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A local guide · Blue Ridge, Georgia

Things to do near Blue Ridge, Georgia

Start the morning with a warm fried pie from Mercier Orchards, spend the afternoon on the Aska trails or riding the vintage train along the Toccoa River, and have dinner downtown before the short drive back to Mineral Bluff. We put together the places we recommend to our own guests, with approximate drive times from The Little A and the best season to visit each one.

Last checked October 2026

Plan by season

Through the seasons

Winter

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway runs into winter and adds the Holiday Express, downtown lights its tree on Thanksgiving weekend, and the ice rink opens beside the Swan Drive-In for the season. Book a table at Black Sheep or Grace Prime for dinner, then come back to finish the night beside the fire.

Spring

As the forest canopy fills in, spend the day walking to Fall Branch Falls, hiking the Aska trails, or taking a guided fly-fishing trip with Toccoa River Outfitters. Later in the season, the spring berries at Mercier are ready to pick.

Summer

Spend a summer day floating the Toccoa from Toccoa Valley Campground, rafting the Ocoee, or climbing and riding the ziplines at Blue Ridge Adventure Park. Come home to a soak in the hot tub.

Fall

When the leaves turn, start the day with apples and fried pies at Mercier Orchards, ride the scenic railway through the autumn color, or drive to Ellijay for the orchards and the Georgia Apple Festival in October. In the evening, have dinner on the patio at the Tavern at Old Toccoa Farm.

Two sample days

Sample days

A slow Saturday

Start your morning at Mercier Orchards with a fried pie and a walk through the market, then drive to Fall Branch Falls for a short, steep hike to the double waterfall. Head downtown for an afternoon tasting at Doghobble Cellars before dinner at Black Sheep. On the way back to Mineral Bluff, pick up local firewood at the three-way stop and finish the evening between the fire pit, the hot tub, and the porch.

When it rains

Spend a rainy morning browsing the courthouse galleries at the Art Center, then have lunch inside the old bank at The General Ledger. In the afternoon, play a few games at Vertigo Pinball or book an appointment at Serenity in the Mountains, then head home to listen to the rain from the screened porch beside the fire.

Eat

Restaurants and bars

Most of the area's restaurants are in downtown Blue Ridge, about twelve to fifteen minutes from The Little A, while the Tavern at Old Toccoa Farm is closest to us in Mineral Bluff. Popular dinner spots fill up quickly, so reserve a few days ahead.

12–15 min drive from The Little A

Black Sheep

Blue Ridge · Year-round

Our top pick for a date night downtown: seasonal New American cooking in a 1914 house, with a covered patio and a weekend brunch. Seating is limited, so reserve on Resy.

Official site for Black Sheep (opens in a new tab) →
12–15 min drive from The Little A

The General Ledger

Blue Ridge · Year-round

Steps from the railway depot, this restaurant serves Southern-leaning American cooking in a 1920s bank building that still has its original vault.

Map of The General Ledger (opens in a new tab) →
12–15 min drive from The Little A

The Pasta Market

Blue Ridge · Year-round

This pasta shop, wine bar and cafe serves flights and charcuterie boards for a stop before dinner or a meal of their own.

Map of The Pasta Market (opens in a new tab) →

Drink

Breweries and wineries

Visit a tasting room downtown or among the surrounding vineyards, or cross the Tennessee line for Copperhill's breweries.

12–15 min drive from The Little A

Doghobble Cellars

Blue Ridge · Year-round

This downtown tasting room for a wine farm founded in 2020 pours house wines alongside bottles from nearby Georgia vineyards, paired with empanadas and local bites. Ask about a wine basket to take with you.

Official site for Doghobble Cellars (opens in a new tab) →

Make The Little A your base.

Check open dates

Orchards

Orchards and apple houses

Start with Mercier for an orchard visit, or take a slightly longer drive to the farms around Ellijay for more apple picking in fall.

15 min drive from The Little A

Mercier Orchards

Blue Ridge · Year-round (U-pick by season)

Founded in 1943, this family orchard has a farm market, a bakery known for fried pies and cider donuts, and a hard cider and wine tasting room. U-pick follows the crop calendar from spring berries to fall apples.

Official site for Mercier Orchards (opens in a new tab) →
35 min drive from The Little A

Red Apple Barn

Ellijay · Store open August to late December

This pick-your-own farm in Ellijay offers apples and pumpkins alongside a bakery, a farm market, and hayrides. The farm store is open from August until just before Christmas.

Official site for Red Apple Barn (opens in a new tab) →

Outdoors

Outdoors

Hike or bike on national forest land, fly-fish on the Toccoa, or spend an afternoon on treetop courses and ziplines.

