Stone Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stone Mountain |
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Aerial view of Stone Mountain
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,686 ft (514 m) |
| Prominence | 825 ft (251 m) |
| Listing | Mountains of Georgia |
| Geography | |
 Stone Mountain
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
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| Topo map | USGS Stone Mountain, Georgia |
Stone Mountain is a huge, rounded rock mountain and the home of Stone Mountain Park. It's about 15 miles east of Atlanta, Georgia. The city of Stone Mountain, Georgia is right outside the park. This park is the most popular place for tourists to visit in Georgia.
The state of Georgia bought Stone Mountain in 1958. It was bought to be a special place to remember the Confederacy. Stone Mountain Park officially opened on April 14, 1965. People had been using the park for fun for a few years before that. Today, the state of Georgia still owns the park.
The mountain is made of rock that is like granite. It is more than 5 miles around its bottom. You can reach the top of the mountain by walking up a trail. You can also take the Skyride, which is like a cable car.
The top of the mountain is 1,686 feet above sea level. It stands 825 feet higher than the land around it. Stone Mountain is famous for its unique rock and a giant carving on its north side. This carving is the biggest rock sculpture in the world. It shows three leaders from the Confederacy: Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson. The carving was finished in 1972.
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Mountain's Rock and Formation
Stone Mountain is a type of rock formation called a pluton. This means it's a mass of igneous rock that formed underground. The main rock is called quartz monzonite. The mountain's dome was created about 300–350 million years ago. This happened when the Blue Ridge Mountains were forming.
Hot, melted rock called magma rose from deep inside the Earth. This magma cooled and hardened into granite. It formed about 5 to 10 miles below the surface. Over a very long time, erosion wore away the softer rocks above it. This left the harder granite mountain exposed.
The Stone Mountain rock goes underground for about 9 miles. Many books say it's the "largest exposed piece of granite in the world." This isn't quite right. While it's often called a pink granite dome, its rock actually varies. It can be quartz monzonite, granite, or granodiorite.
The rock contains minerals like quartz, plagioclase feldspar, and muscovite. It also has smaller amounts of biotite and tourmaline. Sometimes, you can find pieces of other rocks, called xenoliths, stuck inside the granite.
Plants and Animals of Stone Mountain
The very top of Stone Mountain is mostly bare rock. It has small pools of rainwater. From here, you can see downtown Atlanta and sometimes the Appalachian Mountains. On foggy days, you might only see a few feet in front of you.
These clear freshwater pools are home to special creatures. They include tiny clam shrimp and fairy shrimp. These shrimp only appear when it rains. Their eggs can stay dormant for years in dry spots. They wait for rain to hatch. These pools also have rare plants. Examples are black-spored quillwort and pool sprite.
The lower parts of the mountain are covered in trees. The rare Georgia oak tree was first found here. You can see some along the walking trail. In the fall, the Confederate yellow daisy blooms. It grows in rock cracks and wooded areas. More than 120 types of wildflowers grow on the mountain. Many are native to the Southern Appalachians.
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Leaves of the Georgia oak
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Confederate yellow daisy (Helianthus porteri)
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Pool sprite (Gratiola amphiantha)
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Quillwort (Isoetes melanospora)
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Confederate Memorial Carving
The Confederate Memorial Carving is the largest bas-relief sculpture in the world. It shows three Confederate leaders from the American Civil War. These are President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. They are shown on their favorite horses.
The carving is 42 feet deep into the mountain. It is 90 feet high and 190 feet wide. It sits 400 feet above the ground.
History of the Carving
The idea for a Confederate memorial on Stone Mountain started long ago. A poet named Francis Ticknor wrote about it in 1869. Later, in 1914, an Atlanta lawyer named William H. Terrell suggested it publicly. John Temple Graves, an editor, then suggested a large statue of Robert E. Lee.
C. Helen Plane, a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), helped a lot. She formed the UDC Stone Mountain Memorial Association in 1914. She convinced Samuel Venable, who owned the mountain, to give one side for the carving. She chose Gutzon Borglum as the first sculptor.
Borglum had a big plan. He wanted to carve many figures, including officers and cavalry. He also planned a large room cut into the mountain. Venable gave the north face of the mountain to the UDC in 1916. The condition was to finish a large Civil War monument in 12 years.
Money problems and technical issues slowed the work. The U.S. Mint even made a special silver coin in 1925 to help raise money. This was the largest number of commemorative coins the U.S. government had made at that time.
