Location: Hiawassee
Top Things to do in Hiawassee
What to do and see in Hiawassee, United States: The Best Places and Tips
Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States. The community's population was 880 at the 2010 census. Its name is derived from the Cherokee—or perhaps Creek—word Ayuhwasi, which means meadow, (A variant spelling, "Hiwassee," is used for the local river and some other Appalachian place names.)
Restaurants in Hiawassee
1. Crane Creek Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 199 reviews
Reviewed By RxRusty - North Augusta, South Carolina
We have been to Crane Creek on several occasions. We have never been disappointed. The view from outside the wine tasting area is picture postcard perfect. I'm always amazed at the beautiful scenery. Darby and David in the tasting room are two of best in the business. Every time we are in North Georgia we stop by and always leave with smiles on our faces. Do not miss the opportunity to visit Crane Creek. You will love it!
2. High Shoals Falls Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 93 reviews
Reviewed By emailstephen - Stone Mountain, Georgia
This trail is listed quite accurately listed as medium difficulty. But first you have to get there. If driving from Helen, heading north, cross the mountain and as you end that wonderful, winding adventure and the road starts to level off, you can EASILY miss the turn for the gravel road, Indian Grave Gap Rd. You also must be willing to drive across the creek if you are to make it up to the parking section. Don't be fooled by those saying you need a 4x4 to do it, either. I have a DODGE CALIBER and I made it without incident. The ride up the mountain from there is plenty bumpy, but relatively maintained for what it is.
Once you arrive at the parking area, but there are only about 1/2 dozen spaces. Everyone else parks on the gravel road... be aware that finding a place to turn around can be tricky. The larger the car, the more difficult it will be. And it's more-or-less a one lane road by the time you get there.
The trail itself is quite nice, with occasional roots to maneuver and there was one large tree down about half way. Once you get down nearer the creek, there is an abundance of rhododendrons (in bloom mid summer... I was there july 9th and they were plentiful). Get about half way down the trail and you will start to hear the sound of falling water.
But don't be fooled. That is just the (beautiful) creek. You still have a ways to go for the falls. Cross the bridge and keep hiking. There are TWO falls so be sure to make your way to Blue Hole falls as well! There are no markings, so you'll either have to just follow path choices when you actually hear the falls. I recommend going the length to HS Falls first, then coming back to Blue Hole for a possible dip in the water before your hike back.
I am a bit crippled and walk with a cane in one hand, dog leash in the other. Departing the falls and getting set on the trail again was the most difficult, with the rest being your average hike-up-a-mountain, meandering back-and-forth across the rise.
This is truly a Georgia Gem! My only complaint, if there is one, is that kids were sunbathing in the middle of the falls and I couldn't get a picture without them. It seems that might be a local's form of entertainment so I'll let it slide... and just use photoshop to remove them. :)
Hiker? In Atlanta? At only about 2.5 miles roundtrip and a 2 hour drive from a major city, this is a definite day-trip must do.
3. Young Harris Water Sports
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 24 reviews
Young Harris Water Sports provides pontoon, ski boat, and jet ski rentals at various onsite locations as well as delivery service. We partner with the Ridges Resort on Lake Chatuge, The Rtiz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation & Boathouse Marina on Lake Oconee. One of our more popular services is our delivery service. If you are renting a lake house in North Georgia, Western North Carolina, Western South Carolina, or Tennessee we will bring the boat/jet ski to you. We allow our watercraft to be docked at your rental house and kept for several days or the entire week. We are here to serve you. Give us a call and see what we can do for you.
Reviewed By Kit D - Memphis, Tennessee
We recently enjoyed a weekend at the Ritz Carlton Reynolds Plantation with our children and grandchildren, both teens and young children. We rented the pontoon boat with the water slide and found several quiet coves that we put into to frolic in the water. With several adults in the water as catchers even the youngest got to join in the fun as Grandpa captained the boat.
The next day we rented a ski boat and captain Patrick to take us and the teenagers out to go tubing. With a busy holiday weekend with lots of traffic on choppy water, we felt that the money we spent to hire YHWS staff member Patrick to take us out was the best money we'd ever spent! He knew just where to go on the lake, was ever mindful of our safety, and gave our teens a terrific experience riding the wakes!
The boats and all equipment were new and in excellent shape, the staff were very personable and made sure that we had a great experience!
4. Chatuge Dam and Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 51 reviews
Reviewed By charlottesH6765XJ
We love walking path and space to play fetch with our dogs. We also have enjoyed a picnic lunch at one of the lake view tables. If you have a boat, its a good place to launch.
5. Bell Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 76 reviews
Reviewed By MaryLynnMcKenzie - Hiawassee, Georgia
The drive up is a little shaky when it's crowded. Parasailing off of here is a blast! I hit a rock but then took off, so worth it!
