Page 34 - Blairsville NCG 2024

THINGS TO DO Conservation Corps that is great if

you’re planning an overnight camp.
Hike to the roof of Georgia on the 11-
mile Arkaquah to Brasstown Bald (it’s 5.5
miles each way) trail. You can camp a night
to break it up. When the skies are clear
from this highest point in the state, you
can see beyond to North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Tennessee.

Holler in the Holler

Blairsville is the natural landscape
for memorable outdoor adventures.
Keep exploring in these cultural and
recreational hotspots:
At the base of Blood Mountain in the
heart of the Chattahoochee National
Forest is Vogel State Park. You are in one
of Georgia’s oldest and most popular state Open from mid-April to early November, the Byron
parks, renowned for satisfying hiking and Herbert Reece Farm & Heritage Center engages visitors
stellar camping options. Stop in at The with a vision of Appalachian farm life from the early
Trading Post for snacks, souvenirs, and 1900s. This is the historic homestead of Georgia novelist
campsite reservations. While a new Visitor and poet Byron Herbert Reece. Step inside restored farm
Center is under construction, the current buildings and exhibits, saunter along a poetry trail, feed
center is open. The 22-acre Lake Trahlyta the farm animals, and even purchase fresh produce from
is a haven for fishing and swimming. the garden when in season. Private rentals for special
Take an easy lake loop hike that leads to events are available.
Trahlyta Falls, or the more challenging 13-

mile Coosa Backcountry Trail. Cottages, campsites, and primitive
backpacking sites provide overnight accommodation.
Ascend to a high mountain valley that holds the Lake Winfield
Scott Recreation Area. The 18-acre lake was built by the Civilian
Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Year-round recreation
opportunities include camping, picnicking, boating, fishing,
swimming, and hiking around the tranquil waters.
Visit the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center with
the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences at UGA –
in Blairsville – founded in 1930. Visitors can tour the Cannery
Interpretive Center, the Ethnobotanic Garden and along the
Woodland Medicine trail. Learn how our ancestors and indigenous
people used plants for food, fiber, and medicine. Guided tours:
Monday mornings May through September between 9 am to noon.
Call ahead for visitation on other weekdays: (706) 745-2655.
Butternut Creek and the Nottely River meander through
Blairsville’s Meeks Park outside of downtown. Meeks Park features
trails, a seasonal splash pad, disc-golf course, kayak and canoe
launch, basketball courts, softball fields, dog and skate parks, and
other amenities.

Blairsville is in USDA Zone 7A, with a
shorter 180-day growing season and
average rainfall of 57 inches.

30 Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce