miles of open, rolling green hills. Does the Atlanta-Metro area have neighborhoods like that or do I have to travel further north or south?Which areas have the best scenic beauty around the Atlanta-Metro area?
Where to begin.





Stone Mountain Park is very nice, especially during the fall; you will want to avoid the crowds so go on a weekday when school is IN session.





East of Atlanta there is a very nice monastery in Rockdale County that offers solitude, home made bread and fruit preserves.





North of Atlanta there are the mountains (weekend rentals in Big Canoe are nice) and keep going up to Blue Ridge in Fannin County to see the Asca Outdoor recreation area.





Not so far north you can see some nice hills and views in parts of North Fulton County, Northern Cherokee County, parts of Forsyth County, Pickens County (Jasper has a marble festival to celebrate the marble quarries in Tate), and of course Gilmer County (Ellijay) has the annual fall Apple Festival and numerous apple houses dotting the countryside. Bartow County (Cartersville) has Barnesly Gardens...very nice.





Lake Lanier %26amp; Lake Hartwell are nice but Lanier can be very crowded since Gwinnett County has gotten so populous.





West and south of Atlanta there are some wonderful green rolling hills.





The further you get away from cities and towns the better. Ther is a LOT of rural Georgia out there to explore and enjoy.Which areas have the best scenic beauty around the Atlanta-Metro area?
The Botanical Gardens are excellent. Also take a ride up I-575 and hwy. 5 thru the mountains. Beautiful!
Miles of open, rolling green hills can be found east of the city - toward Augusta (have you been to Athens?) and south towards Macon (Conyers - try going to the Monastery, it's beautiful). West toward Montgomery or out I-20 to Carrollton (toward Birmingham). You have to get out of the foothills and further into the piedmont region. Not sure what you mean by safe ... Piedmont park is that in a nutshell. (any golf course?) lol :)





I hate to hear things haven't worked out for you here - but if you haven't made the drive to Savannah you ought to before you go.





Go north, and you'll find more forests, trees and mountains. Here's a topography map so you can pinpoint the type of terrain you're looking for:


http://geography.about.com/gi/dynamic/of鈥?/a>
You need to travel north to see the GORGEOUS mountains. I have been there and they are breath taking. I live in the Metro- ATL area and its not that far away