Another beautiful Georgia State Park, we spent most of the day exploring this park, it's another…read moreexample of what the people of Georgia can be so proud of. The ammenties here are nothing less than outstanding with beautifully maintained hiking trails and meticulous maintained common areas. We spent a week in the area and only sampled a small part of what's offer here but it definitely checks all the boxes for a return trip. The staff here was so gracious and was quick to answer all our questions and provided some helpful tips to make our visit enjoyable and was eager to share the history of the area. The landscape is a drastic change from what we experience in our home state of Florida with the higher elevations and moderate temperatures and humidity which made this visit special and a real treat I can't wait to return...

Roads are well maintained the staff is friendly and helpful and all of the facilities we used were…read moreclean and in good condition. There is a children's park on site. Tons for families to do here and worth the stop to enjoy!

Venue Smithgall Woods State Park ( Smithgall Cottages) 5 out of 5 stars…read more After copious amounts of research and several venue tours, we decided on Smithgall Woods state park, and more specifically the cottages as the venue for our wedding on June 8th. We just have to say we loved the team we worked with at Smithgall, mainly Todd, Patty, and Art. Todd at Guestservices was simply fantastic! As he will be quick to mention "the venue sells itself", however having him as our man on the inside was a pretty huge selling point on its own. He was with us every step of the way to answer our plethora of questions, work with vendors, and generally keep our minds at ease. Honestly, I doubt the wedding weekend would have gone as smoothly and been as much of a success had it not been for Todd's guidance and cooperation. The venue is magical. I know how that sounds, but it's the truth. It's tucked away deep in the beautiful North Georgia mountains, surrounded by a lush forest teaming with wildlife. This majestic property consists of five "cottages", in quotations because they are more like log cabin style mansions. The two largest being; the expansive 4 bedroom 4.5 bathroom cottage called the Smithgall Cottage, and the even larger 5 bedroom 5 bathroom Dover cottage. The Creekside Cottage is 3 bedrooms, and The Laurel and Garden cottages are one bedroom cottages with hot tubs on secluded side porches. All the cottages were clean, modern, and a huge hit with our guests. We were able to house both our families, close friends and wedding party all on the same property. Which saved us a great deal on lodging. Which after factoring in the cost of rooms made this one of the more affordable wedding venues out there. Also you get it for the whole weekend!!! We used the Smithgall Cottage for our wedding location due to the large wrap around porch and decks, and also due to the picturesque, covered foot bridge under which flows a gorgeous champion trout stream. We had some difficulty deciding where on this property to hold our ceremony because it is simply lovely all over. Unfortunately, the record rainfall that weekend made the decision for us. Even though the storms limited our use of the enormous field in front of the Dover cottage, and the gardens next to Smithgall we still were able to comfortably host our 50 or so guests and dozen vendors, at the Smithgall Cottage and our ceremony and reception went along wonderfully. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone wishing to have a once in a lifetime event at a once in a lifetime location.

