Relatively easy hiking trail to a waterfall in the Cherry Log/Blue Ridge area. Kids as young as 3…read morecan walk the trail. It's a pretty short trail to the waterfall approximately 1/2 mile. The cell service is poor getting to the trail so map it out before hand. Along the trail you will see a Glamping camp, which is very cute. Definitely would recommend as a family outing.

I was finally able to get some lite hiking in. Fall Branch Falls was the perfect trail to get back…read moreinto it. All the Yelp Reviews are pretty spot on and all agree. A nice moderate trail deep in the woods, which I liked because the shade kept everything a little cooler. The trail is very easy to follow and not overly long. Caution needs to be taken as there are many tree roots extending above the ground and could easily cause a trip. Careful is key. A rise in elevation of approximately 300 feet over half a mile makes it a decent cardio walk. With many different trees, plants and flowers along the way. All culminating with a beautiful waterfall. Note: depending on the season and amount of rain will determine the amount of water coming over the falls. Two minor items that need to be corrected. 1. Yelp has the wrong address (or pin drop) I'm not sure which. Not even close. 6 more miles down a gravel road to be exact. I'll try and fix that. 2. Not one sign or directional indicating you're are heading in the right direction. But other than that a very enjoyable experience.

I occasionally afford myself the luxury of visiting places without really knowing what to expect…read more This park just wasn't that clear to me in its purpose, but it became more so after arrival, with a visitor center focused on Native American history and identifying this as a Cherokee Nation headquarters. A spread of recreated buildings outside offers opportunities for perusal. The most aesthetically distinctive site is a large spring of the sort that seem more common in Kentucky than Tennessee, which evinces a robust blue color and empties into a clear stream. The spring itself is off-limits, but the stream is open for wading. All of these sites are within sight of the initial entrance, but a trek uphill reveals picnic areas, an amphitheater, and a couple of mile trail through the woods. Between the different elements of the park, it was easy to spend a couple of hours there, and best of all, it's free, though the gift shop warrants examination.

Extremely nice! Not a bad price either You can bring your own food which is nice. A great way to…read morehave a family day

At Nicole's urging, we spent a hour on our inflatable kayak paddling and swimming from the rocky…read morebeach here in the balmy Blue Ridge Lake waters. It was truly exhilarating and also my wasp sting, sustained earlier in the morning, felt soothed in the water. Our little one was having a ball, as I raced her to closest buoy. Parking can be paid online $5/pp, or in an envelope deposited at the gate. The beach is more rock than sand so bring water shoes.

Out of towner visiting Georgia - this place was AMAZING! Katie and Annette were so friendly and…read morehelpful with telling us about the area. Had an awesome time paddle boarding and want to come back again!

Great place shaded areas outside and very nice front porch with seating inside. Loaded with snacks…read moreand drinks

We brought our dogs here while visiting Blue Ridge for the day. The manager was super friendly, and…read morethe store is full of awesome merch with a good beer and wine selection. Make sure to bring your pups here to tire them out while you're in Blue Ridge.

Definitely worth checking out! It's a great view, and it's super convenient that you can drive to…read moreit. We had a rental minivan that made it alright (although we stopped in the parking lot right before the really big danger sign and hiked the last little bit). If you had an SUV you could be completely confident driving all the way. The roadway seemed to be well maintained and the signage was clear!

Bell Mountain has some incredible views, but unfortunately this has to be one of the most…read moredisturbing examples of society today. The amount of graffiti and trash is absolutely disgusting and shows a complete lack of respect for the land, the scenery, and the people around you. Nearly every inch of rock is covered in graffiti, including the platforms that taxpayers paid to build so visitors could enjoy the view. The entire place feels reminiscent of movies that depict the breakdown of society and the end of the world--where chaos takes over and respect, responsibility, and common decency no longer exist. This is not artistic expression; it's vandalism and selfishness. Instead of appreciating the beauty of nature, visitors are forced to look at layer after layer of damage left behind by people who clearly have no regard for preserving anything for others to enjoy. It's honestly sad to see such a beautiful place ruined this way.

We were in Blue Ridge visiting an exhibit at the Blue Ridge Arts Association and stopped by The…read moreLilly Pad right after. It was our kiddos' first time fishing and they had a great time. It's catch and release we only caught one, but it was still a fun experience and a great memory for the kids. Staff was great, especially Nikki. I love that you pay once and can come back all day!

A little smaller than it appeared online. Our kids enjoyed the gem mining but the medium bucket…read moreonly took 2 kids about 15-20 minutes. A great set up and a good amount of gems but just not much dirt.

