8 minute read
Georgia’s Scenic Byways
Georgia Highway180 near Brasstown Bald. On the way to the Brasstown Bald Visitors Center.
Chatsworth hiking trail at Fort Mountain State Park.
Drive among Georgia’s Scenic Byways and enjoy some of the state’s most breathtaking scenery as you explore the mountains of northwest Georgia.
Cohutta to Ellijay
Spanning from Cohutta to Ellijay, the 56-mile Cohutta Chattahoochee Scenic Byway travels through the Chattahoochee National Forest, plus several charming towns. A drive along the Cohutta Chattahoochee Scenic Byway affords a view of northwest Georgia’s natural beauty and historic sites. Shop in the downtowns of Dalton and Chatworth, eat at local diners and enjoy the flavor of the southern mountain communities.
Chief Vann House Historic Site
Drive east and break for lunch in Chatsworth. Explore the Chief Vann House Historic Site, a restored mansion built in 1804. This town is also home to Fort Mountain State Park, a great place to stretch your legs on more than 3,700 acres of trails. A scenic drive on Hwy. 52 near the Cohutta Wilderness leads visitors to this mountain getaway. Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders will find some of the most beautiful trails in Georgia, winding through hardwood forest and blueberry thickets, crossing streams and circling a pretty lake. Finish your road trip by picking apples in Ellijay, Georgia’s Apple Capital, where you may also buy jams and baked goods to take home.
The Woodpecker Trail: Augusta to Folkston
The Woodpecker Trail is named for the abundant woodpeckers inhabiting pine forests along Georgia
State Route 121. This 204-mile drive passes through eastern Georgia. The Woodpecker Trail has been named one of the 50 most scenic drives in America. Established in 1947 by the Woodpecker Route Association, the route was well traveled from the 1950s to 1970s. The Woodpecker Trail is a scenic and historic route along state routes 25/121. The 620-mile route, once billed as “the shortest route to Florida’s West Coast”, stretches from Charlotte, NC, to St. Petersburg, FL. Stop in Folkston to visit the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, a 396,000-acre home for endangered cranes, hawks, owls, and bald eagles. This pristine 680-square-mile wilderness is an ecological wonder. The main entrance to the National Wildlife Refuge is located near Folkston, GA, approximately one hour from Jacksonville, FL.
Hike the Chesser Island Boardwalk to the Owl’s Roost Tower for an unparalleled view of the swamp prairies and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center is a perfect place to begin your Okefenokee experience. Talk to refuge staff and volunteers about recreational opportunities, recent wildlife sightings, and explore the educational exhibits and watch the orientation video in the auditorium. Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park is a favorite for picnicking, fishing, and spotting beaver dams. In historic Metter, take a meditative stroll through Guido Gardens. Guido Gardens is a tranquil and meditative garden with sparkling waterfalls, babbling brooks, inspiring music and a beautiful Prayer Chapel. It is located at the production home of The Sower’s telecasts. If you’re needing some time to reflect or just get back into balance, you can stroll through the gardens or take some meditative time in the prayer chapel. The garden is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Leave the Interstate for Stunning Coastal Views: Savannah to St. Marys
Avoid the traffic and hop onto Coastal Highway U.S. 17, which runs through Richmond Hill south to Darien, past Butler Island to the port city of Brunswick. Brunswick is laid out in a formal grid
Fishing at Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park.
Saint Simons Island, The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort.
Photo courtesy Explore Georgia.
similar to Savannah’s, with city streets and squares still bearing their colonial names. Explore the historic area, which is enjoying a renaissance and features shops, restaurants and beautiful homes reflecting a variety of styles dating from 1819. Docked at the wharf, the array of shrimp boats are ready to trawl the local waters’ evidence of the area's rich seafood industry. Try your hand at shrimping aboard the Lady Jane, the only shrimp vessel on the East Coast that has been certified to carry passengers offshore. Sample the catch of the day at one of the fine restaurants. Detour here to St. Simons Island and Sea Island, or cross the cable-stayed Sydney Lanier Bridge – with 360-degree views of the Brunswick River – to the causeway entrance for Jekyll Island. St. Simons captivates visitors with remarkable scenery and fascinating history. The island’s villages offer a charming and unique selection of shops, fascinating museums, and challenging golf courses. Since 1928, Sea Island has been known as an exceptional destination, appealing to those who appreciate gracious service and heartfelt hospitality.
A Brunswick seafood meal.