I came here to see the covered bridge, but discovered they have so much more…read more THE SCENE Smithgall Woods may not be someplace Georgians are familiar with, unless you are an avid hunter or trout fisherman. It was once private property that was gifted to the state by conservationist Charles A. Smithgall Jr. in 1994. A large section still remains private property for the Smithgall family, but what was gifted is a treasure trove of beautiful mountains, streams, meadow fields and wetlands. I began my solo hike around 12:15pm from the Visitors Center. There I was given a map and a few brief highlights of points of interest, like the waterfalls and gold mine. I then set off one what turned out to be a 4.5 hour adventure. Probably not the smartest of ideas since I had surgery just three weeks ago. But I was tired of resting around the house and desperately wanted to get out and do something. Besides, nature brings a calmness to my inner being and allows me to relax my mind in ways I just can't at home. It was a perfect day with perfect temperatures for hiking. In my entire time there, I only ran across one other human. ----- THE HIKE Inside the Visitor's Center is a gift shop and small wildlife museum of the nature plants and animals. I walked down the paved Tsalaki Trail towards the Cathy Ellis Trail (approximately 2.6 mile away). The trail starts off as a fairly steep incline. Along the way I saw a sign saying "caution - bees". I thought that was a curious warning until I noticed the white honey bee houses in the woods nearby. Next came the wetlands with a one mile looping trail and a boardwalk into the marshes. Here you have a strong possibility of seeing a beaver at work on a dam. I decided to save this area for my return hike and I'm glad I did. My energy on the return leg was running very low and I needed the benches here for a nice long rest. I reached the covered bridge about 37 minutes after leaving the visitors center. It was a real beauty made in the simple Town Lattice style. The memorial plaque at the entrance was titled "Bay's Bridge In loving memory of 'Bay' Elizabeth Smithgall Watts", whom died the year the land for the state park was gifted. It crosses the amazing mountain stream known as Duke's Creek. The creek from here will be a large part of your journey. The trail turns to gravel just past the bridge. MARTIN'S MINE was one of the first Gold mines in Georgia. Most of the mining occurred from 1829 to 1935. By the 1840's most of the easy gold was gone and hard mining began. Miners dug tunnels and shafts to remove ore from deep underground. You can still see some of the entrances and shafts. The trail is well marked with numbers, so be sure to pick up the Mining Trail brochure at the Visitor's Center to help you decode the locations. There is a spur trail off the Martin's Mine loop that takes you to a waterfall used for hydraulic mining, which began in the 1850's. It is an uphill hike, but the waterfall is very nice. Back on the main trail I traveled another 1/2 mile to Cathy Ellis Trail. This 1/2 mile trail starts off uphill, but once you reach the shelter it's all downhill from there. The trail ends at the beautiful Chunannee waterfall (which means friendship). Lots of vegetation on this portion of the hike. This land was once the home of Lucy Bryant, a Cherokee Indian widow whom was granted this 640 acre parcel in the Treaty of 1817. But by 1839 the Trail of Tear forced all Cherokee Indians off their land to relocate in Oklahoma. They curiously chose to name the trail after a 19 year old girl who fell over a waterfall in a different county altogether instead of the Indian widow Lucy. I don't get that, but whatever. The waterfall here is beautiful. I sat here about 25 minutes resting and admiring its beauty and feeling sad for the ancient Cherokee Indian nation. I arrived here approx. 2.5 hours after I began my journey from the visitors center. NOTE: Prior to arriving at the Cathy Ellis trail there is another steep incline, similar to the one near the Visitor's Center. ----- FINAL THOUGHTS In total I hiked approximately 7.5 miles today. I would normally have done this in probably 3 hours, but I tried to go at an easier pace since I'm still recovering from surgery. I allowed myself plenty of places to sit and rest, the most enjoyable of them being the waterfall on the Cathy Ellis Trail. Smithgall Woods State Park is indeed a wonderful place for those who love nature and peaceful hiking venues. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND giving them a visit.

We've stayed here many times, the old owners were great, the new owners are too, the spots are well…read morekept gravel that's level, they have a laundry room which is useful when your away a week, the bathrooms are clean & well kept which is great again since we were there a week. This is my fave campground & i look forward to visiting again.

Excellent that little campground nestled off in the foothills of the mountains. Friendly people and…read moreextremely customer service oriented staff. A very nice little place to stay for a short period of time.

MONEY HUNGRY.FEES FEES AND MORE FEES. Don't waste your time and money. Better to go private.You…read morewill have a much better experience. No discount for this disabled veteran!

Rented a trail from them for 3 days of glamping. Very low fee for them to tow and set it up at any…read moreof the nearby camp sites. They were super nice and very convenient and timely. They even disinfected the whole rv. They really made whole experience pleasurable to go camping.

Having never heard of the area prior to arriving here, Hearthstone Cabins and camping in Helen was…read morea joy to discover, a slice of heaven. The property, just over 8 acres is nestled in the mountains and a short drive into the center of town. It can be walked, but not suggested at night as it is a typical mountain road full of curves, inclines and limited lighting. The property is well equipped. About 1/2 the RV sites are full hook up, the other half do not have sewer. I'm in a 25' TT and was easy to back in to my site. Liz is delightful and has great plans to make it even more beautiful. Overall, It is a beautiful work in progress, with visible efforts being made daily. Looking forward to returning and seeing the additional upgrades and magic that is here.

We had a great time at hearthstone campground , Liz is…read moreawesome went with friends who had campers and we stayed in a cabin great place can't wait to go back

Great trail but not an easy one. Definitely make sure you take enough water and snacks because it…read moretakes about 2 hours to the top. Beautiful waterfall nonetheless.

