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Community Spotlight: Dahlonega, GA

A Rich Experience Dahlonega, Georgia is a charming town rich with history, art and adventure. Originally Dahlonega was known for the Cherokee word meaning “yellow money” and was the site of the first major U.S. Gold rush in 1828, which was 21 years before California’s rush and is home today to the artifact-rich Dahlonega Gold Museum.  The Historic 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse is the home to the Dahlonega Gold Museum where visitors can see rare gold coins, artifacts, and history of the area. There is more to this town than it’s “golden history”, as  Dahlonega has the greatest concentration of wineries in all of Georgia. Its fertile, mineral-rich soil produces amazingly versatile lines of European, French hybrids, and American wine grapes used in the making of many award-winning wines. Dahlonega’s restaurants range from cozy bistros to friendly cafés to metropolitan-chic delights. The downtown square also offers plenty of shopping including one of a kind boutiques, art galleries, historic tours & attractions, concerts in the park, and local wine tasting rooms. Festivals are an integral part of Dahlonega’s heritage and are perfect ways to take in the beauty of the outdoors.  During the holiday’s, an Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration is held in December with lighting of luminaries, festivities, carolers, and Santa on the Square. Surrounding the area are a host of outdoor activities including Amicola State Park which is located just outside of Dahlonega on GA Hwy 52.   The park was named “Amicalola” which means ‘tumbling waters’ by the Cherokee Indians for its spectacular waterfall, that is the highest waterfall in the Eastern U.S. at an awe-inspiring 729 feet.  Dahlonega is home to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,100 plus mile hiking trail that extends up the eastern United States from Georgia to Maine.  The  famous trail starts on Springer Mountain which is located  just a few miles from the in Amicalola State Park & Lodge.   The resort offers a variety of activities including hiking, camping, picnic, trout fishing, geocaching, conference center, lodging, and restaurant facility. Weather you like to fish, kayak, or hike, there are many places for outdoor adventures.  Horseback riding is also a popular activity with many visitors with several locations to ride within the Chattahoochee National Forest area.  Golfing just outside the Dahlonega area provides a relaxing day with spectacular views of the mountains and the Chestatee River. Voted Georgia's Best Small Town in 2022 by Southern Living, visitors are welcomed to lodge in a variety of accommodations including Cabins, Resorts, Historic B & B's, hotels or camping in the surrounding area. Just pack your bags, schedule some time and let Dahlonega's home town hospitality take care of the rest! Plan your visit today today and discover why “It's Pure Gold”. Stop in or call the Dahlonega Visitor’s Bureau at 13 Park Street. Call  1-800-231-5543 or go to  www.dahlonega.org for more information.

Community Spotlight: Dahlonega, GA2025-10-23T10:35:44-04:00

Vogel State Park

Nestled in the heart of the Chattahoochee National Forest, Vogel State Park is one of Georgia’s favorite destinations. Established in 1931, Vogel, is the second oldest state park in Georgia and rises 2,500 feet above sea level. The entire area around Vogel was once linked to the Native Americans and the State Park sits at the base of Blood Mountain, the highest summit on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. Driving from the south, visitors pass through Neel Gap, a beautiful mountain pass near Brasstown Bald, which is the highest point in Georgia. The history of the “Vogel” name starts in the 20th century when Augustus Vogel and Fred Vogel Jr. began a lumber mill in Union County. The mill employed many of the men in the county to cut and process lumber from the 65,000 acres of land owned by the Pfister Vogel Leather Company. They were the second generation of Vogels to run a leather company in Milwaukee with Charles Frederick Pfister, and the lumber in the North Georgia mountains was an excellent source for tannin (or tannic acid), an important raw material in the tanning process. Oak trees are a major source tannic acid, although most trees have at least some tannin in them. Since this required harvesting a large number of oak, the Vogels also set up a lumber mill on the site of present-day Vogel State Park. Unfortunately, the state of Georgia entered an economic downturn in the mid-1920’s and the lumber mill was no longer economically feasible. In 1929 the Vogels donated nearly 259 acres to the state, much of it still encompassed within the 233-acres within Vogel State Park. This park shares a timeless connection with its Civilian Conservation Corps builders that dammed Wolf Creek to form Lake Trahlyta and built housing around the lake for the CCC boys. The 22-acre Lake Trahlyta is named for the Cherokee maiden whose grave sits at the center of Stonepile Gap. Georgia’s poet laureate, Bryon Herbert Reece, was born in a cabin on the land where Lake Trahlyta now sits. The rest of the land donated by the Vogels is under the Chattahoochee National Forest and includes the stone building now known as Mountain Crossings at Walasi-yi and Nottla or Nottely Falls, east of the Byron Herbert Reese Trail parking lot. Originally, Walasi-yi was a restaurant run by the state. Directly by Vogel is the Byron Herbert Reece Farm and Heritage Center that celebrates the life of this famous poet who received numerous awards for his writing. The center has wonderful displays, restoration of the Reece writing studio, authentic farm buildings and equipment, plus self-guided tours. Vogel State Park offers a variety of hiking, swimming, fishing and enjoying family time in a diverse mountain landscape. An easy 1.0 mile hiking trail circles the lake, allowing access to fishing docks and the boathouse. A 0.1 miles side trail takes hikers down to Trahlyta Falls, also know as Spillway Falls. A spur trail off the Trahlyta Lake Loop [...]

Vogel State Park2025-10-23T12:29:14-04:00

Take a Walk on the Appalachian Trail

Every year, between March 15 and May 1, two to three thousand hikers begin a 2,184 mile long journey on the Appalachian Trail. They will hike from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Their trek will take five to six months and cross fourteen states. Only about ten percent of all who begin will finish the entire length of the trail. But everyone who attempts this journey will leave the trail a changed person. The Appalachian Trail does not care about one’s physical qualities, it is truly a test of mental fortitude. If you can, you will be rewarded with spectacular vistas, amazing wildlife encounters, and deep, genuine friendships with people you would never have met in your normal life. You will find waterfalls, caves, and rock formations that most people never get to see. You will get a glimpse of the vastness of creation and the tiny miracles that keep it all running. You will develop the soul of a poet, the eye of an artist, and the determination of… well, of a hiker. You will develop a quiet confidence that comes from knowing that you have already done the most difficult thing you will ever have to do in your life. It's all down hill from there. Easy trail access from several points in North Georgia. Springer Mtn. at Amicalolah Falls Hwy. 129 at Blood Mtn. Hwy. 75 at Unicoi Mtn. Hwy. 76 between Towns/Rabun Counties

Take a Walk on the Appalachian Trail2025-10-23T10:32:36-04:00
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