Day for Night

Head north to check out the solar eclipse on Aug. 21

By Collin Kelley

On Aug. 21, a large swath of America will be treated to a rare phenomenon: a total solar eclipse. While partial views will be available in Atlanta, if you want to be in the path of totality then head to North Georgia, North Carolina or South Carolina.

The centerline for the eclipse will touch the northeastern corner of Georgia around 2:35 p.m. Some of the picturesque places to see the full solar phenomenon are in Clayton, Toccoa and Black Rock Mountain State Park.

In North Carolina, you’ll have part of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park as a dramatic landscape for the eclipse.

Some of the cities in the path are Bryson City, Murphy, Andrews, Franklin and Santeetlah Lake.

A big swath of South Carolina will see the eclipse, but one of the best places will be the city of Greenville, which lies in the path of totality. The downtown area has cool shops, restaurants and the lovely Falls Park on the Reedy River.

The last time all of North America witnessed a solar eclipse was 99 years ago, so grab your eclipse glasses and head north. Hotels and rentals are already filling up, so if you’re planning to make a long weekend of it, better book now.