Borglum was fired in 1925 because of money disagreements. He destroyed his models. The part of Lee's face he had started was blasted off the mountain in 1928.
Augustus Lukeman took over in 1925 with a smaller design. But fundraising was still hard, and work stopped in 1928. In 1941, Governor Eugene Talmadge tried to restart the project. However, World War II caused more delays.
In 1958, the Georgia legislature bought Stone Mountain. This was in response to the civil rights movement. In 1963, Walker Hancock was chosen to finish the carving. Work began in 1964. The carving was officially dedicated on May 9, 1970. Roy Faulkner completed the carving on March 3, 1972.
Four flags of the Confederacy fly at the site. The Stone Mountain Memorial Lawn has thirteen terraces. Each one represents a Confederate state and flies its flag.
The Replica Plantation
In 1963, a replica plantation was opened below the sculpture. It was called "Historic Square" later. It has old buildings moved from other places. These buildings show what a plantation might have looked like before the Civil War.
Historical Connections to the Ku Klux Klan
Stone Mountain has a history connected to the Ku Klux Klan. In 1915, a group met at the top of Stone Mountain. They restarted the Klan, which is a hate group. They held a ceremony and burned a large cross.
James R. Venable, whose family owned the mountain, was part of this event. He later became a leader in a Klan group. In 1923, he allowed the Klan to hold events on his land at the mountain. However, the state took over the property in 1960. This ended the Klan's right to hold meetings there.
The Klan held cross-burnings on the mountain for many years. This stopped in 1962. State troopers prevented a large cross-burning. They allowed a small group to light a flare instead. In August 2017, the Klan was not allowed to hold a cross-burning event.
In the 1920s, the UDC wanted the carving to honor the Klan. They believed the Klan had helped them. Money for the monument came from different places. This included a special coin from the federal government.
Calls for Removing the Carving
After a shooting in 2015, there was a debate about Stone Mountain. People discussed removing symbols of the Confederacy. This was happening in other states too.
The president of the NAACP, Richard Rose, called the carving "the largest shrine to white supremacy." He said these monuments encourage violence. In July 2015, the Atlanta NAACP suggested removing the carving. But this needs approval from the Georgia Legislature.
In October 2015, there was a proposal for a "Freedom Bell" at the park. It would honor Martin Luther King Jr. and his "I Have a Dream" speech. In his speech, he said, "let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia." But groups like the NAACP did not support this. They wanted the Confederate symbols removed instead.
In August 2017, after a violent protest in Virginia, calls for removal grew. Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams asked for the carving to be removed. She called it "a blight upon our state."
Public Opposition and Current Efforts
A Georgia law from 2001 protects historical monuments. This makes it hard to remove the carving. Another state law requires the Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA) to keep the mountain as a Confederate memorial.
In 2020, a group called the Stone Mountain Action Coalition (SMAC) was formed. They want a more inclusive park. They aim for an honest look at the mountain's history. They also want to attract more visitors. SMAC supports a bill in the Georgia legislature. This bill would remove the law that says Stone Mountain must be a Confederate memorial.
Other goals of SMAC include removing Confederate leaders' names from streets. They also want the park to refuse permits to hate groups. They want SMMA board meetings to be open to the public.
On July 5, 2020, a group of armed protesters came to Stone Mountain. They called for the carving's removal. They were protesting racism. They chose the location because of its history with the Ku Klux Klan.
On August 15, 2020, the park closed temporarily. This was because white nationalists planned a gathering. There was a small fight downtown, but no one was hurt.
In April 2025, the Sons of Confederate Veterans held an event in the park. This was for Confederate Memorial Day. This event is often controversial. It draws criticism from the local community.
Mountain's Long History
People have lived around Stone Mountain for a very long time. When European explorers first saw the mountain, there was a rock wall on its top. It was built by early Native American people. The wall's purpose is not fully known. By the 1900s, the wall was gone. Visitors took rocks as souvenirs or they were removed by quarrying.
Europeans first heard about the mountain in 1567. Spanish explorers were told of a mountain that "shining when the sun set like a fire." At that time, the Creek and Cherokee peoples lived in the area.
In the early 1800s, the area was called Rock Mountain. It was a popular place for recreation. People would ride horses to the mountain. It has always been easy to climb.