Great hike! About 2.6 miles one way (5.2 round trip). Bumpy, up and down trail. Lots of roots and…read morerocks. You will have to cross the river by either wading or using a fallen log to walk across. It was a gorgeous hike that followed the river/stream for the most part. Definitely recommend! Wear hiking shoes and bring water! Zero cell service the entire hike, so definitely let someone know where you are before you go.

I can't say enough how amazing this campground is. Missy in the office was so engaging and sweet…read moreto us. My man is fighting Stage4 Cancer with Mets. I was trying to let him do a dream of his and Missy pointed me in the right direction. It took us a couple days to make it happen and Missy even let us come back after we left to rent our campsite another night, so he could do this bucket list activity. The campground is clean, beautiful, great bathrooms and showers. Road lights lite up enough at night to feel safe, but not a bother to you when at your campsite. Great nearby towns. Everyone was so nice it was amazing! Highly recommend this wonderful place. And unfortunately after we returned home found out Cancer has spread to his brain, so this trip meant even more. Blessings to the great people at Yonah Campgrounds

Pros: staff was friendly, campground was quiet, playground and pool areas were nice. Very close to…read moreHelen and Babyland Hospital. Cons: Internet worked well when it was up and running, which was only one day of our stay. The roads are in desperate need of maintenance. They are mostly dirt with patches of gravel and a little pavement on the hills. IF YOU HAVE OVER A 35 FT CAMPER, THIS IS NOT THE CAMPGROUND FOR YOU. The turns are sharp. Our 43 ft drug really bad coming out. I wish they had told us this before we booked that their spots are really too small for this large of a camper. There were lots of people sleeping in their cars or in vans. One lady told us that the van they were sleeping in slid down the hill bc their spot wasn't level. This campground has really good potential. Just needs some TLC.

If you plan to tackle the Appalachian Trail, head on over to Hogpen Gap. Between 13 and 14 miles is…read morethe distance for it. Some people have told me 13.4 miles, others say 13.8, I just say 14 and round it off. This is one way. I would suggest you either have a friend who parked at Unicoi Gap and drive with you to Hogpen Gap so you both could hike it. Otherwise, remember you have to walk back to your car afterwards so that's 14 x 2 = 28 miles. Hogpen Gap does has its own parking lot, so does Unicop Gap. Honestly, I would've never thought to tackle this trail without the support of my job. We were walking for a charity event and each miles per person = a dollar donation for Gigi's Playhouse. You can see it all on the news here, our journey. The video is here http://www.fox5atlanta.com/recipebox/270043868-video The article is here http://www.fox5atlanta.com/good-day/269973657-story I just want to say kudos to those who want to tackle the AT!! It is rough in some areas. Overall, the trail is moderate but some parts are strenuous with inclines of boulders. There are areas for camping and water (literally water running down the stream, many take filter water bottles). We actually met a lady who was doing the trail solo and camping. I find it amazing that people do have that passion. Honestly, I can proudly say that I've done this trail. It was tough in the past few miles. I was okay up until 11.5 miles. After that, my legs felt like jello. It took roughly 7.5 hours to finish it. More than halfway on the trail, you can see the birth of the Chattahoochee River, from a small stream that heads towards Atlanta. Whoever thought! Stay on the white trail. If you see a blue trail, it means it's an off trail. The white trail means you're still on the AT. If you see two double white lines, it means you will make a sharp turn. 103/2017

Trail effing Magic!…read more Ron of Ron's Appalachian Trail Shuttle and other Friends of the AT leave fresh clean water at the Gap. It's also a nice paved area to park your car and go for a day hike. If you're section or thru hiking, about a halfish mile or so south is a natural shelter. Several large rock formations that you can seek shelter under or setup a small tent under to get out of the wind or rain. I did and it was absolutely amazing. If you set a campfire the boulders vector the smoke perfectly to make a smoke blanket for warmth if you get your tent set properly with ventilation and all. I was warm all night (late October) with embering logs overnight. Another bonus of this gap; IF you need a break from the roughness of the trail(heading south) the highway will bring you back to it at Testanee Gap. Park, take a hike. Well with it.