This was definitely a different landscape for us and we loved it. We were happy we had a four wheel…read moredrive because the drive here is not paved at has steep hills. When you get here there is no signage at all. You just drive and look for it. There is really no parking except for parking on the side of the creek. There are areas for people to camp but they are not defined. We drove as high as we could and someone else driving down. They told us to follow them to one of the falls, but there was not much of a fall bc of the lack of rain. We had also parked at the spot they pointed to us for a break from the uphill steep drive. We went down more and parked by the creek and went down to see the water. When we got there, we looked up and saw the fall, but it was a bit of a distance for us to drive back to, plus we would have to walk over rocks to get to it. I didn't get to take a pic but it was pretty. We did like this trip, but I think I wished I could have seen more. The day before we went to the Edge of the World in Dahlonega and enjoyed that more.

Place was beautiful, but it kinda sucked that the upper falls are closed due to some construction…read moreto the trails. It really doesn't tell you anywhere either, you just find out when you get there. Place is so amazing though!

Beautiful park to walk, run, hold events or go to their events. They have a fitness trail type…read moresetup. Lots of gorgeous scenery to take photos of. Parking was easy. No charge to visit. Seems like a popular place, which I can understand after visiting. There is a really cool old historical water wheel. Sometimes it's running. Sometimes not. Apparently people hide painted rocks here on occasion as well. No pets allowed though sadly.

Found a few good shots of flowers and mushrooms at Meeks Park that I had previously taken.read more

We had an amazing time!…read more Thank you to Ben and Blaze for making this a memorable adventure.

What a beautiful place! The unofficial start to the Appalachian trail! Super cool. The visitor…read morecenter is large with a cafe, live animals on display, and history of the trail along with a board full of buttons to listen to various animal calls. There are restrooms right next to the visitor center. There are two playgrounds on the other side of the visitor center with loads of picnic tables to sit at! Parks are in full shade. The official archway for the trail is directly behind the visitor center so be sure to catch your picture there! The big stocked pond was nice! Loads of dead fish floating and garbage which wasn't the best but not overwhelmingly horrible just could use some clean up. The trail leading up to the base of the falls is steep but well paved and maintained with a couple of seating areas along the way to catch your breath. We somewhat cheated and skipped the steps after we saw the base we turned around, drove up the street across from the visitor center and stopped midway up the falls to see another view half way up the falls on a bridge (check in the woods when you walk to this bridge there is a truck stuck in the woods and a tree is literally growing around it!) then we got back in the car and drove to the top! We may have skipped the stairs but we felt we truly got to enjoy the experience with the 3 little ones 5 and under haha. The top most viewing platform, not the bridge over top, was closed for construction when we went mid April. The lodge at the stop is strikingly beautiful!

This is a beautiful, incredible state park that is so worth the trek (driving and walking wise)…read more There are a couple different lookout spots you'll want to check out, and at the security hut they give you a map so you know where to go. All of the workers were so friendly and helpful here. The hike at the very top was perfect- about a mile or so, the scenic lookout is about halfway through so you can take a break if you need. There's a good amount of elevation to get your heartbeat going but then it calms down after awhile. At the outlook, it would be easy to sit and enjoy the few for a long time. It's stunning. You can also take a fork in the path to visit the Fort that's here (thus named Fort Mountain). There are some info signs explaining the mysterious origins of the fort and it's pretty interesting.

Fort Mountain State Park is one of few favorites places to visit, especially in the spring or in…read morethe fall. The scenery is simply picturesque. Despite the harsh cold winds of winter, we had the sun which made it bearable and our hike was splendid on the day we visited. Our first stop had to be the visitor center to get a new annual pass & patches. The attendants helped us secure the pass that best matched our needs. The visitor center has restrooms and a gift store. For my girlfriend, it's always difficult to resist the items --- t-shirts, stuffed animals, historical books, camping supplies, snacks --- they sell there. If I am not mistaken, I believe they also sell firewood and ice for those looking to camp. If you need a map of the park, it can be found here as well. We then headed to the lake to hike the trail that circles it. It's an easy trail, so it makes for a nice walk for chatting and stopping to admire the views of the lake and mountainside. The beach at the lake is relatively small, but the facilities there are nice, with boat rentals, playground, picnic tables, and putt-putt golf. Im assuming a lot of these services are seasonal because we saw no one using them. I did like that there was a ramp that led from the parking lot to the beach for visitors that may have mobility issues. We hiked several different trails, and all were well blazed. The trails that led to fire tower and the stone wall had informational signs. Unfortunately the fire tower can only be viewed from the outside. I would love to see the view from the top! But if it's views you are interested in, checkout the overlook trail! The view is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! We also did the Big Rock Nature Trail (trailhead is near the lake dam). The 3/4-mile trail led to a beautiful waterfall. We didn't touch the Gahuti Trail this time, but we plan to do it next time we come back; it's challenging but very beautiful from what I have read about the trail. I would recommend it if you have a day for a hiking adventure. Snacks and water are required. The cabins and cottages all look well maintained from the outside and are located in beautiful areas of the park. We didn't check out the campground, but it's near the lake, but Fort Mountain State Park seems to have something for everyone!