Blue Ridge, Georgia

It would be a stretch to consider commuting to Blue Ridge from Atlanta, but there are plenty of reasons for wanting to get to Blue Ridge at every opportunity. It has been called Georgia's favorite small town, with an emphasis on small. But, that's a large part of its charm. This mountain town has a little more than 1,400 residents, but it has luxury homes, rustic cabins, bed and breakfast lodgings and a few motel rooms. Located on the border with Tennessee, it's only 90 miles from Atlanta, and is a favorite getaway destination for city dwellers.

Walk, ride horseback, hike the mountain trails, drive the back roads, picnic in the woods—there are 106,000 acres of Chattahoochee National Forest here to explore. Experience whitewater rafting, ride the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, jet ski on the lake, play golf on a scenic riverside course, catch your own trout or pick low-hanging fruit from trees at a local orchard. Park your car and walk along Main Street to experience the full Blue Ridge experience.

Developed as an exclusive health resort with celebrated mineral springs, Blue Ridge is now an arts community that celebrates local crafts as well as antiques and graphic arts, the art of living well and the culinary arts, good times in addition to great scenery. It's a place to restore the spirit, reconnect with friends and family, and recharge. You'll probably want to return again and again. It's that kind of place. There are numerous special events every month of the year, but you don't need any special reason to drive up to Blue Ridge—just a little time.

Blue Ridge is a charming North Georgia town steeped in history, much of it remaining a small, rural area. However, in the 1950's tourism surged with the completion of the Georgia Mountain Parkway in 1986, essentially putting Blue Ridge on the map for both everyday life and vacation getaways. Much of the land in Blue Ridge is under Forest Service management. Beginning as the Cherokee and later the Georgia National Forest, today's Chattahoochee National Forest is a gem in Fannin County's crown.