15 min drive from The Little A

Project Chimps trails

Morganton · Year-round, dawn to dusk

Public hiking trails on the edge of a sanctuary for chimpanzees retired from research. Take the easy 1.2-mile Nature Walk or one of two 2.5-mile trails, including the Yellow Trail up Paris Mountain, and listen for the chimps, or spot them with binoculars from the overlook. Leashed dogs are welcome, and a $2 donation is requested.

Official site for Project Chimps trails (opens in a new tab) →
20 min drive from The Little A

Aska Trails

Aska Road, Blue Ridge · Year-round

About seventeen miles of hiking and mountain-bike trails wind through national forest land off Aska Road, including the Stanley Gap, Green Mountain, and Flat Creek routes.

Map of Aska Trails (opens in a new tab) →
35 min drive from The Little A

Fall Branch Falls

Aska area · Year-round

A short, steep walk of under a mile round trip leads to a 70-foot double waterfall. The road in is gravel, so go in daylight.

Map of Fall Branch Falls (opens in a new tab) →

Around town

Around town

Ride the scenic train, catch a movie at the drive-in, or play pinball downtown. In winter, add ice skating and downtown holiday celebrations to your plans.

12–15 min drive from The Little A

Vertigo Pinball

Blue Ridge · Year-round

Play new and classic machines at this downtown pinball bar, which serves smash burgers and craft beer alongside a full bar. Join a league if you want to compete.

Official site for Vertigo Pinball (opens in a new tab) →
15 min drive from The Little A

Swan Drive-In

Blue Ridge · Check the season's schedule

Open since 1955, this dog-friendly drive-in theater broadcasts movies through your car radio and has a grill with carhop service. Check the schedule for fall and winter showings.

Official site for Swan Drive-In (opens in a new tab) →
12–15 min drive from The Little A

Light Up Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge · Thanksgiving weekend

Spend Thanksgiving weekend downtown with shopping deals and music on Friday, the Great Tree lighting in City Park on Saturday, and a Gingerbread Village and holiday market at the Arts Center. Admission is free.

Official site for Light Up Blue Ridge (opens in a new tab) →

On the water

On the water

Float or paddle the Toccoa in the warmer months, or spend a day on Lake Blue Ridge, swimming at Morganton Point or out on a rented pontoon from the marina.

History

Museums and history

Explore a courthouse art gallery, the 1906 train depot, the state-line marker and a Bigfoot museum.

20 min drive from The Little A

The Blue Line

McCaysville / Copperhill · Year-round

The painted line marking the Georgia-Tennessee border runs through the middle of McCaysville and Copperhill, so you can stand in two states at once.

Map of The Blue Line (opens in a new tab) →

Groceries

Provisions

Stock up at these markets on your way into town, and pick up local firewood at the three-way stop in Mineral Bluff.

Day trips

Day trips

Each route makes a full day out, with a few good stops along one road. Set off early, and drive the forest roads and mountain highways in daylight.

North into Tennessee · US-64

The Ocoee gorge

Cross into Tennessee through Copperhill and follow US-64 up the Ocoee River. Raft on summer release days, walk the old Olympic whitewater course, and keep going through the gorge to Parksville Lake.

  1. 25–30 min drive from The Little A

    Ocoee whitewater rafting

    Ocoee, TN · Summer

    Raft the Ocoee River in Tennessee during scheduled summer dam releases. Release schedules can change with the weather, so check before you go.

    Official site for Ocoee whitewater rafting (opens in a new tab) →
  2. 40 min drive from The Little A

    Ocoee Whitewater Center

    Ocoee gorge, TN · Year-round, daylight hours

    The Forest Service site on the Upper Ocoee that hosted the canoe slalom at the 1996 Olympics. The visitor center burned and remains closed, but the trails, picnic areas and river access are open in daylight, and the lower lot has a small user fee.

    Official site for Ocoee Whitewater Center (opens in a new tab) →
  3. 40 min drive from The Little A

    Ocoee Scenic Byway (US-64)

    Ocoee gorge, TN · Year-round

    US-64 follows the Ocoee River through a narrow gorge, past the Whitewater Center and on to Parksville Lake, as part of the 26-mile Ocoee Scenic Byway. Allow about an hour and a half to reach the far end. The road is winding, and rafting traffic is heavy on release days.

    Official site for Ocoee Scenic Byway (US-64) (opens in a new tab) →

North-east into North Carolina · US-74

Murphy and the Nantahala

Murphy is just over half an hour up the road, with a walkable downtown and the casino on the edge of town. Give yourself the whole day to continue on to the Nantahala Gorge for rafting or a zipline.

