Click here to view Vacation Guide in the Mountains ONLINE!
FacebookInstagram

Let us help plan your next trip and tell our businesses you saw them in...

Check with events in case of rescheduling.

Article

Community Spotlight on Helen & White County

Helen's Magical Charm For Lots of Alpine Fun As you drive into the majestic mountains of North Georgia, there is a small little town that helps you step into a picture perfect Bavarian scenic village with magical gingerbread trim, cobblestone alleyways, and old world towers. Helen, Georgia was transformed in the 60’s, to help you feel as you’ve stepped into another world. Famous for many years, Helen has been known for its festive celebration throughout the city that include lighted trimmed rooftops, bridges, windows and much more. Holiday Cheer is here as Helen Georgia lights up for another season.Beautifully decorated outdoor trees are on every block with giant nutcrackers and other lighted holiday visuals. Visitors love the many different varieties of warm winter food from the Wurst to the Schnitzel as German and International food is everywhere. Stroll down these brick lined streets and smell the wonderful aroma in the air from Bakeries, Pretzels, Gingerbread, Hot Chocolate, and Fudge shops. Many of these quaint shops feature specialty items like Swiss cuckoo clocks, cheese, steins, gems, handblown glass sculptures, antiques, pottery and handmade arts and crafts. In addition you can find sweet treats and delicious food around every corner. Whether you want to have a Beer at a pub or local Brewery, most have wonderful restaurants with a variety of dishes from German, Mexican, Italian, Asian food, to traditional American sandwiches, steaks and seafood. Many also offer entertainment and have outdoor courtyards. With over half a dozen wineries surrounding Helen, you can also enjoy spectacular mountain views while appreciating the taste of these award winning grapes grown in the rich clay soil. Fun attractions to play are located all around Helen that offer gem mining, zip lines, alpine coaster, mini golf, and so much more. Scenic hiking trails, beautiful overlooks, and winding wilderness roads are at every turn. The iconic Chattahoochee River runs through downtown and trails run alongside you as the peaceful waters flow. Just south of Helen is beautiful Sautee Nacoochee Village. Step back in time with many historical landmarks such as the Old Sautee Store built in 1872 that has a museum of authentic store goods. Just minutes down the road is Stovall Mill Covered Bridge built in 1895, a one lane wood bridge that lays over Chickamauga Creek near State Route 255. The picturesque Sautee– Nacoochee Mound at Hardman Farm is a favorite landmark in north Georgia. Guided house tours of this original 1870 Italianate architecture home are part of Georgia State Park with a one mile Heritage Trail along the river to Helen. Nearby Nora Mill Granary & Grist Mill was established in 1876 and still in operation with a live miller making grits, cornmeal and flour mixes beside the beautiful waterfall along the Chattahoochee River. Surrounding Helen & nearby Cleveland are some of the highest mountain peaks with Tray Mountain that is not only the 6th-highest mountain in Georgia, but connects with the Appalachian Trail. Amazing Yonah Mountain stands tall at 3,143 ft., located [...]

Community Spotlight on Helen & White County2026-10-21T14:53:04-04:00

Road Trip to Amicalola Falls State Park

From Atlanta, GA 61 mi From Chattanooga, TN 76 mi From Asheville, NC 147 mi From Greenville, SC 123 mi Amicalola Falls State Park is an 829 acre Georgia state park located between Ellijay and Dahlonega in Dawsonville, Georgia. It offers many hiking trails, a guest lodge, restaurant, cabins, a shelter for long distance Appalachian Trail hikers, a campground and access to the eco-friendly Len Foote Hike Inn. Amicalola Falls State Park has some spectacular scenery to make this one of Georgia’s most popular spring destinations. Hikers come from near and far to celebrate the Appalachian Trail Community and to kick off the annual hike of the famous 2,175 mile trail. From the State Park, an 8.5 mile trail leads to Springer Mountain, which is the southern end of the Appalachian Trail, although there are numerous other trails that provide short day hikes in the park. At 729 feet Amicalola Falls, considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia, is the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeast where visitors can view the tumbling waters from accessible pathways or hiking trails with staircases. The name Amicolola is derived from a Cherokee language word meaning “tumbling waters”. Amicalola Falls Visitors Center – Open Sun - Wed 9am - 5pm, Thurs - Sat 9am - 7pm Amicalola Falls Lodge – Lodge & Conference Center with Restaurant Long Creek Falls – Located further along the Appalachian Trail in the Three Forks Valley area for backpacking, fishing, and camping. Dahlonega, GA – quaint historic town with shopping, dining and seasonal Festivals. Historical Sites – Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site, The Smith House, and Price Memorial Hall on the campus of the University of North Georgia with an iconic gold plated steeple. Tour Local Wineries – that offer tasting, various events, exquisite dinners, and great live music.

