Fall in love with the authentic mountain town of Blue Ridge. Blue Ridge is different kind of mountain town, filled with art galleries, antique and specialty shops, restaurants, small town atmosphere and friendly people. Renew your spirit on a day hiking to local waterfalls or horseback riding on forested trails in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Bring the family and discover the thrill of an Ocoee River whitewater rafting adventure, ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway or treetop canopy adventure. Rent a pontoon or a jet ski on beautiful Lake Blue Ridge. Pick strawberries or blueberries at Mercier Orchards, a 65 year old family orchard. Catch a trout on the tailwaters of the Toccoa River or a clear mountain stream; Blue Ridge is the Trout Fishing Capital of Georgia.
For our the outdoorsman recommendations, check out our Outdoor Activities page
Although relaxing and reading a good book or watching a great movie is the best thing to do at Above the Clouds, if your desire is for the more active things, here are some suggestions.
There are a number of things to do in Blue Ridge. Without a doubt, the best website for the area is the Chamber of Commerce website as it has calendars of events that are going on no matter what time of year you visit.
The below activities and area attractions are listed alphabetically:
Breweries – There are three craft breweries in downtown Blue Ridge! Fannin Brewing Company has a tasting room and Beer Garden that’s open on Friday and Saturdays (see site for hours) and live music. Grumpy Old Men Brewery does monthly tastings with live music as well. The Blue Ridge Brewery is a full bar and restaurant open most days of the week, check out the website for more information. Fannin Brewing Company and Grumpy Old Men brews are survey at several of the local restaurants.
Downtown Blue Ridge – Blue Ridge is a quaint little town that is definitely gaining an “upscale” reputation and has often been compared to what Highlands, NC was many years ago. The downtown area is very charming with numerous antique stores, specialty stores, restaurants, fudge shops and more. Many of the older buildings are undergoing restoration to their original state from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. For the government sponsored web site for Blue Ridge, with links to other web sites as well you may want to visit Georgia.gov.
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway – Traveling along the Toccoa River insures beautiful scenery during the nine months of operation. Operates April to December, mostly on a three day weekend schedule (except for June, July, and October where it operates every day). View the calendar by visiting their Blue Ridge Scenic Railway site or call 800-934-189
Casino – Try your luck at the tables of video games at Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino!
Drive-In Movie Theater – Visitors to the Swan Drive-In 1950s theater can munch on decadent fare from the concession stand including deep fried Oreos and funnel cake while enjoying first-run flicks. TripAdvisor recently announced the 10 top drive-in movie theaters in the U.S and the Swan Drive-In ranked #2 drive-in movie theater in the country!
Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds – Located less than an hour away, the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds is home to the Hamilton Rhododendron Gardens. Open year-round, this boasts one of the largest collections of hybrid rhododendrons in the state of Georgia. With more than 3,000 plants in bloom from early April to late May, visitors are invited to tour the gardens along their pine bark trail on the shores of Lake Chatuge. Admission is free of charge, but a $3 donation is requested. The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds also has a Pioneer Village with authentic and antique structures from the area that have been moved here to preserve them. During special events, visitors can tour a one-room schoolhouse, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a repair shop and an “old mountain home.”
Mercier Orchards – A family owned and operated Apple Orchard nestled in the North Georgia Mountains of Blue Ridge, GA doing business for more than “60 years”. Mercier Orchards offers the best selection of Mercier Quality apples and products. Everything from our famous “Fried Apple Pies” to our “Fresh Apple Cider”, “U-Pick Apples” and, of course, the best North Georgia Apples you can get! Call 706-632-3411.
Murphy, NC Flea Markets – Actually, there are two flea markets right across the street from each other (Fosters Flea Market and Decker’s Flea Market). Lewis Foster and Jerry Decker are cousins. Which one has the best bargains? Shop there and let us know! Click here for more info.
Music – Pickin’ In The Park® – Enjoy live acoustic music including traditional Appalachian, Bluegrass, Blues and Jazz music every Thursday from 6:00pm – Dusk during the months of May through September alongside the Toccoa River at Ron Henry-Horseshoe Bend River Park in McCaysville, Georgia. Pickin’ In The Park® is a series of weekly jam sessions that nurture local acoustic music. Bring your instruments and participate in these weekly jam sessions along the river… or come listen, grill-out and dance! There is also the BBQ and Blues Festival in September. For more information, check out the Fannin County Events Calendar.
Restaurants – Comprehensive list of restaurants – There are many restaurants downtown, but some of our favorites are The Blue Ridge Brewery, Harvest on Main and Black Sheep. For Italian, Cucina Rustica in Morganton (about 20 minutes away for the cabin, 10 minutes past Blue Ridge) is also quite good. For good BBQ, try Joe’s BBQ or the Pink Pig.
Theater – The Blue Ridge Community Theater brings live theater to Blue Ridge! Check out what’s playing during your stay, 706-632-9223. There is also a regular cinema in town, the Blue Ridge Twin Cinema, 706-632-7202 and there is also an old fashioned Drive-In, the Swan Drive-In, 706-632-5235
Wineries in North Georgia – Georgia produced a lot of wines back in the 1800’s, but prohibition changed that until a resurgence in the 1980’s. Today there are 10 wineries that are part of the Wine Growers Association of Georgia, all located in Northeast Georgia
