Central and North Georgia
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Central and North Georgia - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Brasstown Bald
In the Chattahoochee National Forest, Brasstown Bald reaches 4,784 feet, the highest point in Georgia. Below the bald is Georgia's only cloud forest, an area of lichen-covered trees often kept wet by clouds and fog. From the observation platform at the top of the bald on a clear day you can see Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. A paved but steep foot trail leads from the parking lot (where there are restrooms and a picnic area) to the visitor center, which has exhibits and interpretative programs. You also can ride a bus to the visitor center.
2941 GA 180 Spur, Hiawassee, Georgia, 30546, USA706-896–2556Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5, Mid-Mar.–late Nov., daily 10–5, Call ahead for winter closings -
2. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
A visit to this 9,000-acre military park could easily take all day—or multiple days. The park spans the borders of Georgia and Tennessee, with major sites at Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Moccasin Bend, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob, and Signal Point. Overall, there are more than 1,400 commemorative features throughout the park including monuments, markers, and tablets placed by veterans and by states whose citizens saw combat here. Start at Chickamauga Battlefield, the park's headquarters, which makes up the largest part of the park. It was here on September 19–20, 1863, that the Battle of Chickamauga was fought. The excellent visitor center and museum offers a film and exhibits about the battle. There's also a 7-mile self-guided auto tour through the park, and on weekends during the spring and fall, you can join a free two-hour auto caravan, led by a park ranger. During the summer, rangers offer the tours daily at 10 and 2. The rest of the park lies about 30 minutes north of Chickamauga: Lookout Mountain Battlefield and Point Park, a memorial park that overlooks the city of Chattanooga.
3370 LaFayette Rd., Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, 30742, USA706-866–9241Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Daily 8:30–5 -
3. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Memorial/Monument/TombA visit to Chickamauga and Chattanooga Military Park could easily take all day—or multiple days. The park spans the borders of Georgia and Tennessee, with major sites at Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob, and Signal Point. Overall, there are more than 1,400 commemorative features throughout the park including monuments, markers, and tablets placed by veterans and by states whose citizens saw combat here. Start at Chickamauga Battlefield, the park's headquarters, which makes up the largest part of the park. It was here on September 19–20, 1863 that the Battle of Chickamauga was fought. To the war-weary people and soldiers of the Confederacy, it was a morale-boosting victory on the heels of terrible losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg only months before. To the equally fatigued Union states, it was an important test of their supply center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The battlefield contains monuments and markers that indicate significant places like Horseshoe Ridge and Snodgrass Hill in the story of the battle. About 30 minutes north of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain Battlefield and Point Park is a memorial park that overlooks the city of Chattanooga.
3370 LaFayette Rd., Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, 30742 , USA706-866–9241Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free; $5 for Point Park -
4. Chief Vann House
This beautiful home with all the trappings of the wealthy planter lifestyle is fascinating because of the intermingling of cultures that took place here. Known as Diamond Hill, this historic site was home to a 1,000-acre plantation—the largest and most prosperous in Cherokee history. In 1804 James Vann, a Cherokee leader of mixed Scottish and Cherokee parentage, built the plantation’s stately redbrick mansion with the help of Moravian missionaries and enslaved workers. When Vann was murdered in 1809, his son Joseph took over the property until he was forcibly evicted in 1835. Diamond Hill and surrounding lands were then given away in a land lottery to white settlers, its Cherokee origins wiped away. Start your visit in the visitor center where you can view a short film and browse exhibits about the site’s history. Rangers lead tours of the home, but outdoor exhibits, such as a re-created Cherokee farmstead and plantation kitchen, are self-guided. The kitchen outbuilding also houses an exhibit focused on the daily lives of the 110 enslaved people who resided at Diamond Hill before Vann’s departure in 1835.
82 GA 225, Chatsworth, Georgia, 30705, USA706-695–2598Sight Details
Rate Includes: $7, Thurs.–Sun. 9–5, Closed Mon.–Wed. Closed Sun. Dec.--Mar. -
5. Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia
Located 4 miles southeast of Helen in the Sautee Nacoochee Center, this museum showcases a 200-year unbroken tradition of folk pottery in northeast Georgia (especially in nearby Mossy Creek and the Gillsville-Lula area). Part of the 5,000-square-foot facility outlines how pottery is made and how it was used for essential household purposes. Exhibits showcase a 200-piece collection donated to the museum, including the whimsical face jugs that have become an emblem of Southern folk art. Pottery-making demonstrations are frequently offered. Call ahead for dates and times.
283 GA 255, Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia, 30571, USA706-878–3300Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5, Mon.–Sat. 10–5, Sun. 1–5 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Hay House
Designed by the New York firm T. Thomas and Son in the mid-1800s, Hay House is a study in fine Italianate architecture prior to the Civil War. The marvelous stained-glass windows and many technological advances, including indoor plumbing, make a tour worthwhile. The home's dining room has recently been restored to its 1870s appearance. Tours depart on the hour. For a small upcharge, you can do the Top of the House tour, which explores the soaring cupola and widow's walk.
934 Georgia Ave., Macon, Georgia, 31201, USA478-742–8155Sight Details
Rate Includes: $13, Last tour begins at 3 daily, Closed Mon. and Tues., Mon.–Sat. 10–4, Sun. 1–3 -
7. State Botanical Gardens of Georgia
Just outside the Athens city limits, you'll find this tranquil, 313-acre wonderland of aromatic gardens and woodland paths. It has a massive conservatory overlooking the International Garden that functions as a welcome foyer and houses an art gallery, gift shop, and café. There's also a 2½-acre children's garden with interactive elements designed to engage children through all their senses. New in 2021 is a porcelain and decorative arts museum featuring eight galleries of nature-inspired artwork.
2450 S. Milledge Ave., Athens, Georgia, 30605, USA706-542–1244Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Grounds: Apr.–Sept., daily 8–8; Oct.–Mar., daily 8–6. Visitor center: Tues.–Sat. 9–4:30, Sun. 11:30–4:30 -
8. Tallulah Gorge State Park
The 1,000-foot-deep Tallulah Gorge is one of the most impressive in the country. In the late 1800s this area was one of the most visited destinations in the Southeast, with 17 hotels to house tourists who came to see the roaring falls on the Tallulah River. Then, in 1912, to provide electric power, the "Niagara of the South" was dammed, and the falls and tourism dried up. Today the state of Georgia has designated more than 20 miles of the state park as walking and mountain-biking trails. There's also a 16,000-square-foot interpretive center, a suspension bridge with spectacular views, a 63-acre lake with a beach (open seasonally), a picnic shelter, and 50 tent and RV sites.
338 Jane Hurt Yarn Dr., Tallulah Falls, Georgia, 30573, USA706-754--7981Sight Details
Rate Includes: Parking $5, Daily 8 am–dusk
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