Surrounded by Fall Colors Map

1. Apple Orchards - Mercier Orchards in Blue RIdge & Mountain View Orchards McCaysville - Apple U-Picks begin in late August and go all the way through September into October! Mercier Orchards, just outside Blue Ridge is Southern Living Magazine’s favorite roadside apple market and more – best fried pies and apple cider anywhere. Great indoor market holds all kinds of goods, from gourmet treats and specialties to birdhouses, to maps and books, to art, to all kinds of delectible take home foods. And apples and fruits galore including their famous Fall Apple U-Picks. (706) 632-3411 or www.mercier-orchards.com. And an equally delectable destination is Mountain View Orchard outside McCaysville at 2984 Mobile Road. (706) 492-7753 Fall U-Picks, Wagon rides, the fabulous Cider House Cafe for a Sunday brunch and scenery galore. It's the taste of Fall in the mountains with a distinctive home grown feel!

2. Leaf Looking on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway - Great family fun and one of the most hassle free ways to enjoy the outside air and see some spectacular Fall scenery. Make reservations now for the “Pumpkin Pickin’ Specials” on Sunday, October 23rd to Farmer Brown’s field where you can pick out your very own pumpkin! Board in Downtown Blue Ridge. All aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway! Three and a half hour ride along the Toccoa River from Blue Ridge to McCaysville. Call 877-413-TRAIN (8724) or
706-632-TRAIN (8724) or visit www.brscenic.com. And here's a tip for all you railroad enthusiasts... The Ride the Rails Festival is one of the coolest railroad events in the Southeast and it's happening September 17-18, 2011. For more information call 706-455-8903 or info on the web click here, or got to http://www.tsmri.org/

3. Scenic Leaf Looking Drive, Blue Ridge to Dahlonega - This day trip, originally produced by the U.S. Forest Service, is beautiful any time of year, but is especially beautiful in the fall. The drive begins and ends at the intersection of Georgia Highway 5 and 515 in Blue Ridge. Round trip mileage is 102.4 miles and approximate driving time without stops is three to four hours. The drive offers some great opportunities for stops and side trips and can easily become a day trip. Much of the drive is through the National Forest. The Chattahoochee National Forest covers 749,550 acres in North Georgia, managed by five ranger districts. The Toccoa Ranger District consists of 147,017 acres of forested public lands in parts of five counties (Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Lumpkin and Dawson) in north Georgia. click here for driving map

4. Unique Local Shopping Self-Guided Tour - Georgia's Blue Ridge area is just filled with exciting shopping spots to explore and discover. You can find things here that you can't find anywhere else, and our free shopping Self-Guided Tours make it fun and easy to find the best spots and hidden treasures. Available free for download: click here

5. Ocoee Whitewater Trails & Hwy 64 drive - Site of the 1996 Summer Olympic whitewater events, the Center offers relaxation, rafting, hiking & biking. From Blue Ridge take Hwy 5 north to McCaysville, turn left on Hwy 68 and follow signs to Hwy 64 (a spectacular mountain highway) through Ducktown, Tenn. The center includes the Olympic race course, native gardens, paved walkways, hiking and biking trails, pools of water for wading or feeding fish and more. It's a great place to take a picnic. To make rafting reservations from Ocoee River outfitters, see our web site at www.blueridgemountains.com. For more information from The Ocoee Whitewater Center call: (423) 496-0100 or (877) 692-6050 toll free or on the web at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ocoee/ and you can download the printable guide and directions (click here).

6. Walking Tour of Historic Blue Ridge - Self-Guided Tour - Get out and walk back through time in downtown Blue RIdge. Our free, history oriented Self-Guided Tours make it fun and easy. Available for download just click here. Need advice from a local? Call the Fannin County Visitors Center or stop by in person for advice on hundreds of fun Fall things to do. Fannin County Chamber & Welcome Center, 152 Orvin Lance Drive, Blue Ridge, GA. 30513 or call us at 1-800-899-MTNS.

