Looking for a cool mountain town in GA to visit(somewhat close to Atlanta) (Dahlonega: appointed, house)

[Jvllepirate]

hey guys I'm looking at heading to atlanta in a few weeks from eastern NC and want to check out a braves game, but my wife has been wanting to visit the mountains of NC, preferably asheville NC. Is there any mountain town in GA that has a similar vibe to asheville with the breweries and restaurants but also would be within 2 hours of Atlanta. thanks

[markjames68]

There aren’t any Northern Georgia mountain towns anywhere near the size of Asheville, but Dahlonega might be your best bet. It has a nice town square.

[citidata18]

You might like Chattanooga.

Volkswagen and excellent interstate highway connectivity (I-75, I-59 and I-24) gives it a bit more of a cosmopolitan feel compared to similar Appalachian towns of its size.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by markjames68

There aren’t any Northern Georgia mountain towns anywhere near the size of Asheville, but Dahlonega might be your best bet. It has a nice town square.

Yes to that; I particularly like the presence of wineries in the Dahlonega area.

https://www.google.com/search?q=map+...hrome&ie=UTF-8

Blue Ridge and Highlands (NC, just over the state line) are other good candidates.

If you really want to go over the top, try Helen.

[AnsleyPark]

Consider Blue Ridge. Wonderful downtown with plenty of boutiques, restaurants a wine bar and a brewery. Gorgeous surroundings.

[JAS]

I enjoy Blue Ridge as well.

[Citykid3785]

yes, to other's responses. I was amazed that there weren't larger cities in the N. Georgia mountains given how pretty they are and close to Atlanta.

Places like Clayton, Blue Ridge, & Dahlonega are all cute little small mountain towns that serve as jumping off points to explore waterfalls and the like. But none of them are really going to give you the flavor of Asheville, which has both bigger mountains and more of a hipster scene.

TBH, I actually like the Chattanooga suggestion above.

[atler8]

Be aware that Chattanooga is much larger in metro population than metro Asheville & it has a lovely geographic setting & many interesting tourist spots but Chattanooga's overall vibe is much more blue collar & conservative & not at all known for having anything close to a "hipsterish" overall vibe. Sure, there are enclaves of it found in older Chattanooga but those elements do not dominate the culture in that city by any stretch of the imagination.

As goes it's flavor & makeup, Asheville is extraordinarily unique in the lower Appalachians in terms of it's political & social mores which lean rather strongly to the left. An analysis of historical voting patterns in Ashevile, metro Chattanooga & the north Georgia mountain counties reveal a stark contrast between those areas & that of Asheville which sets Asheville's character apart as an almost singular exception in the lower mountain region.
In terms of what you seem to be looking for in Chattanooga or the north Georgia mountains, you may be disappointed in those areas given that you will not find the Asheville elements widely duplicated much less dominant in those places.

[Jvllepirate]

we have also visited boone and blowing rock in the past. we likely stay 1 night in atlanta and 2 nights in the mountains, and just wanted a place that had some cool restaurants/bars/breweries etc. i figured we could find a hike or a good view of the mountain range just about anywhere we went.

it does sound like dahlonega or blue ridge would be closer to what we experienced in blowing rock/boone which is perfect too

[sware2cod]

Dillard House is a one-of-a-kind restaurant. Google for reviews. Not a brewery type but it's worth a visit if you're looking for a good meal with an outstanding mountain atmosphere.

The Dillard House


About an hour from Dillard House is Whitewater Falls in Cashiers, NC. One of the nicest waterfalls in the area, IMO.It's near the border of GA, SC and NC.