GA, Chattahoochee National Forest
Running through the heart of the
Chattahoochee National Forest is the Chattahoochee River.
It is an excellent place for tubing or canoeing. The
forest's highlands are located 16 miles north of
Dahlonega on US 129. Here the Appalachian Mountains make
a steep drop that creates scenic waterfalls and mountain
streams. The Main Visitor Center sits atop Brasstown
Bald, Georgia's highest mountain at 4,784 feet.
GA, Chattahoochee National Forest, vista from Mt Yonah
The Ridge and Valley National Forest
Scenic Byway (Rts 136, 156, and 27) is one of the
most scenic routes through the forest. It loops south
from Villanow on a 47 mile track with majestic views of
broad valleys and forests of oak, beech, hemlock,
hickory, and white pine along the way. Dogwood, mountain laurel and rhododendron blooms cover the forest beginning
in the spring and lasting through the summer. Area wildlife
includes deer, turkey and raccoons.
In total the Chattahoochee National
Forest has 20 campgrounds with over 500 campsites that
are open year-round. But beware of weekend crowds from
nearby Atlanta (90 miles south), Chattanooga (30 miles
north), and Huntsville (80 mi west) which can quickly fill these campgrounds.
Some of the more scenic campgrounds all border lakes. The Lake
Winfield Campground is especially popular for water
activities. Lake Winfield has 35 campsites, flush toilets
and showers. Open from May- October ($8). The Lake
Chatuge Campground has 30 campsites, flush toilets, and
cold showers ($6). Lake Chatuge along with the Rabun Beach
Campground are exceptional lakes for trout and bass
fishing. Rabun Beach is the largest campground in the National Forest with 80 campsites (of which 20 have
electric/ water hookups). Rabun Beach is the only
Chattahoochee National Forest Campground with electrical
hookups. There are also flush toilets, showers, and a
boat ramp ($15 for hookups).
GA, Chattahoochee National Forest, Lake Winfield
The nearby 1,021 acre
Amicalola Falls State Park (located 15mi NW of Dawsonville go W on Hwy 53, N on Hwy 183, and E on Hwy 52) has a beautiful wooded campground with 20
campsites. All with water and electrical hookups ($15), a
57 room lodge ($60-120), and 14 cabins ($75).
Amicalola is
named after a Cherokee Indian word meaning "tumbling
waters". Amicalola Falls is the highest waterfall
East of the Mississippi cascading 729 feet to the river
below. The an 8 mile hiking trail from Amicalola Falls
leads to the beginning of the 2,100 mile Appalachian
Trail atop Springer Mountain. Chattahoochee National
Forest, 508 Oak Street NW, Gainesville, GA 30501 (404)
536-0541.
http://www.nps.gov/chat/
and Amicalola Falls SP, 240 Amicalola Falls State Park Rd, Dawsonville, GA 30534 (706) 265-4703.
The largest National Forest in Georgia and starting point for the
2,100 mile Appalachian
Trail. The Appalacian
Trail extends from the summit of Springer Mountain, Georgia north
to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. The nation's first crosscountry hiking trail that is nestled
in dense hardwood and evergreen trees for most of its
journey.