7. Swan Drive-In on a chilly evening - Entertaining patrons since 1955, The Swan Drive-in is one of the last remaining drive-in theaters in Georgia. Located at 651 Summit Street, Blue Ridge, it's a great way to spend an evening under the stars seeing one of the latest films. The Swan is equipped with FM Stereo Sound, and typically has double features on Fridays and Saturdays. Adults $6.00 Kids 4-11 $3.00 Kids 3 & under free. Check their website for details www.swan-drive-in.com or call (706) 632-5235.

8. Long Creek Falls Hike on the Appalachian Trail - Long Creek Falls is accessed via the Appalachian-Benton MacKaye Trails beginning at Three Forks, and follows Long Creek 1.0 miles upstream to a short blue blazed side trail that leads to the falls. The hike is an easy 2.2 miles round trip. From Blue Ridge, follow Aska Road to the end (13.5 miles). Turn right onto Newport Road, go 4.5 miles to end. Turn left onto Doublehead Gap Road, cross a concrete bridge and come to a dirt gravel road. Continue on this road .3 miles to the intersection with dirt-gravel FS Road 58, intersecting sharply from the right. Continue east into the forest and uphill 5.3 miles to Three Forks. Noontootla Creek is on the right as you ascend. The trail begins on the north side of the road (on your left) and starts as a gradual hike alongside Long Creek. There are three short ascents before reaching the blue blazed side trail to the falls at 1.1 miles. Our Hiking Self-Guided Tour provides a map and information: click here. And our Waterfalls Self-Guided Tour is a great resource for other area cascades: click here. Loads of info and maps on the USFS web site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/welcome.htm

9. Spectacular Sunset at Brasstown Bald - Georgia’s highest mountain offers a Visitor Information Center and panoramic view of four states. Also featured are exhibits, video presentations, hiking and picnicking. From Blue Ridge, go east on Highway 515 to Blairsville. In Blairsville, take U.S. 19/129 south for 8 miles. Turn left onto Georgia 180. Go 9 miles to Georgia 180 Spur and turn left. Go 3 more miles up to the Brasstown Bald parking lot. For information, call 706-896-2556.

10. Fall Wagon Ride and Campfire at Mountain View Orchards by Blanche Manor Stables - for a great Fall adventure that has all the bases covered, call Blanche Manor outside of McCaysville. They can arrange a wagon ride through the orchards then a warm bonfire, music and a great dinner from Cider House Cafe. Great for families with members who cannot ride horses, or large groups who want to enjoy a campfire dinner with entertainment. They need a minimum of 8 people to have a hay ride, but can always try to combine smaller families together to reach the required minimum number.(706) 455-7433 on the web at www.blanchemanor.com.

Please do not exceed your level of experience and fitness when undertaking any activity, especially in wilderness areas.

Mountain backroads are not suited for low clearance vehicles, are rough and often not maintained.

A Word to the Wise … Low clearance cars are a bad idea on gravel Forest Service and rural roads because these roads can be sparsely maintained and wash out frequently. The law of the forest is "leave no trace." Please pack in all you will need and pack out all your trash. If you build a fire, never leave it unattended. Use good judgment when hiking, particularly around waterfalls where rocks are often wet, moss covered and slippery. If hiking during hunting season, wear a brightly colored vest. Unexpected encounters with animals can be pleasurable or problematic. A hawk or owl soaring silently above is a pleasure. Watch for woodpeckers, turkeys and mountain grouse near the forest edges. The flash of a white-tail deer is an every day occurrence. More rare is sighting a black bear or bobcat. Most animals will flee the presence of humans, but be on the lookout for copperheads, wasps, yellow jackets and other biting, stinging critters. For more info on proper behavior in the wild, please go to www.LNT.org (Leave No Trace). And as a suggestion, if you are going out for a scenic drive, try to do it in a high mileage/per person vehicle. Visit the Fannin County Chamber & Welcome Center, 152 Orvin Lance Drive, Blue Ridge, GA. 30513. Call us at 1-800-899-mtns or collect loads of information about our area on the web at www.blueridgemountains.com