Ask the Pack: North GA mountain wknd...

[ToxicTimberDawg]

Looking at a late October anny trip (Friday afternoon arrival / Monday am departure) to North Georgia area (Tallulah Falls, Mountain City, Blue Ridge, etc). Never been to that area so I’m totally unfamiliar with it other than a few google searches. Would like some seclusion (cabin/house/chalet) but within 15 miles or so of restaurants, etc. We would probably do some light hiking or sight seeing if available nearby. Not really interested in “night life” but a small town or two in the vicinity to explore local history, etc would be nice. Any general area or specific cabin/condo suggestions? Thanks for any advice.

 

[AlSwearengen]

In for information as well.

 

[stateu1]

We went to Helen a few years back and it was cool. Check it out. It checks all your boxes.

 

[vandaldawg]

Blue Ridge

 

[tenureplan]

You're going to want to stay away from Helen. It will be Oktoberfest and people will be pissing in the streets like its a mini bourbon. Try to get a cabin near Clayton, they have some really nice restaurants downtown. There are a few realty companies that have property around there, so just google search it. You're going to want to book right now though.

For Hiking, I would recommend Raven Cliff falls, its like an easy 2.5 mile hike to the bottom of the falls. Another 1.5 to the top, it's a bit rougher, but the view is worth it IMO. It's more than a bit rougher, its a pretty tough grade and you will have to go over and under fallen trees (tornado) on a fairly tight cliff ledge. If you chicken out, the lower falls are still very nice.

If you decide to go to Helen, plan for a 1hr+ traffic jam both ways.



ETA: Nacoochie Tavern is a great pizza spot

 

[Bullldawg78]

Blue ridge is great usually make a couple of trips a year. We use VRBO plenty of reasonable options, I like staying on the river below the dam (like to fly fish) but have stayed plenty of other places. Downtown blue ridge is a great little town lots of shops and local restaurants, but not as touristy as some mountain towns(not selling elephant ears on every corner). We always visit Mercier orchard, great fried pies. Plenty of hiking options, can't recommend just one!

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Blue ridge is great usually make a couple of trips a year. We use VRBO plenty of reasonable options, I like staying on the river below the dam (like to fly fish) but have stayed plenty of other places. Downtown blue ridge is a great little town lots of shops and local restaurants, but not as touristy as some mountain towns(not selling elephant ears on every corner). We always visit Mercier orchard, great fried pies. Plenty of hiking options, can't recommend just one!

And take the train ride.

 

[LanierDawg]

Have used the booking site “Escape to Blue Ridge” several times and like it. They have many cabins right on the Toccoa River which is awesome..numerous great hiking trails all around. Blue Ridge is a great town with lots to do. The town of Ellijay is nearby and fun as well. If you like winery visits, Chateau Meichtry is nearby, live music on weekends, great wine...have fun!!!!

 

[BrunswickDawg]

You can't go wrong with the Blue Ridge, Tallulah Falls, Clayton areas at all. If you want to be a little more central so you can go to a lot of different areas then Blairsville is a good area too. Definitely stay away from Helen in October.
I'm a big fan of the state parks for easy access - Amicalola Falls, Tallulah Falls, Black Rock Mountain

 

[MeridianDog]

The Highlands, NC, Google to get options.

 

[Prediction? Pain.]

I've booked awesome cabins in the Blue Ridge area from these companies:

http://mountaintopcabinrentals.com/

https://www.escapetoblueridge.com/

https://www.southerncomfortcabinrentals.com/

I've done a football/BBQ/hiking/whisky/cabin weekend in the Blue Ridge area every year since 2014 and have had a great time each year. The mountains are awesome, there is a huge selection of new, extremely nice cabins to choose from in all sorts of settings (mountaintop, creekside, deep in the forest, etc.), the crowds are light, and there are a few solid restaurants and shops in town keep you occupied if you need them to. There's a microbrewery or two, there's the biggest apple orchard in the southeast (Mercier's, which also makes apple wine and hard apple cider on site and sells other localish food that's worth checking out, like Benton's bacon and locally milled grits and cornmeal), and a fair number of wineries within an hour's drive. And of course there are plenty of hiking, mountain biking, and trout fishing options in the area, too.

