8 Most Breathtaking Towns In Georgia

Few states fit as much scenery into as short a drive as Georgia, and its small towns are where that variety becomes something you can actually walk into. A weekend in the north puts you at the rim of a thousand-foot gorge or under a waterfall that ranks as the tallest in the Southeast. Point the car toward the coast instead and the same trip ends on a barrier-island beach. The towns that follow each grew up around one of these landscapes, so the view is not a backdrop to the visit but the reason for it. These eight are the ones where Georgia's scenery is most worth building a trip around.

Tallulah Falls

Tallulah Falls, home to the dramatic Tallulah Gorge, was once considered a rival to destinations like Niagara Falls. Travelers can explore this gorge through Tallulah Gorge State Park, which surrounds the two-mile-long canyon that reaches nearly 1,000 feet deep. Within the park, you can either hike along the rim or secure one of the limited permits, as only 100 are issued daily, to descend to the gorge floor. Cross the suspension bridge, which sways 80 feet above the river and offers views of the cascades below. To recharge and refuel after a hike, head to The Edge Cafe, which serves locally and globally inspired cuisine. Travelers can finish their day at River Falls at the Gorge, a riverside camping resort with sites for tents, RVs, trailers, and pop-ups.

Madison

Madison's well-preserved Southern architecture has earned repeated recognition in publications like Southern Living and Architectural Digest. Travelers can start their architectural tour at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, a late 19th-century schoolhouse with Romanesque Revival influences. Walking through town, you will likely spot houses with steeply pitched roofs, such as the Bearden-Stokes House, built circa 1867 with a wide porch and two front-facing cross gables. Lastly, a trip to Madison isn't complete without some hearty Southern food. R + B Cafe is a highly rated option, serving classics like fried chicken, mac and cheese, and hushpuppies.

St. Simons Island

Over the past decade, St. Simons Island has consistently ranked as one of the top beach destinations in magazines and readers' choice awards. East Beach is one of the island's most prominent beach areas. It is divided into several sections, with room for biking, shelling, kiteboarding, and fishing. Many local agencies run cruises and tours in the area, such as Cap Fendig Tours, which specializes in dolphin tours and sunset cruises. You also won't have a problem finding a good spot in town if you crave fresh seafood. The Half Shell, for example, has operated since 2013 as an oyster bar and seafood restaurant serving modern coastal American dishes.

Blue Ridge

With 106,000 acres of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Fannin County (where the town is located) and hundreds of miles of hiking trails, travelers can easily fill a week with outdoor activities in Blue Ridge. The forests contain around 500 campsites and 200 picnic sites, plus more than 500 wildlife and fish species. There is also a long list of hiking trails to choose from in the Blue Ridge area, such as the Aska Trails, a 17-mile hike-and-bike trail system that varies in difficulty. To see the countryside in a single afternoon, hop aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, which runs four-hour round-trip excursions, passing through the neighboring towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, before returning to the Blue Ridge depot.

Helen

As if Helen's location in the Blue Ridge Mountains were not already beautiful enough, the town is also built as a Bavarian-style village. Anna Ruby Falls belongs on every traveler's itinerary, a double waterfall formed by two creeks that you can reach via a short, paved hiking trail. Afterward, enjoy a game of mini golf at the Alpine Mini Golf Village, an 18-hole course surrounded by Bavarian-style architecture. And of course, you will probably want to try some of the town's German cuisine. Bodensee Restaurant is a local favorite, run by a master chef who trained in Germany before opening his restaurant in Helen.

Adairsville

About five miles outside Adairsville, the Manor House Ruins stand among the formal gardens of Barnsley Resort, the shell of an Italianate villa that Godfrey Barnsley began building in the 1840s on his Woodlands estate. Across its 3,000 acres are the historic gardens, a Jim Fazio-designed golf course, and walking trails through the Bartow County foothills. Back in town, Adairsville sits in the Oothcalooga Valley about halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga, and in December 1987 it became the first Georgia town listed in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places. Its 170-acre historic district centers on Public Square, where the restored Western & Atlantic depot now houses the Adairsville Depot History Museum. The Great Locomotive Chase passed through here on April 12, 1862, when Union raiders drove a stolen engine north along these same tracks.

Dahlonega

Surrounded by vineyards and waterfalls, Dahlonega sits in some of the most scenic country in north Georgia. Travelers wanting to explore the Dahlonega wine scene can start at Montaluce Winery & Restaurant, a Tuscan-style winery that pours white and red tastings alongside a neighboring Italian restaurant. Amicalola Falls State Park is about a 20-minute drive west of Dahlonega, where a 729-foot cascade drops in a series of tiers, the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeast. Throughout the year, Dahlonega also hosts a full slate of festivals. Bear on the Square Mountain Festival is a popular one, held each spring, when performers bring bluegrass and old-time tunes to the town square alongside an art marketplace.

Ellijay

Across Ellijay, you will find rolling apple orchards, cideries, and hiking trails that make for an easygoing small-town weekend. If you want to start your day with a hike, head to Tumbling Waters Nature Trail, a forested mountain path that leads to an overlook of Tails Creek, a small cascading stream. From September through October, many of the town's orchards run U-pick experiences, such as R & A Orchards, which offers both apple picking and flower picking. The best way to end a day in Ellijay is at Reece's Cider Company, where you can enjoy a craft cider and live music on the weekend.

A Weekend Worth The Drive

Georgia's scenery looks different from one end of the map to the other. The north has gorges, waterfalls, and apple valleys; the coast has barrier-island beaches; and the middle of the state has preserved 19th-century streets. What ties these eight together is that the landscape is the reason to go in each case, not an afterthought behind the shops and restaurants. Pick the terrain you want to wake up to, and one of these towns will match it.