Northwest Georgia Mountains
The Northwest Georgia Mountains is a land of rugged sedimentary mountains shot through with caves, some of them explorable. There are Civil War battle sites, hiking and driving tours, as well as accommodations and lodgings and restaurants for all types of budgets and tastes.
Accommodations and Lodgings. Travelers who are looking for upscale lodgings and accommodations will find them at Barnsley Gardens Resort, plus, Barnsley Gardens is the home of one of the exclusive Orvis Fly-Fishing Schools. There are plenty of facilities for more budget-minded visitors as well as cabins and camping at state parks like Redtop Mountain and Cloudland Canyon.
Driving Tours, Walking Tours. To get an overview of the region's travel and recreation treasures, you can explore on your own via a number of driving tours including Backroads Driving Tours.
Outdoors Experiences: Hiking, Canoeing, Kayaking, Rafting. Hiking trails like the Aska Trails form a network of adventures throughout the region. Spelunkers are drawn to Northwest Georgia from all over the world to explore the limestone caves in the Pocket Recreation Area and elsewhere in the region. Other spectacular caves are accessible to visitors who may not be hard-core hikers or spelunkers at places like Rock City. Canoeing, kayaking, rafting and tubing on the rivers of northwest Georgia are activities that attract participants from all over the Southeast. Outfitters offer guided trips and many locations provide rental equipment. Tubing on the Toccoa River, Rolling Thunder River Company and Toccoa River Adventures are a few examples. Bicycle riders will find the Ridgeway Mountain Bike Trail to their liking.
History, Museums, Historical Experiences. Civil War history buffs will find a wealth of Civil War battle sites, museums and driving tours, including Allatoona Pass Battlefield, Pickett's Mill Battlefield, Chickamauga National Military Park, and the Battle for Chattanooga Museum. You'll find plenty of Native American history at the New Echota Cherokee Capital Historic Site where the "Trail of Tears" began, the Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site, the Chief Van House, and the Chieftains Museum in Rome. The Marble Museum in Nelson and Oak Hill and the Martha Berry Museum in Rome celebrate more of the Northwest Mountains' history and culture.
Attractions, Family Fun. Cagle's Dairy Farm and Grandpa Jones Corn Maze & Pumpkins provide the kinds of farm experiences and "agritourism" activities that are fun for kids and family fun for all.
Adventures. Some of the best skydiving locations in America are found in the Northwest Georgia Mountains. Watch this thrilling sport or participate in it at Georgia Skydiving Center, Atlanta Skydiving Center or Lookout Mountain Flight Park and Training Center.
Shopping. This is Apple Country and pick-your-own farms blanket many mountainsides. Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge is one of those. Gilmer County is Georgia's Apple Capital and 11 of the county's 18 apple orchards are located in Apple Orchard Alley. The region's farm heritage is celebrated at a variety of fairs and festivals that punctuate the seasons and provide shopping opportunities to pick up examples of the agricultural products and crafts the Northwest Mountains produce, Prater's Mill being just one example.
Sports. It's hard to go anywhere in Georgia without encountering auto racing or motorcycle racing and that's definitely true in this region. One of the tracks is Dixie Speedway, a 3/8 banked oval that hosts weekly stock car racing.
Find a comprehensive listing of travel and recreational resources in the Northwest Mountains Region by using the easy-and-fun search capability here on the Brown's Guide website.
Adventure Trail Rides
Adventure Trail Rides offers guided scenic horse trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains that are great for adults and children alike.