Tips for Labor Day trips close to Huntsville + which places our readers love most

Downtown Nashville Skyline July 2023 From Skyline Medical Center. Nashville tops many lists for favorite day trips close to Huntsville — A view of downtown Nashville from Skyline Medical Center (Brian Copeland / Flickr / CC0 1.0 Universal Deed)

Looking for easy Labor Day trips close to Huntsville? It’s not too late to plan a quick, fun getaway, considering Huntsville’s excellent proximity to great places to visit in less than two hours’ drive time.

We’re here to inspire you with some of our suggested trips and other recommendations gleaned from a recent reader poll.

Quick Look: Labor Day trips close to Huntsville

Our guide to great day trips near Huntsville

Bronze sculpture of Jesse Owens by artist Branko Medenica depicting Owens breaking through the Olympic rings at Jesse Owens Memorial Park in Oakville, a community in Lawrence County, Alabama. — From top left, clockwise: Jesse Owens Museum in Lawrence County (Lisa Battles / Hville Blast); Downtown Hartselle (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast); Unclaimed Baggage (Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce); A band performs in front of a mural in Leighton (Town of Leighton)

An American flag hangs outside of the entry to Whinny Wisdom Equine Country Store & Gift Shop in downtown Hartselle, Alabama. — From top left, clockwise: Jesse Owens Museum in Lawrence County (Lisa Battles / Hville Blast); Downtown Hartselle (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast); Unclaimed Baggage (Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce); A band performs in front of a mural in Leighton (Town of Leighton)

First, check out our recently launched series of great day trips from Huntsville. We’re building it gradually with neighboring community spotlights packed with tips and maps on where to go, what to see, experience, eat and drink.

So far, we’ve covered:

Hartselle, Alabama
Leighton, Alabama
Jackson County + Scottsboro, Alabama
Lawrence County + Moulton, Alabama

Our LinkedIn reader poll

Downtown Nashville Skyline July 2023 From Skyline Medical Center — From top left, view of Nashville from Skyline Medical Center (Brian Copeland / Flickr / CC0 1.0 Universal Deed); view of Chattanooga from Point Park in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee (Lisa Battles / Hville Blast); view of Mentone, Alabama, from Brow Park (Natalie Maynor / Flickr / CC BY 2.0); LinkedIn poll results from August 14, 2025

A tree framed view of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River from Point Park on Lookout Mountain with a Civil War era cannon on the foreground — From top left, view of Nashville from Skyline Medical Center (Brian Copeland / Flickr / CC0 1.0 Universal Deed); view of Chattanooga from Point Park in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee (Lisa Battles / Hville Blast); view of Mentone, Alabama, from Brow Park (Natalie Maynor / Flickr / CC BY 2.0); LinkedIn poll results from August 14, 2025

Earlier this month, we asked readers on LinkedIn their preferences for easy trips in under two hours. Read on to see who they picked and tips for planning your trip.

For our LinkedIn poll, we cast a wider net of options beyond the state, asking readers their favorite places to travel within a two-hour drive of the Rocket City, suggesting Nashville, Chattanooga and the Mentone/Fort Payne area. We also included the option to choose “other” and then tell us where and why in the comments.

You can see that among our 212 votes, Nashville, Tennessee, emerged as the winner with over half the vote, followed by its fellow Volunteer State city of Chattanooga with 34%. Mentone/Fort Payne was a distant third behind those two with 7%.

What ‘other’ places are great Labor Day trips close to Huntsville?

An old-fashioned street lamp carries a banner advertising downtown Hartselle in front of a gazebo, historic marker and train depot in Hartselle, Alabama. — From top left, clockwise; Hartselle, Birmingham, Cullman, Athens + Decatur (Hville Blast)

Dog in front of Birmingham sign — From top left, clockwise; Hartselle, Birmingham, Cullman, Athens + Decatur (Hville Blast)

Here are the results from those who chose “other” (and took time to tell us where + why):

Hartselle 👉 our guide with more tips
- Reader rec: Go antiquing
- Distance from Huntsville: 35 miles
Birmingham 👉 our 50+ tips to plan a perfect trip to the Magic City
- Distance from Huntsville: 82.6 miles
Cullman 👉 get highlights from The Bama Buzz
- Reader rec: Do a family weekend on the lake
- Distance from Huntsville: 55 miles
Decatur 👉 our latest news on a new music mural downtown
- Reader recs: Cook Museum, Point Mallard Water Park, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge + local shopping
- Distance from Huntsville: 25.7 miles
Athens 👉 a few tips to get you started from The Bama Buzz
- Distance from Huntsville: 34 miles

Ready to plan your trip? To stay in the know on more great places to go, give us a follow on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.