In 1838, Aaron Cloud built a 165-foot wooden observation tower on the summit. A storm destroyed it. A smaller tower replaced it in 1851. Cloud also had a restaurant at the top.
Granite quarrying began in the 1830s. It became a big business after a railroad spur was built in 1847. Stone Mountain granite was used in many buildings. It was even used in the locks of the Panama Canal. Quarrying also destroyed some natural features on the mountain.
In 1887, the Venable Brothers bought Stone Mountain for $45,000. They quarried the mountain for 24 more years. Their family owned the mountain until Georgia bought it in 1958.
Martin Luther King Jr. mentioned Stone Mountain in his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. He said, "let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!"
During the 1996 Summer Olympics, Stone Mountain Park hosted events. These included tennis, archery, and track cycling. Some outdoor scenes for the Stranger Things TV series were filmed in the park.
Aviation Incidents
On May 7, 1928, a mail plane crashed on the mountain. The pilot, Johnny S. Kytle, survived. He even carried the mail down the mountain.
On September 16, 2003, a small plane crashed into the south side. The pilot died. Investigators believed the pilot intentionally crashed the plane.
Park Management
Stone Mountain Park is owned by the state of Georgia. It is managed by the Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA). Since August 2022, Thrive Attractions Management Group, LLC, operates the park's attractions. The SMMA still owns the park.
Before 2022, Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation managed the attractions. They ended their contract early. This was due to financial losses and "protests and division" about the park's Confederate symbols. Thrive Attractions, started by a former Herschend manager, took over.
The park has faced financial losses since 2022. In April 2025, it was reported the park was operating at a $1.6 million loss.
Fun Things to Do at Stone Mountain Park
Confederate Hall is a museum run by the SMMA. It teaches about the mountain's geology, nature, and history. A small theater shows a film about the Civil War in Georgia.
The education department teaches thousands of students each year. They learn about geology, ecology, and history.
Historic Square has 19 old buildings. They were built between 1790 and 1875. These buildings were moved to the park. They show what a Georgia plantation looked like before the Civil War. The farmyard has old breeds of sheep, goats, and pigs.
A grist mill from 1869 was moved to the park in 1965. A covered bridge from 1892 was also moved here. It used to cross the Oconee River.
The park has daily concerts on a large carillon. This instrument came from the 1964 New York World's Fair. It has 732 bell-tone rods.
Broadcast Tower
There is a short broadcast tower on top of the mountain. It sends out signals for two non-commercial stations. These are TV station WGTV TV 8 and weather radio station KEC80.
Stone Mountain Trails
The Walk Up Trail is 1.3 miles long. It goes to the top of Stone Mountain. You climb 786 feet in elevation. Hikers get amazing views and cool winds at the top.
The Cherokee Trail is an 8-mile National Recreation Trail. It goes around the base of the mountain. Part of it goes over the west side. It passes through an oak-hickory forest. You can see lakes, streams, and the mountain.
The Nature Garden Trail is a 3/4-mile loop. It goes through an old oak-hickory forest. It's great for seeing native plants that like shade.
The Songbird Habitat Trails have two 1-mile loops. One is good for bird watching. The other is a woodland trail with many native plants. Dogs are not allowed on these trails.
Park Attractions
The park is located in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Its address is 1000 Robert E. Lee Boulevard. Other streets around the park are named after Confederate leaders.
The Skyride is a Swiss-built cable car. It takes you to the mountain's summit. It passes by the carving on the way up.
Historic Square has old buildings moved from around Georgia. It includes three plantation houses and two slave cabins. The farmyard has historic animals.
Crossroads is like an 1872 Southern town. It has a 4-D movie theater and a mini-golf course. The duck-boat ride was replaced in 2019. Now there is the Rockin' Land and Lake Tour. It uses a double-decker bus and a pontoon boat. There are also stores and restaurants. You can watch people doing crafts like glass blowing.
The Dinotorium is a play area for kids. It has 65 interactive games, climbing structures, and slides. Sky Hike is a ropes course for families. Geyser Towers is a playground with a big fountain.
On summer evenings, the mountain has a light show. It's called the Music Across America Light Show. It uses digital projections, lasers, and special effects. It replaced the old Laser Show in May 2023.
Documentary
Monument: The Untold Story of Stone Mountain is a 2022 documentary. It was made by the Atlanta History Center.
See also
- List of colossal sculpture in situ
- Stone Mountain Memorial half dollar