Road Trip to Amicalola Falls State Park2026-10-21T14:49:32-04:00

Scenic 197 – Georgia’s Most Beautiful Drive

Sam Pitts Park – beside the beautiful Soque River for walking trails, picnic, and playground. During the summer, movies, concerts and activities are held on weekends! Soque River – This winding drive follows the unique tributary of the Chattahoochee River and is over 28 miles long. Use caution as you travel, as at one point on Scenic 197 there will be a dip in the road (clearly marked by a road sign) where the river can flow over the road, this is humorously known as a “Low Bridge”. Many trout fisherman love this watershed, as the Soque River‘s cold temperatures are the secret to the large Rainbow, Brook, & Brown trout that inhabit it. Batesville – has a General Store numerous galleries of regional handmade arts and crafts. Mark of the Potter is a scenic and historic grist mill was built in the 1930’s and is a must photo stop for the beautiful 25 foot falls from the Soque River that flow beside it. Potters make their “mark” on the store and feature handcrafted pottery. Many more local artists and stores are a must stop including: Hickory Flat Pottery, Memory Lane, stained glass, and other handcrafted artwork studios. Lake Burton – This 2,775-acre reservoir and is one of the first lakes created to generate hydroelectric energy by Georgia Power. Lake Burton’s name was derived from the former town of Burton, which now lies below the lake’s surface. The town (and the lake) was named after local prominent citizen Jeremiah Burton. Many species of fish, call this home, including bass, crappie, bluegill, sunfish, catfish, walleye, trout, and perch. Moccasin Creek State Park & Lake Burton Fish Hatchery – Camp at one of Rabun Counties most popular State Parks on the shores of Lake Burton. The park is relatively flat, offering easy navigation for large RVs, bicycles and wheelchairs and offers a fishing pier that sits above a trout-filled creek. Lake Burton Fish Hatchery offers tours and raises trout to stock for cold-water streams of North Georgia. Hemlock Falls Trail – A two-mile trail begins just south to the entrance of Moccasin Creek State Park. The trail is relatively easy and follows a stream where many small waterfalls are created by branches. The trail leads to a wooden bridge that crosses the river where you continue a few feet to see Hemlock Falls.

Scenic 197 – Georgia’s Most Beautiful Drive2026-10-21T14:56:42-04:00

Explore North Georgia State Parks

North Georgia State Parks include a variety of recreational activities besides camping and welcome travelers to explore “Our Neck of the Woods”. Enjoy your passion to see a waterfall, go horseback riding, canoeing, fishing, hiking, biking, or just have a picnic. The great State Parks of North Georgia are waiting for you to watch nature at it’s best! Moccasin Creek State Park Park (706) 947-3194 Reservations (800) 864-7275 Known as the park “where spring spends the summer,” Moccasin Creek is located on the shores of lovely 2,800-acre Lake Burton. Accessibility offers easy navigation for large RVs, children’s bicycles and wheelchairs. This also includes a fishing pier that sits above a trout-filled creek open only to physically challenged visitors, senior citizens and children. Smithgall Woods State Park Park (706) 878-3087 Reservations (800) 864-7275 Dukes Creek, one of North Georgia’s premier trout stream, runs through this spectacular mountain property and has become known for it’s catch-and-release fishing. Eighteen miles of roads and five miles of trails allow hikers and bicyclists to explore hardwoods, streams and wildlife. Dukes Creek Falls has a direct trail for cottage guests to view. Unicoi State Park Park (706) 878-2201 Reservations (800) 864-7275 Lodge (800) 573-9659 Unicoi State Park, named from the turnpike that was the early means of transportation, is over 1,050 acres of beautiful nature trails. It includes a 53 acre lake for non-motorized boats and a swimming beach. Enjoy flora, fauna and abundant wildlife as you picnic or hike a trail. Campsites and Cottages provide campers with many accommodations, including a 100 Room Lodge and Conference Center with a restaurant.