The Jekyll Island Club
Photo courtesy Explore Georgia.
One of four barrier islands in the Golden Isles on the southeastern coast of Georgia, Sea Island features five miles of private beach. Owned by the State of Georgia and managed by the Jekyll Island State Park Authority, Jekyll Island has had development limited to just 35 percent of its available land area. This unique aspect of Jekyll Island serves to preserve the critical barrier island ecosystem, and provide guests with a unique escape. Raise your expectations for what a Georgia beach excursion can be! Jekyll Island is a barrier island on Georgia’s coast – midway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia.
Accessible by car just minutes from I-95, Jekyll Island offers a variety of amenities, including 10 miles of beach, four golf courses, a 250-acre Historic Landmark District, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Summer Waves Water Park, tennis center, and an array of lodging options. Meandering past forts, rivers, and salt marshes, U.S. Highway 17 also serves as a scenic drive for the Colonial Coast Birding Trail. More than 300 species of birds (75 percent of the total species of birds seen in Georgia) have been spotted at the 18 sites along the birding trail. Don’t expect to see most of these birds on a single visit. Shorelines, salt marshes, old rice fields, woodlands, tidal rivers, freshwater wetlands and other habitats host their own fascinating bird communities.
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Enjoy17 viewing spots to observe more than 300 species during migration and nesting season. Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1962 by a transfer of federal lands formerly managed by the Federal Aviation Administration as a WWII Army airfield. Located in McIntosh County, the refuge serves as an important link in the chain of refuges along the Atlantic seaboard, and is the inland base for two neighboring barrier island refuges, Blackbeard Island and Wolf Island refuges, both located southeast of Harris Neck. Harris Neck’s 2,762 acres consists of saltwater marsh, grassland, mixed deciduous woods and cropland. Because of this great variety in habitat, many different species of birds are attracted to the refuge throughout the year. In the summer, thousands of egrets and herons nest in the swamps, while in the
Blue Ridge Railway and Depot.
Photo courtesy Geoff Johnson and Explore Georgia.
winter, large concentrations of ducks (especially mallards, gadwall and teal) gather in the marshland and freshwater pools.
Take a Train Ride
The North Georgia mountains are ideal for experiencing some of the finest views. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway offers fall leaf excursions each October. Beginning at the historic depot in downtown Blue Ridge, wind your way along the Toccoa River in a vintage rail car, observing the canvas of bright colors. Step back in time as you and your family enjoy a four-hour railway excursion along the beautiful Toccoa River from Blue Ridge to McCaysville. Choose an authentic indoor car, open rail car or Premier Class. The destination is the mountain town of McCaysville, Georgia, sister city to Copperhill, Tennessee. During your two-hour layover, have lunch and take a walk across the “Blue Line” on the street and you’re in Tennessee! You can actually stand in two states at once if you have one foot on the Georgia side and the other on the Tennessee side.
Overlook a Gorge
Memorable scenes are on display at Tallulah Gorge State Park, one of the Southeast’s most popular canyons. Hike on trails overlooking the rim and waterfalls, and take in the glimmering yellow oaks and red-tinted maple trees. In November, watch the biannual “whitewater releases” when expert kayakers brave the rapids. Get ready to be amazed by the beautiful waterfalls, landscape and scenery that is Tallulah Gorge. One of the most spectacular canyons in the eastern U.S.,
Tallulah Falls in Tallulah Gorge State Park.
Brasstown Bald, highest point above sea level.
Photo courtesy Explore Georgia.
Tallulah Gorge is two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep. Visitors can hike rim trails to several overlooks, or they can obtain a permit to hike to the gorge floor (100 per day, not available during water releases). A suspension bridge sways 80 feet above the rocky bottom, providing spectacular views of the river and waterfalls.
The State’s Highest Point
A stop by Brasstown Bald is a must to see the autumn landscape from the highest natural point in the state. The Brasstown Bald Visitors Center sits atop Georgia’s highest mountain at 4,784 feet above sea level. Surrounded by the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, its cloud level observation deck offers stunning 360-degree views of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and valleys. On a clear day, one can see four states. When fall makes its much anticipated appearance in North Georgia, in-the-know leaf peepers head to one spot: Brasstown Bald near Blairsville. As the state’s highest peak, Brasstown Bald is also among the first to display the season’s riotous fall colors. Even in summer, you’ll find the mountain a worthy escape thanks to its picturesque location amid the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and its refreshing temperatures.
