Local Blue Ridge Area Info:

 

Blue Ridge has a great Internet Café and lots of great shops.

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is in the heart of the town. It takes tours through the mountains, spring through fall.
http://brscenic.com/

Blue Ridge has a very nice Art Center in town. I highly suggest visiting. http://www.brmaa.net/Welcome.html The Surrounding Chattahoochee Forest The Chattahoochee National Forest "Barefoot Forest Ranger" Arthur Woody made an extraordinary contribution to Fannin County and all of the north Georgia mountains when he fought to create and protect the vast resources of the Chattahoochee National Forest in the early 1900's. Woody, a Fannin County native, helped replenish the dwindling population of whitetail deer in the forest and introduced new species of non-native trout in the streams. His work was the foundation for the richness of the Georgia mountain experience today.

The Chattahoochee National Forest covers 749,689 acres in north Georgia, managed by six ranger districts. Over 40 percent of the land in Fannin County is national forest land (106,000 acres). 40,006 acres are located in the Cohutta Ranger District and 66,097 in the Blue Ridge Ranger District. The forest began when the forest service purchased 31,000 acres in Fannin, Lumpkin and Union Counties from the Gennett family in 1911 for $7 per acre.

 

The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests have 37 developed recreation areas, 500 developed campsites, 200 picnic sites, 6 swim beaches and 530 miles of trails. There are more than 500 wildlife and fish species in the forest. Almost 100 percent of cold water stream fishing on public lands occurs within the Chattahoochee national forest. 90,000 fishermen generate over $43 million in revenue for Georgia from national forest land.* The forest receives more than 10 million visitors each year. *Source:www.fs.fed.us, Blue Ridge Visitors Center Web Site

Lake Blue Ridge

The crystal clear aquamarine waters of Lake Blue Ridge make it one of Georgia's most picturesque mountain lakes. The 3,290-acre lake and surrounding area boast over 90 national forest campsites, several boat ramps, a full-service marina and public swimming and picnic areas. 80 percent of the shoreline on Lake Blue Ridge is in the Chattahoochee National Forest, managed by the USDA Forest Service.

Morganton Point Campground, in Morganton, features a public swimming area, along with 43 campsites, picnic tables and pavilion and a boat ramp. Another boat ramp is available at Lakewood Landing near Morganton. The Lake Blue Ridge Marina offers boat ramp access on a fee basis, along with pontoon rentals.

The lake is home to bass, bream, catfish, perch and crappie, which make the area popular with anglers. It is the only lake south of the Great Lakes where Walleye are caught, and is also known for white bass fishing.

Blue Ridge reservoir is 11 miles long and has 65 miles of shoreline, 25 percent of which is developed. The lake was formed when Blue Ridge Dam was constructed on the Toccoa River in 1930 by the Toccoa Electric Power Company. At the time it was built, the dam was the largest earthen dam in the Southeast. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) purchased the facility in 1939 for hydroelectric power production.
Today, TVA owns approximately 18 miles of shoreline, including the Blue Ridge Dam reservation. For more information on lake levels and releases, please see www.tva.gov
Source: Blue Ridge Visitor’s Center web site

Area Waterfalls:
Within the boundaries of Fannin County are five waterfalls accessible by hikes of various distances.

Long Creek Falls The most popular of the waterfalls in Fannin County is Long Creek Falls, which can be seen by hiking down a short side trail from the combined Appalachian/Benton MacKaye Trail. These falls total about 50 feet in two distinct drops. A leisurely 30 minute hike to the falls is uphill on the way in, downhill on the way out. Directions: From Blue Ridge, go south on Aska Road 13.5 miles to end. Turn right onto Newport Road, go 4.5 miles to end. Turn left onto Doublehead Gap Road and continue on this road about .8 miles to intersection with dirt-gravel USFS Road 58 intersecting sharply from right. Turn onto FS 58 and continue into forest and uphill 5.3 miles to Three Forks. Noontootla Creek, a beautiful trout stream, is on the right as you ascend.

Falls Branch Falls The upper portion of Fall Branch Falls is a series of cascades that lead to a single major drop of some 30 feet, with the water plunging into a deep pool at the base of the falls. These falls, along the Benton MacKaye Trail west of Aska Road are a shorter, although a bit harder walk than Long Creek Falls. Directions-Take Aska Road south 8 miles and turn right on Stanley Creek Road. Go 3.1 miles to the "parking lot" on the right just past the bridge over Falls Branch

Sea Creek Falls
Located in the Cooper Creek Scenic Area, Sea Creek Falls are an easy walk of less than .1 miles. Unfortunately, the drive can be difficult. The first, or upper falls is a series of steep cascades ending in a brief drop. The second falls are also a series of steep cascades. When the water flow is heavy either in late Winter or Spring or after a summer rain these are a remarkable sight.

Directions: From the Georgia Mountain Parkway just past Blue Ridge, take Highway 60 south (toward Morganton). At Cooper Creek Store turn left on Cooper Creek Road (this road is also called Mulky Gap Road). After 3.3 miles the road makes a dramatic turn back on itself and FS 264 comes off to the left. This road is rough and may not be possible in anything but a four wheel drive vehicle. Travel .3 miles to a campground, park and walk .1 miles further up the creek.

Jacks River Falls
This popular destination in the Cohutta Wilderness Area requires the longest walk of all falls in Fannin County. The easiest access is a 9.2 mile hike from Dally Gap along the Jacks River Trail.
Source: Blue Ridge Visitors Center Web Site

Link to Water Sports – Tubing, White Water Rafting, Fishing and Boating. This link will get you to all of the water sports.
http://www.ocoee-info.com/outrec.html
 

Amicalola Falls State Park:
Amazing Place! Make time to go here!

http://www.amicalolafalls.com/