Explore North Georgia State Parks2026-10-21T14:41:36-04:00

North Georgia Hiking Trails

Many visitors come to explore the hundreds of trails through North Georgia’s National Forest.  Whether you want to see a waterfall, like to go hiking, biking, or horseback riding, here are some suggestions for a trail adventure: Ellijay - Three Forks Trail: To the left (North) on the trail is Long Creek Falls (2.3 miles round trip) . To the right is a beautiful section of old growth forest along Stover Creek. Directions: Take 52 East from Ellijay about 4.8 miles. Turn left on Big Creek Road at the Dollar General. Follow this road about 15.4 miles (the final .4 miles are dirt) to Forest Service 58 and turn Right. This road follows Noontootla Creek to Three Forks. Parking is available where the trails cross the road. Blue Ridge - Free Knob Loop Trail: 2.5 miles, easy rating Directions from Blue Ridge, Georgia: Travel east (toward Blairsville, GA) on GA Hwy 515, approx. 0.8 miles past intersection with GA Hwy 5. Turn Right at Windy Ridge Rd., go 0.2 miles to dead end with Old U.S. 76. Turn left, go 0.2 miles to Aska Road on right. Continue south on Aska Read to Shallowford Bridge. Turn left across river and immediate right on dirt-gravel road leading to Dial, GA. At 0.4 miles come to point where trail enters road from forest. Continue east on road to parking area at 1.2 miles. Suches - Jarrard Gap Trail Trail: 1.0 mile, easy/moderate rating Directions: Take US 19 and 129 south from Blairsville Georgia for 9.5 miles. Turn right (west) onto GA 180 and go 7 miles to the main entrance to Lake Winfield Scott Campground. Turn left into the campground. Follow this road over a hill and continue straight ahead into a gravel parking lot at the foot of the hill. From the parking lot, hike along the paved road passing the guard rail at the head of the lake. The trailhead is on the right of the road just past the guard rails. Blairsville - Sosebee Cover Trail Trail: Traveling through a second-growth cove hardwood forest, the 0.25 mile Sosebee Cove Trail is rated easy and receives moderate use. This area is a memorial to Arthur Woody, who served as the first Forest Service Ranger in Georgia. Directions: from Blairsville Georgia, travel 9.5 miles south along US 19/129 and turn right (west) onto GA 180. Continue along GA 180 for 2 miles to the Sosebee Cove parking lot on the right. Hiawassee - High Shoals Creek Trail: The two waterfalls on High Shoals Creek are the highlight of this 170 acre site. A 1.2 mile trail takes visitors from FS 283 down to the falls. Directions: Take 75 South from Hiawassee turn right onto Indian Grave Gap Road, graveled Forest Service Road 283 which leads visitors through the Swallow Creek Wildlife Management Area to the High Shoals Creek Falls Scenic Area. Dahlonega - Yahoola Creek Trail: This is about a 4 mile trail that circles Yahoola Creek Reservoir but also swerves [...]

North Georgia Hiking Trails2026-10-21T14:41:15-04:00

Tallulah Falls: The Niagra Falls of the Southeast

Rated as one of America’s 20 Best State Parks by Adventure Journal and one of Georgia’s seven wonders, Tallulah Gorge draws admirers as one of the most breathtaking sites. The Niagara Falls of the Southeast is a 1,000-foot gash in Tallulah Dome that drops the Tallulah River over six waterfalls in one mile. Mountain biking and hiking are popular here, as well as some serious multipitch rock climbing. But the real deal here is boating, rafting and kayaking the Tallulah when the upstream Georgia Power Company opens its dam, a few times a year. Said to be one of the oldest geological features in North America, Tallulah Gorge has been forming for thousands of years. Prehistoric Indians discovered the canyon and hunted both along its rim and in its deep bottom. When the first European settlers arrived in the region during the 1820s, the word of the magnificence of the canyon and falls spread. The Tallulah Hotel opened in 1840 and with the completion of the railroad in 1882, connecting Atlanta to Tallulah Falls, people flooded to see the remarkable natural scenes and it became a major tourist attraction. At the peak, there were seventeen hotels and boarding houses in and around the town that rented riding horses, offered billiards, tennis, and music for dancing in the major hotels. In 1883, tightrope walker Professor Leon crossed the gorge as part of a publicity stunt for one hotel. Then in July 18, 1970, Karl Wallenda became the second man to walk across the gorge on a tightrope; and interrupted his walk with two handstands accomplishing a breathtaking feat that has not been repeated to this day. Just as the tourism boom reached its height, however, Georgia Power wanted to dam the Tallulah River to produce electricity and opposition of the natural setting was led by Helen Dortch Longstreet, the widow of Confederate general James Longstreet, in which the park’s trail system is named after. In 1992 Governor Zell Miller joined with officials of Georgia Power Company to announce a remarkable joint partnership to create Tallulah Gorge State Park. Visitors can now enjoy the spectacular 1,739 acres of wilderness with recreational opportunities and guides from Georgia’s State Parks. Highlights of Tallulah Falls include: The Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center that highlights the rich history of this Victorian resort town, as well as the rugged terrain and fragile ecosystem of the area. Additionally, an award-winning film takes viewers on a dramatic journey through the gorge. Tallulah Falls School Founded in 1909 by the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs, providing comprehensive college preparatory education. Arts & Crafts Galleries which feature local fine Southern art, folk art, original paintings and prints, pottery, photography, woodcraft, jewelry and hand blown glass. Shop for unique Native American Crafts, chainsaw art, gems, and many inspirational scenic paintings from the area. Stay for the weekend in Cabin Lodging, or one of the many camping sites in the area. Enjoy this peaceful getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, [...]