The closest options for hiking are probably the Aska Adventure area trails. They're fine, though mostly just tunnels within forests. The Benton MacKaye Trail passes close by, and it provides miles and miles of options, the most popular spots being Fall Branch Falls and the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge trail. We hiked the swinging-bridge trail last November:

Nice destination and a shortish (5.5 miles) relatively easy trail, though the majority of the hike was through a fairly standard forest with no scenic views or water features along the way.

For my money, the best hiking options aren't the ones that are close to Blue Ridge proper. The AT passes south and east of Blue Ridge and offers an amazing 10-to-15-mile one way hike between Hogpen Gap and Blood Mountain. Circa late October 2016:

If a full day of hiking isn't your bag, you can still see Blood Mountain (the last two pics above) with a short hike by parking at the base of the mountain.

Another fun option is canoeing or kayaking the Toccoa. Very user friendly (Class I "rapids" mostly, with an occasional Class II) and lots of fun. There's an river "trail" in the national forest down there on the Toccoa that can occupy a full day or two, if you're game. We used Jon Ron Toccoa River Outfitters in October 2017 -- when it was unseasonably warm -- and had a great time on a short (2 hours or so) paddle.

So yeah, the Blue Ridge area is great.

Oh, one more thing: If you plan on watching football while you're at a cabin, check on the front end about the cabin's satellite tv package. They vary by owner and not all are going to have the SEC Network or ESPN U.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

What about during the summer? Helen & Hiawassee are on my summer vacation shortlist. I mentioned in a previous thread that I seriously considered going to Hiawassee during the Georgia Mountain Fair.

 

[HumpDawgy]

I always think I want to make a trip up there and then a certain tune keeps popping into my head and then I reconsider.

View attachment 14090

 

[stateu1]

You're going to want to stay away from Helen. It will be Oktoberfest and people will be pissing in the streets like its a mini bourbon. Try to get a cabin near Clayton, they have some really nice restaurants downtown. There are a few realty companies that have property around there, so just google search it. You're going to want to book right now though.

For Hiking, I would recommend Raven Cliff falls, its like an easy 2.5 mile hike to the bottom of the falls. Another 1.5 to the top, it's a bit rougher, but the view is worth it IMO. It's more than a bit rougher, its a pretty tough grade and you will have to go over and under fallen trees (tornado) on a fairly tight cliff ledge. If you chicken out, the lower falls are still very nice.

If you decide to go to Helen, plan for a 1hr+ traffic jam both ways.



ETA: Nacoochie Tavern is a great pizza spot

We went to Helen the first week of October and it was nothing like you described.

 

[ToxicTimberDawg]

This is why I asked the pack. You can read reviews on Trip Advisor, etc, but this format is way better for getting the info you want. Great tips and links in here. Thanks to everyone who gave their advice !!

 

[ToxicTimberDawg]

Great info here P?P ! Looks like some fall colors hanging around even during your November trip. That’s even more exciting!

 

[StillTbonewannabe]

We went to Helen a few years back and it was cool. Check it out. It checks all your boxes.

We stayed in Helen in a cabin also. It is an interesting town because it was settled by German immigrants and the town has that German town aesthetic. Several good chocolate candy stores and German restaurants. We have drove up and went tubing several times and it has zip lines and all that type stuff also.

 

[Prediction? Pain.]

Great info here P?P ! Looks like some fall colors hanging around even during your November trip. That’s even more exciting!

Yeah, the fall colors around here -- southeast Tennessee and the northern Georgia mountains -- usually peak between Halloween and the 10th or so of November. With the shifting seasons over the past decade, I'd probably err on it being on the later side of that estimate. The brutally hot and dry August and September we've had may affect that some -- 0.1 inches of rain in Chattanooga in September thus far -- but hopefully we'll get some rain soon to keep things on track. The fall foliage map prediction is holding steady with the peak being in that first week after Halloween.