6. Hightower Creek Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 44 reviews
Hightower Creek Vineyards welcomes you to our family-owned farm winery. We've been crafting award-winning North Georgia wines since 2011 and are sure to have a wine to please your palate. Come relax with a glass of wine on our covered deck overlooking vineyards and ponds with a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge mountains - a perfect setting for receptions, bridal showers, and private events. Join us for live music from March through October every Saturday from 2:00 - 5:00pm with a special evening concert the first Saturday of each month from 6:00 - 9:00. Be sure to check out our website for a full schedule of events. Come visit Hightower Creek Vineyards....a sense of home!
Reviewed By Marty_L_11_11 - Hernando, Florida
Charming wine tasting followed by crackers, blue cheese, meats, and wine! They do the tasting right with five wines, water pitcher to rinse glass, and oyster cracker to clear the pallet. We tried several and bought a few souvenirs to take home. The property has several vineyards and lovely rolling property. Very clean and neat. Recommend you go and take home a souvenir!
7. Fred Hamilton Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 67 reviews
Quietly tucked away in the North Georgia mountains, sits a rare and special treasure. A botanical paradise fairly bursting with dogwoods, tulip magnolias, native azaleas, wild flowers, trillium, and of course, rhododendron. There are over 400 varieties of rhododendron - 3,000 plants in all. Welcome to the Hamilton Gardens, a truly enchanted spot, boasting the largest collection of rhododendron in the state of Georgia. Stroll tranquil pine bark trails as they wind through lush foliage. Drink in the stunning views of Lake Chatuge and breathtaking countryside, including the majestic rise of Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest peak.
Reviewed By jeannejak - St. Petersburg, Florida
These garden jave been lovingly restored to their former glory. They have a stunning assortment of azaleas and rhodadendrums in April and May. Situated on the slopes overlooking Lake Chatuge, they are a peaceful and lovely stroll anytime. There is no charge but a donation is appreciated as the gardens are privately funded by local volunteers.
8. The Ridges Resort and Marina
Overall Ratings
3 based on 9 reviews
About Full service marina with vessel rentals and year round slips with security.Wake Park on site as well as a Full Service Marina and Gas Dock
Reviewed By soyouwillknow - Greenville, South Carolina
We went for 3 nights with a group of 60. The grounds were very nice and large. The inside of the lobby was very nice with large leather furniture, free coffee, hot chocolate and cookies in the afternoon . This was a great area to meet up in the evenings by a fire. Just out side was a nice firepit where we toasted somores. The rooms were nice but really needed updating. We were told this was happening within the next 6 months because they were under new management. The mattresses were not good and the sheets didn't fit. The chair in our room was dirty. The food we were served needed revamping also. We were given just enough to keep a bird alive! Hope this changes with the new owners. The staff was lacking help. The desk clerk was the bartender also. One day our room was cleaned but no towels. The coffee machine needed about 4 inches to reach the electrical outlet.! There was no USB plugs in the room. I hope this all changes by next February when we plan this outing again because the resort has great potential.
9. Aqua Tiki
Overall Ratings
5 based on 6 reviews
North Georgia's only floating Tiki Bar, fully equipped with a licensed Captain, bartender, draft beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, a grill for your use, Island music, a giant lily pad, and MORE!
Reviewed By Marcy O - Washington DC, District of Columbia
My coworkers and I needed a much needed relaxing evening on the lake Aqua Tiki was the perfect solution. The owners are very friendly and made our evening very enjoyable. We brought our dinner in take away boxes and they supplied the beer and wine. It did rain a bit but so we hung out mostly under the tiki roof at the bar, which was completely fine. This is an excellent way to spend a morning, afternoon and evening with a small coupe of friends or family.
10. Bacchus Wine Shoppe & Bacchus Beer and Growlers
Overall Ratings
5 based on 7 reviews
Bacchus Wine Shoppe & Bacchus Beer and Growlers -- your ONE-STOP choice for fine wines, craft beer and growlers and hand-rolled cigars in the north Georgia mountains. We have a wide selection of domestic and international sparkling and still wines, including many from local GA/ NC vineyards. We are your north Georgia Craft Beer Center -- in addition to a variety of hard-to-find craft beers in bottles and cans, we have 15 TAPS for growlers ... with tasting 4-Flights and 8-Flights available at Bacchus Beer and Growlers. And CIGAR FANS ... we have the area's largest selection of quality hand-rolled cigars, plus accessories like cutters, lighters and desktop humidors. Need a gift basket or gift certificate? Just call us...and we specialize in special orders for ANY occasion! BEER FANS REJOICE! Bacchus Beer and Growlers is NOW OPEN! With 15 ever-changing craft beer taps, we fill growlers from the area's largest tapset. We also stock a wide variety of domestic microbrew and hard-to-find imported beers in cans and bottles.
Reviewed By TLinATL - Atlanta, GA.
This is an awesome wine shop! The owners Linda and Ed are super helpful and very service oriented. All the staff really know their wine and can suggest pairings or point out the best values for any budget and taste. Basically tell them what you...MoreHey TL --- Thank you for your kind review! Great seeing you again ... we are always glad to be of assistance, and want to wish both you and Lynn a very Happy New Year!
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