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Appalachian Trail Towns

Dawsonville and Dahlonega

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Walking all 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail is a dream for some. But for many, the time commitment puts thru-hiking out of reach. We love the AT at Smoky Mountain Living and all the wonderful towns that dot its path.

To make the trail more accessible, we’ve broken a few classic parts down into small trips in an occasional series called Appalachian Trail Weekends. In this edition we explore Dawsonville and Dahlonega, Georgia, two towns loaded with history that are near the AT’s southern terminus at Springer Mountain.

Visit smliv.com to read about Hot Springs, North Carolina, and Damascus, Virginia, two other AT towns featured in a previous edition of Smoky Mountain Living. 

Dawsonville and Dahlonega, Georgia

Winding up the spine of the Appalachian Mountains for 2,190 miles from the peaks of northeast Georgia, the Appalachian Trail rolls north to end atop Mount Katahdin, Maine. The neighboring towns of Dahlonega and Dawsonville are the closest to Springer Mountain, the terminus—or the beginning, depending of which way you’re heading—of the trail.

Both towns profited from the area’s early gold rush, which began when the precious metal was discovered here in 1829. By 1832, prospectors had overrun the area seeking to make their fortunes. During the region’s gold heyday, more than 250 mines pocked the hills of north Georgia.

The largest vein of gold-bearing quartz runs under Dahlonega, and you can see this 22-foot-thick vein up close during the 40-minute guided tour at the now defunct Consolidated Gold Mine. Some 200 feet underground in the dark, damp shaft, you’ll glean nuggets about the myriad hazards miners faced. 

Dahlonega also claims the only working gold mine left in Georgia. At Crisson’s open-pit mine, established 1847, a 130-year-old stamp mill pulverizes quartz rocks to expose tiny particles of gold.

For a good meal, Dahlonega boasts 18 locally owned restaurants on, and around, its charming central square, which is framed by shops, restaurants, and galleries housed in handsome 19th-century buildings. In the center of the square sits the 1836 brick courthouse, now home to the Dahlonega Gold Museum.

Today grape vines are taking hold in the hills around Dahlonega, and hikers who want a respite from roughing it can experience a trail of a different sort. A drive along the Dahlonega Wine Trail entices with wine tastings along the way.

About 15 miles north of Dahlonega, Dawsonville, established in 1857, grew its economy on agriculture for its first hundred years. Dawsonville County became infamous during Prohibition after farmers realized they could get more money for their field corn if they distilled it into corn whiskey, aka moonshine. 

Bootleggers hid stills in the woods and many souped up their cars so they could outrun the government “revenuers” along Highway 9—known as “Thunder Road” in those days. Eventually, the bootleggers challenged each other to races for entertainment. These backcountry competitions were the predecessors to modern stock car racing. 

Dawsonville prizes its racing history, as well as its legacy in moonshine. The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame displays cars belonging to the state’s racing greats, including hometown hero Bill Elliott, aka “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville,” who won 44 races on the NASCAR circuit.

Adjoining the Hall of Fame, Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery produces legal corn whiskey. The same building holds the City Hall offices. 

Distiller Jeff Chastain, who comes from four generations of moonshiners, gives tours and explains how he makes corn whiskey from heirloom, non-GMO corn and local family recipes. 

Amicalola State Park stands out as the area’s natural gem, with its eponymous waterfall whose name derives from the Cherokee word for “tumbling waters.” To AT hikers, the 829-acre park is significant as the starting point of the 8.5-mile approach to the Appalachian Trail.

As towns that provide easy access to the AT, Dawsonville and Dahlonega make perfect places to spend a few days, either before or after a section hike. From wineries and moonshine distilleries to galleries and gold mines, this area has as much to offer off the trail as on it.

Where to stay

Where to eat

What to do

Hiking the AT in Georgia

Section hikers along the Appalachian Trail in Georgia can cover all or part of the 79 mountainous miles through the rugged wilderness of the Chattahoochee National Forest from Springer Mountain to Bly Gap on the border of North Carolina. Elevations along this route range from 2,500 to 4,400 feet.

The 8.5-mile approach trail to the AT begins behind the Visitor Center at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville and leads up to the crest of Springer Mountain where the AT begins. From Dahlonega, Woody Gap is the closest AT access, 14 miles from downtown.

“The majority of people on the AT are section or day hikers,” says Eric Graves, executive director of the Len Foote Hike Inn, which lies within the park. “Last year, some 6,000 people took off from Amicalola Falls State Park heading north on the AT.”

Although the AT Kickoff is held at the park the first weekend of March—with demonstrations, local outfitters, and guest speakers—those who start their trek at this time of year should be wary of cold temperatures and possible snow. March and April is also one of the most crowded periods on the southern end of the AT. 

Before tackling the trail, hikers can stock up on supplies at Outdoor World Outfitters, 471 Quill Dr., off Highway 400 in Dawsonville, or The Woodland’s Edge Outfitters, 36 N. Park St., a block off the square in Dahlonega.

For more information about section hiking in Georgia, check the websites for the AT Conservancy, (appalachiantrail.org); and the Georgia AT Club (georgia-atclub.org). 

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