  1. 35 min drive from The Little A

    Downtown Murphy

    Murphy, NC · Year-round

    A small county-seat town with a free self-guided history tour, with audio guides online, the Cherokee County Historical Museum and a river walk a few minutes from downtown.

    Official site for Downtown Murphy (opens in a new tab) →
  2. 45 min drive from The Little A

    Harrah's Cherokee Valley River

    Murphy, NC · Year-round

    A Cherokee-owned casino and hotel on US-74 with slots, table games, a poker room and a sportsbook, plus restaurants and a food court. You must be 21 to gamble.

    Official site for Harrah's Cherokee Valley River (opens in a new tab) →
  3. 1½ hr drive from The Little A

    Nantahala Outdoor Center

    Nantahala Gorge, NC · Spring to early fall

    Guided rafting on the Nantahala River, raft and ducky rentals and a mountaintop zipline tour, all from the outdoor center in the gorge. The season runs spring through early fall, so check before you go.

    Official site for Nantahala Outdoor Center (opens in a new tab) →

East through Blairsville · US-76 and US-19/129

Brasstown Bald, Vogel and Helen

Climb to Georgia's highest point, walk the trails at Vogel State Park, and finish in Helen's Alpine-style downtown, the longest leg of the day.

  1. 55 min drive from The Little A

    Vogel State Park

    South of Blairsville · Year-round

    A state park in the mountains south of Blairsville, with hiking trails including the roughly four-mile Bear Hair Gap loop and a seasonal CCC museum. Its lake is drained for dam repairs, so the lake loop and waterfall trail are closed for now. A parking fee applies.

    Official site for Vogel State Park (opens in a new tab) →
  2. 1 hr drive from The Little A

    Brasstown Bald

    Hiawassee · Year-round

    Visit Georgia's highest point for its visitor center and viewing platform. Take the shuttle to the summit or walk the steep paved trail. A day-use fee applies.

    Official site for Brasstown Bald (opens in a new tab) →
  3. 1½–1¾ hr drive from The Little A

    Helen

    Helen, GA · Year-round; tubing in summer

    An Alpine-style mountain town with German-inspired buildings, river tubing in summer, shops, wineries and a mountain coaster. Anna Ruby Falls, two waterfalls at the end of a short paved trail, is just outside town.

    Official site for Helen (opens in a new tab) →

West through Ellijay · GA-52

Fort Mountain and Chatsworth

See the stone fire tower and miles of trail at Fort Mountain State Park, then head down the mountain to tour the Chief Vann House, Georgia's best-preserved historic Cherokee home.

  1. 1 hr+ drive from The Little A

    Fort Mountain State Park

    Chatsworth · Year-round

    This state park near Chatsworth has a 17-acre lake, a stone fire tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and more than 25 miles of hiking trails. Parking requires a ParkPass.

    Official site for Fort Mountain State Park (opens in a new tab) →
  2. 1¼ hr drive from The Little A

    Chief Vann House

    Chatsworth · Year-round

    North of Chatsworth, you can take a guided tour of Georgia's best-preserved historic Cherokee home, which dates to 1804.

    Official site for Chief Vann House (opens in a new tab) →

Forest roads · daylight only

Into the national forest

Two classic walks at the end of long forest roads: the swinging bridge over the Toccoa and the southern end of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain. An SUV helps, and both are best started early.

  1. 50–60 min drive from The Little A

    Swinging Bridge (Benton MacKaye Trail)

    Fannin County forest · Year-round; daylight only

    Walk about a half-mile round trip to this 270-foot suspension bridge over the Toccoa on the Benton MacKaye Trail. The last three miles in follow a rough forest road, so an SUV helps. Go in daylight.

    Map of Swinging Bridge (Benton MacKaye Trail) (opens in a new tab) →
  2. 1–1¼ hr drive from The Little A

    Springer Mountain

    Fannin County · Year-round

    At the southern end of the Appalachian Trail, walk 0.9 miles from the forest-road parking area to a summit with a bronze plaque and trail register. The drive in follows about 6.5 miles of forest road.

    Official site for Springer Mountain (opens in a new tab) →

Make The Little A your base

The Little A is an A-frame cabin in Mineral Bluff, about twelve minutes from downtown Blue Ridge, with a vaulted screened porch, an outdoor fireplace, a hot tub, and a fire pit. The cabin sleeps four, and you get our best rate when you book with us directly.

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The Little A at golden hour: a dark A-frame with a standing-seam roof, a wood deck out front, orange fall maples on the left and a hazy mountain ridge behind