Area Attractions

Vogel State Park

This magnificent 280 acre park is one of Georgia’s favorite state parks and is located less than 10 minutes away from Alpine Cabins. Its 22-acre Lake Trahlyta offers a swimming beach and is regularly stocked with trout for fishing. You can also enjoy the lake in one of the paddleboats available for rent. Vogel offers four very different hiking opportunities. Two easy hikes include the one-mile Trahlyta Lake Trail and the 0.6-mile Byron Reece Nature Trail. For a more challenging hike, try the 4-mile Bear Hair Trail or the strenuous 12.5 or 13.5-mile Coosa Backcountry Trail that will take you on a 2,000 ft. elevation gain.

Hiking Trails in North Georgia

Alpine Cabins is located just minutes away from the world-renowned Appalachian Trail and many access points to it. Within a few miles of Alpine cabins is Neel’s Gap, the closest direct route to the 4,461 ft. summit of Blood Mountain, where the famous Appalachian Trail ascends 1,500 heart-pounding vertical feet. Other trails on Blood Mountain include Freeman Trail, Slaughter Gap Trail, Duncan Ridge Trail, and Reece Spur Trail. Another favorite hiking trail nearby is Big Cedar Mountain reached by following the Appalachian Trail north from Woody Gap. There are several hiking trails on Brasstown Bald including the 5.5-mile Arkaquah Trail, the 7-mile Wagon Trail, and the Jack’s Knob Trail. The views from the top of Brasstown Bald are spectacular.

These are just the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of hiking trails nearby. An information book in each cabin describes many more nearby hiking trails, and our North Georgia Cabin Rental location is the perfect place to start and end your hiking adventures.

Waterfalls in North Georgia

The Cherokee named this area of North Georgia “the land of a thousand waterfalls” and with good reason. There are magnificent waterfalls everywhere and many are located just minutes away from Alpine Cabins in the North Georgia Mountains. Breathtaking cascades lace this part of Georgia, from tiny, delicate trickles to thundering torrents. Some of these falls require hikes ranging from a few feet to several miles, while many require only a short walk or even simply pulling off onto a highway shoulder. The easily accessible, gorgeous, nearby Helton Creek Falls, Dukes Creek Falls, and DeSoto Falls are just minutes away from Alpine Cabins. Within an easy drive are many, many more falls including Amicalola Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern United States. We keep current a book in each cabin that devotes an entire section to information about, pictures of, and directions to these amazing displays of Mother Nature.

Fishing in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Union County and the surrounding area of North Georgia is a paradise for fishermen. Alpine Cabins in Union County is located close to some of the most pristine trout streams and mountain lakes for all kinds of fishing, including bass, stripers, catfish, and three types of trout (brown, brook, and rainbow). Lake Blue Ridge, long a favorite of sport fisherman, features over 3,200 gorgeous acres of angling action. Relatively undeveloped and surrounded by forest service land, this lake features several dozen manmade fish-feeding covers scattered about the lake. Lake Winfield Scott and Cooper Creek feature great spots to enjoy fishing in North Georgia for spotted bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and yellow perch. Lake Nottely in Blairsville GA is a 4,180-acre TVA lake with over 100 miles of shoreline and layered mountain views. It is uncrowded even in the peak months and offers excellent fishing. Lake Chatuge in nearby Hiawassee is a 7,050-acre TVA reservoir loaded with spotted bass and smallmouth bass.

Golfing in the Mountains

One of the most popular North Georgia outdoor activities is golfing at one of the many local golf courses that boast spectacular mountain views and are open to the public. Brasstown Valley Resort is just minutes away and offers breathtaking scenery and challenging play. This golf course has been ranked by both Golf Digest and Leading Golf Courses of America as one of the top courses to play in Georgia. Alpine Cabin guests receive a special discount at this facility: Two golfers for the price of one, with a golf cart included in the deal! The tee times must be booked through Alpine Cabins. Butternut Creek Golf Course right here in Blairsville features 6,536 yards of dramatic fairways and beautiful mountain scenery. It offers a challenging and demanding 18 hole, par 73 course, and is very accommodating for weekend tee-times. The newest golf course set to open during the summer of 2009 is Old Union Golf Course in Blairsville. A semi-private course featuring a 7,500-yard championship length course, it boasts 250 acres of natural meadows, creeks, woods, and breathtaking vistas. The course includes a comprehensive practice range.

