ATLANTA - Nineteen sites in Georgia - including nine in our area - are listed in National Geographic's Geotourism Mapguide to Appalachia.
It's a first-of-its-kind tool designed to stimulate economic development by showcasing the wide diversity of the Appalachia region's natural, cultural and historic assets.
Georgia sites on the Mapguide include arts and cultural centers, agricultural attractions, historic sites, scenic geographic areas and unique destinations throughout north Georgia. A complete list is included below.
The Mapguide to Appalachia is included in the April issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine, which is read by more than four million people across the country. ARC is distributing an additional 300,000 copies of the map to traveler mailing lists, regional welcome centers and tourism trade shows, as well as to schools, libraries and civic organizations throughout the region.
Georgia sites included in the National Geographic Map Guide to Appalachia:
§ Appalachian National Scenic Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a 2,174-mile footpath through the Appalachian Mountains whose southern terminus is Springer Mountain in Georgia. The trail, open since 1937, passes through fourteen states and more than sixty federal, state, and local parks and forests on its way to Mt. Katahdin in Maine.
§ The Blue and Gray Trail
This Georgia Heritage Trail is maintained by the state's Historic High Country Travel Association and includes significant sites from Georgia's Civil War history.
§ Cagle's Dairy
This working dairy farm and milk processing plant provides educational farm tours in which children have the opportunity to learn that food is produced on a farm and is not just a product of the local grocery store.
§ Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
The nation's oldest and largest national military park, Chickamauga & Chattanooga features a museum and seven-mile self-guiding auto tour, monuments, historical tablets, and hiking and horse trails.
§ Chieftain's Trail
The trail includes sites throughout northwest Georgia that highlight the history of the Woodland, Moundbuilder Creek and Cherokee Indians who once inhabited the region. The Chief Vann House, Chieftain's Museum, Etowah Indian Mounds, Fort Mountain State Park, Funk Heritage Center and New Echota are all stops along the trail.
§ Dalton Depot Restaurant
Built by the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1847 and in use until 1978, Dalton's historic depot is now an upscale restaurant listed on the National Register. In the lobby, visitors can see the original beginning point for surveying the city of Dalton.
§ Foxfire Museum
The Foxfire Museum focuses on Appalachian life and is rooted in the work that hundreds of high school students in The Foxfire Magazine classes have put into documenting their local history. The museum celebrates their lives and achievements and educates the public about their heritage and culture, as well as Foxfire's own history.
§ The Georgia Guidestones
The Georgia Guidestones, known as the "Stonehenge of America," are mysterious in origin. An anonymous group of sponsors provided the specifications for the 19-foot high monument seven miles north of Elberton on Hwy. 77.
§ Georgia Heritage Center for the Arts
Georgia Heritage Center for the Arts offers workshops for both young people and adults in visual arts, drama and writing at the Clarkesville and Tallulah Falls locations. Visitors can experience artists demonstrating their craft daily at the Tallulah Falls Gallery.
§ Historic Dahlonega
Dahlonega is rich in culture and charm within its beautifully preserved downtown historic district. As the site of the first U. S. gold rush, Dahlonega is home to The Gold Museum, gold mines and gold-panning facilities.
§ McIntosh Reserve
Chief McIntosh reserved this land for himself when he and eight other Creek Indian chiefs signed the Treaty of Indian Springs, exchanging Creek lands in Georgia for western lands. Located in Carroll County, the park features recreational activities and a summer outdoor drama about Chief McIntosh.
§ Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi Center
Located 32 miles from the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Neel's Gap, Mountain Crossings is a "friend along the way" for the Appalachian Trail hiker, offering supplies, support and first-hand knowledge of the trail.
§ Northeast Georgia History Center
Located on the campus of Brenau University, the center features information and exhibits about local history. It includes the Ed Dodd/Mark Trail memorabilia exhibit, a black history exhibit, an exhibit of industrial history and arts and crafts by north Georgians, and a separate railroad museum.
§ Oak Hill and Martha Berry Museum
Oak Hill and the Martha Berry Museum opened in 1972 as a historic house, history museum and reception center for visitors. Its mission is to tell the story of Martha Berry and Berry College through events, exhibitions and educational programming.
§ Prater's Mill
Built in the mid-1800s, Prater's Mill is a water-powered grist mill that is now the centerpiece of the fall Prater's Mill Country Fair, showcasing the cultural history of Southern Appalachia with mountain music, Southern foods, living history exhibits and the handmade crafts and original art from 185 talented artists and artisans.
§ Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway
Cool in the summer, mild in the winter, this 40-mile byway includes Georgia's tallest mountain, Brasstown Bald, waterfalls, access to the Appalachian Trail, and numerous picnic sites, restaurants, and shops.
§ Shields Ethridge Heritage Farm
The Shields-Ethridge Farm is an outdoor museum showcasing the farm's historic buildings. A cotton gin, blacksmith shop, fully-stocked commissary, wheat house, grist mill, and restored schoolhouse lie in their original locations amid 150 acres of historic farmland originally established in 1800.
§ Southern Highroads Trail
The Southern Highroads Trail includes seven counties in north Georgia that offer breathtaking mountain views, friendly people and a diversity of fun-filled activities and attractions for the entire family. Outdoor recreational opportunities include everything from golfing to fishing to white-water kayaking.
§ Tallulah Falls
Home of Tallulah Gorge, an ancient, awe-inspiring 1,000 foot chasm carved over millions of years by the Tallulah River, Tallulah Falls is actually a series of six waterfalls cascading down through the gorge.
Thursday
May 16th, 2024
11:40PM
