I frequently drive back and forth between the Atlanta area and Waynesville, North Carolina, following the scenic route through Tallulah Gorge.
I cannot pinpoint why I have early memories of this route, or at least the route through North Carolina, but buried deep are impressions of the curving roads that define the Blue Ridge Escarpment as the elevation falls away when traveling from North Carolina into Georgia.
Jimmy Carter knew of these mountains. In the forward to a guide to the Georgia mountains published by The Georgia Conservancy, he perfectly captured the essence of the region.
“These mountains are the antithesis of the political and military power embodied in the statehouses of man’s government. Here in the Georgia mountains we enter an earth-centered consciousness where nature’s laws are in charge. Here, we return to the physical source of our nurturing—nature’s management of our air, water, and soil, without which our civilization could not survive. We return also to a great spiritual resource, amidst God’s handiwork,” Carter wrote.
“Our cabin in the Rich Mountains has been a refuge from the press of civic duties. Here, the rumble of thunder over our mountain hideaway has replaced the 21-gun salute in some foreign port of call, and the water music of a trout stream, the sound of public ovation.”
The place names in the region reflect the ancestral home of the Cherokee: Etchoe Pass, Watauga, Coweeta, Cullowhee, Estatoe. The names reflect the deep attachment the natives had to these mountains.
Not a trip goes by without seeing places or signs that make me want to detour and spend the day exploring.
Located in the Tallulah Ranger District, Warwoman Dell Recreation Area features a dense forested area on Warwoman Creek that offers easy hiking, wildflowers, and structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
The area offers access to beautiful, accessible waterfalls, including Warwoman Dell Falls, Becky Branch Falls and Martin Creek Falls.
The drive through Rabun Gap is always a highlight because of the acres of farmland you can see in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountain pass.
From May through October it’s always a joy to stop at the Osage Farm Produce Market, which offers seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables grown by Ricky and Clint James, 5th and 6th generation farmers in the gap.
I also smile when driving through Otto, North Carolina, though I can’t really say why. Maybe I just think the name is cute. Otto, a laid back place.
I have explored The Mountain Waters Scenic Byway, a narrow, winding 61.3-mile drive in North Carolina that offers spectacular views through the Nantahala National Forest’s two river gorges, hardwood forests and countryside. Along the route you will see Cullasaja Gorge, Bridal Veil Falls, Dry Falls, Cliffside Lake, Van Hook Glade, Wayah Creek, Rufus Morgan Trail, Wayah Bald, Nantahala Lake and the Nantahala River.
A bit west you can find Amicalola Falls, which was established as a Georgia state park in 1940.
Just a short drive from Mountain City, Georgia, on Highway 28 is Black Rock Mountain State Park, the highest in Georgia.
The state tourism office says the park encompasses some of the most outstanding scenery in Georgia’s Blue Ridge mountains. Roadside overlooks provide spectacular 80-mile vistas, and four hiking trails lead visitors past wildflowers, streams, small waterfalls and lush forests.
At an altitude of 3,640 feet, Black Rock Mountain is often cooler than other Georgia parks and may close during icy weather.
Just up the road in North Carolina, the town of Franklin is the site of Nikwasi, an ancient Cherokee town first found in colonial records in the early 18th century.
Nikwasi was a spiritual, cultural, and ceremonial center for the local Cherokee people.
Today, a platform mound, estimated to have been built about 1000 CE, is the only obvious feature left of the Cherokee town.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has been working to re-acquire its traditional lands and sacred mounds in this region. In 2019, the town of Franklin transferred the deed for Nikwasi mound to the Nikwasi Initiative, a non-profit set up by the EBCI.
—Jonathan Austin