Vineyards and Wineries

North Georgia is increasingly known for its fabulous wines and wineries. You can “taste” your way through a perfect day of touring and tasting North Georgia’s vineyards and wineries.  Because of the unique microclimate in the Georgia mountains which brings warm, dry summer days, cool mountain nights, and well-drained mineral soils, the area is perfect for growing grapes that produce complex wines with fresh assertive aromas and concentrated flavors. Crane Creek Vineyards is located within a few minutes of Alpine Cabins and is one of the finest around.  Tour the vineyards and winery and taste some delectable wines in the unique 1886 Appalachian farmhouse tasting room. Alpine Cabins offers complimentary wine tasting coupons for Cane Creek Vineyards to our guests – ask us when you book your cabin. There are numerous other wineries located within a short drive from Alpine Cabins.

North Georgia Festivals

Perhaps the most popular attractions in North Georgia are the North Georgia festivals and many of them are held right here in Blairsville. The Blairsville Scottish Festival and Highland Games spotlight the heritage of the area each June. Activities include Scottish Clan gatherings, games, dance, food, bagpipes, kilts, and children’s activities. The Blairsville Sorghum Festival celebrates the best sorghum syrup in the world over two weekends each October. Enjoy log sawin’, “biskit” eatin’, arts and crafts, and, of course, syrup. The Butternut Creek Festival in July is one if the finest juried arts and crafts shows in the Southeast. Held annually at Meeks Park in Blairsville, you don’t want to miss it! Come enjoy the September Heritage Festival that features Appalachian arts, crafts, and music. Crafts on display are for sale and include handmade brooms, pottery, candles, soaps, woodcrafts, honey, and more. The Bluegrass Festival is free and open to everyone. It is a fun-filled, musical weekend in September, featuring live performances, music workshops, music-related vendors, and jamming everywhere. The Indian Summer Festival is a fantastic experience held during the first weekend in October in nearby Suches. Included in the fun are square dancing, a 10K Run, a craft show, weaponry demonstration, auction, and much more! Other festivals in the surrounding area include the John C. Campbell Folk School Fall Festival and Craft Auctions, the Georgia Mountain Fair, Wildflower Festival, Rhododendron Festival, Fall Festival, Octoberfest, and Arts in the Park, to name a few.

Scenic Drives in the North Georgia Mountains

Whether traveling by car, motorcycle, or bicycle, Union County and the surrounding areas of North Georgia boast the most magnificent mountain vistas anywhere. Each season brings a special touch to the mountains and offers riders unsurpassed beauty and tranquility. The Georgia Mountain Parkway can be your gateway to this experience. It starts out as GA 515 and travels to eastern Towns County. In between, the road winds through small mountain towns, including Blairsville, into the spectacular beauty of North Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and the centerpiece of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Chattahoochee National Forest. After turning off GA 515 in Blairsville, you’ll discover Track Rock Gap Rd. as it twists its way past a few homes and small farms. You are now in Alpine Cabins’ backyard - so to speak. The name for Track Rock Gap Rd. comes from this gap in which Native Americans carved animal tracks on these rocks between 1000 and 8000 BC. After leaving Track Rock Gap, you’ll be greeted by rolling hills, sweeping curves, and small farms. Brasstown Bald looks down on you from the east as you thunder through this quiet valley. GA 180 climbs part of Brasstown Bald, and the GA 180 spur will take you through three miles of steep, curvy road to the parking area near the top of Brasstown Bald. At an elevation of 4,784 ft., you can see for hundreds of miles from the observation deck. The 14.1-mile Richard Russell Scenic Highway starts just up the street from Alpine Cabins and crosses the Appalachian Trail with elevations ranging from 2,040 to 3,644 feet. It is used as a direct route from Blairsville to Helen. The nearby windy and scenic Rt. 129/19 takes the mountain traveler through some of the most breathtaking scenery to the town of Dahlonega, an old gold-mining town. The gold leaf that adorns the Georgia State Capital dome was taken to Atlanta by mule train from Dahlonega. The nearby Wolfpen Gap Loop is twelve miles of tight, twisting curves of roads with plenty to see and do. Most any time of the year, magnificent views from the roadside overlooks await the passing rider. Be sure to pack your camera and binoculars! A little further away from Alpine Cabins is Deals Gap with its 318 twists in the 11-mile section of road that pierces into Tennessee. This piece of civil engineering is also known simply as “The Dragon.” It’s one giant, spectacular coaster. Cruising along river edges, around lakes, through gorges and small mountain towns, this route offers the best of the road for everyone. There are hundreds of other beautiful roads and travel opportunities to appreciate Mother Nature and the blissful surroundings of the North Georgia Mountains. You will not be disappointed with whatever road you choose to take!