Tallulah Falls: The Niagra Falls of the Southeast2026-10-22T11:01:18-04:00

Trahlyta

Trahlyta is the name of a woman in Cherokee legend who is said to have lived on Cedar Mountain near present day Dahlonega. Trahlyta was told to walk along a certain path, drink from a magic spring, and wish never to grow old by the Witch of Cedar Mountain. “You will become more beautiful with each sip,” the witch said. Trahlyta followed the path and drank from the spring, known today as Porter Springs. The magic worked and word of her youthful beauty quickly spread. The Cherokee warrior Wahsega courted her, but Trahlyta rejected his courtship. The angered warrior kidnapped and imprisoned Trahlyta in some unknown location west of the Princess’s mountain home. With each day, Trahlyta longed to return to her mountain forest. Over time, her strength waned, her beauty faded, and she became ill. Crying tears of pure gold as she lay dying, Trahlyta asked to be buried in the mountain paradise from which she had come. “Strangers, as they pass by, may drop a stone on my grave and they too shall be young and happy, as I once was,” she said. “What hey wish for shall be theirs!” Wahsega honored her dying wish and brought her body home to be buried. As the legend of Trahlyta grew, “custom arose among the Indians and later the Whites to drop stones, one for each passerby, on her grave for good fortune.” The grave remains in the same place it has always been in Stonepile Gap and today the stone pile is at least five feet high. While those who leave stones on Trahlyta’s Grave may be blessed with good fortune, visitors are cautioned against removing any stones from the pile. Accidents and ill fortune are rumored to await any who attempt to take the Cherokee Princess’s gifts. Twice during road construction, the Highway Department attempted to move the grave. Both times at least one person died in an accident while moving the pile. In 1540, Hernando Desoto, the famed Spanish explorer, reportedly sent soldiers to investigate Trahlyta’s “Fountain of Youth” as witnessed by a Spanish conquistador helmet which was found not far from the spring. In the later 1800’s and early 1900’s, Porter Springs, just 3/4 miles northeast of Trahlyta’s grave, was the site of a popular health spa to which people came from all across the planet to soak in and drink the water. The hotel burned to the ground in the early 1900’s, but the series of springs at the foot of the mountain still run sweet and clear. Today, visitors can hike the nearly level Trahlyta Lake Trail in Vogel State Park. The trail is an easy 1.2 mile path that circles the Lake Trahlyta, leading to views of Blood Mountain and many lake viewpoints. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and fishing and is accessible year-round. A short spur from the lake trail on the northeast end of the lake leads down the base of the 110 foot Trahlyta Falls, [...]

Trahlyta2026-10-21T14:39:59-04:00

Stovall Mill Covered Bridge

The Stovall Mill Covered Bridge, the smallest covered bridge in Georgia at one span wide and 36.8 feet long with queen-post truss, was built in 1895 by Will Pardue to span the Chickamauga Creek. An earlier covered bridge at this location, built by Fred Dover, who owned the water turbine powered grist mill, saw mill, shingle mill, and other businesses, was washed away after a storm in the early 1890’s. In 1917, Fred Stovall, Sr. purchased Dover’s enterprise and the bridge became known as Stovall Bridge. The mills are gone now, washed away in 1964, and only the remains of the dam are evident a few feet from the bridge. The Stovall Mill Covered Bridge was featured in the 1951 movie, “I’d Climb The Highest Mountain” starring Rory Calhoun, William Lundigan and Susan Haywood. The bridge has a variety of names including the Helen Bridge, Sautee Bridge, Nacoochee Bridge and Chickamauga Bridge. Only a short drive from the numerous attractions in the area and worth the trip, Stovall Mill Covered Bridge has a parking area, picnic area and historic marker. Location On the Old Clayton Highway, east of Sautee Directions From Helen, take State Road 75 south to State Road 17 (turn left). Turn left at the Old Sautee Store on State Road 255. The bridge is on the right.

Stovall Mill Covered Bridge2026-10-21T14:39:34-04:00
Go to Top