Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 32

GREAT SCENIC BYWAY S
J. SCOTT GRAHAM
EXPLORE GEORGIA | RALPH DANIEL
LEFT: The twin cascades
of Anna Ruby Falls make a
great stop along Georgia's
Russell-Brasstown Byway.
By ANGELA MINOR
fter the Sunday-go-to-meetin'
clothes were changed and dinner
dishes put away, my grandaddy
often said, " Let's go for
a little drive. " My brother and I would
race to the pickup truck to claim the seat
beside him and off we'd go. We never
knew how long we'd be gone or which
way the road would take us. But that
mattered not. We were on an adventure
with new things to see, family history
to learn, neighbors to wave to and grandaddy's
full attention. At the end of our
journey, we'd go 'off-road' (hence the
truck), slowly meandering on paths he'd
made through the 40-acre woods.
These were childhood mini-travels on
our own versions of scenic byways. And,
we experienced the same " intrinsic qualities "
necessary for roadways to receive
an official designation today: scenic, archaeological,
cultural, historic, natural
and recreational.
So, let's get out the map and go for a
little drive!
A
ABOVE: Fort Mountain
State Park, along Georgia's
Cohutta-Chattahoochee
Byway, is home to a
mysterious 855-foot-long
rock wall as well as a 17acre
lake.
Ä GEORGIA
Cohutta-Chattahoochee Scenic Byway.
Immerse yourself in the pastoral
landscapes, mountains and wilderness areas
dotted by rural communities rich with
human history on this Georgia byway.
Launch your journey at the north end
in the small town of Cohutta. Stop in for
a visit at the creamery, general store and
historic Presbyterian Church. Then, travel
just down the road to Prater's Mill. This
19th Century water-powered grist mill
location was a camp for both Union and
Confederate soldiers. The grist mill is operational
today; and seasonal festivities
here include music, history exhibits, arts
and authentic Southern food.
Head east on SR 2 and cross the Conasauga
River near Beaverdale on your way
to Cisco, an unincorporated community
near the Cohutta Wilderness-one of the
many that comprise the Chattahoochee
National Forest's 37,000 acres with 90
miles of hiking trails, waterfalls and access
to deeply remote forests and ridgelines.
32 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Pick up US 411 and drive south
through the countryside. Approximately
seven miles down the road in Crandall,
you'll have a couple of options. A left onto
Summerour Road to Crandall-Ellijay Road
to the Old CCC Camp Road will take you
up close in the Forest. Or you can simply
stay on US 411 to Chatsworth-Gateway
to the Appalachians.
Once in town, stay the night at a cabin,
B&B or inn with views and amenities galore.
Grab a meal at locally owned diners,
cafés and restaurants; taste mead at Cohutta
Spring Winery; and shop at an antique
store. Then, take a tour of the Chief Vann
House State Historic Site. The home and
grounds were once the " most prosperous
plantation in the Cherokee Nation. "
Next stop-Fort Mountain State Park.
Take the winding and scenic SR 52 east
to this location named for the mysterious
855-foot-long wall made of rocks.
It's 12 feet thick and seven feet high in
some locations with pits, rings, cairns
and a gateway.
On the way to the final destination of
Ellijay, stop for the photo opportunity at
Cohutta Overlook where you'll return to
SR 2 for the last leg of the journey. While
in town visit the Tabor House & Civil
War Museum, see a theatre production,
make a stop along the agritourism trail
and walk the historic downtown at this
byway terminus.
Length: 57.4 miles. gascenicbyway.org
http://www.gascenicbyway.org http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023
