North Georgia Highroads (page 3 of 4)

Points 6-9

6. Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway
Blairsville, an old-fashioned mountain town, was settled in the shadow of 4,784-foot Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest mountain. The Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway, a 41-mile loop along State Rtes. 180, 17/75, and 348, climbs to just below the peak's crest. You can reach the visitor center on top by trail or, for a fee, by shuttle bus. Descending from the mountain's flanks, the byway continues past forests and wilderness areas along what is often for first-timers a white-knuckle course.

7. Vogel State Park
After completing the scenic loop, the drive heads south on Rte. 19/129, where you'll be greeted by a cascade on the approach to 223-acre Vogel State Park. The area's centerpiece, Lake Trahlyta, is surrounded by a ring of mountains cloaked with dense forests. A Civilian Conservation Corps museum also commemorates that Depression-and New Deal-era work program.

8. DeSoto Falls
As Rte. 19/129 arcs past the rugged Blue Ridge foothills, it threads through Neel's Gap, a narrow pass shared with the Appalachian Trail, whose southern terminus is just a few ridges away. Called Mountain Crossings, it's the only spot on the trail that is covered with a man-made structure. Visitors to DeSoto Falls are treated to a trio of tumblers, which can be viewed along a three-mile stretch of trail. Known as Upper, Middle, and Lower DeSoto Falls, they drop, respectively, 200, 80, and 20 feet. As a historical footnote, the falls, like many places in the South, take their name from Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto. According to one local legend, a piece of armor that was found here is said to have belonged to the conquistador, who trudged through this region in the early 1500s searching for riches.

9. Dahlonega
A horde of dreamers and schemers under the spell of gold fever came to comb the hills here in 1828. Dahlonega, a Cherokee word that translates as ''precious yellow,'' was in fact named for the treasured metal. Even the federal government had a stake, establishing a mint that was pressing coins until the outbreak of the Civil War. Today Dahlonega wears several hats: gracious southern mountain town, busy county seat, and jumping-off point for wilderness adventures. Visitors can relive prospector days at the Gold Museum State Historic Site; some even try their luck panning for gold on the Chestatee River or at Crisson's and Consolidated Gold Mines.

• • Road Trips

• Lookout Mountain Parkway
• On a clear day you may not be able to see forever, but you can come mighty close from the summit of Lookout Mountain, where panoramic vistas overlook seven states.
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• Outer Banks Highway
• Breezy and beautiful, North Carolina's barrier islands are imbued with the spirits of the Wright brothers, sailors lost at sea, and the mysterious Virginia Dare.
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• James River Plantations
• Some of time's finest treasures can be found along this drive, which starts in the modern city of Richmond, passes centuries-old plantations, then ends in one of the places where America began.
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• Natchez Trace Parkway
• On this journey from Natchez to Nashville, you'll relive the days when riverboat men and backwoods adventurers braved the perils of America's frontier.
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• East Tennessee Border Tour
• Along the rugged eastern border of Tennessee lies one of America's original frontiers, a realm of towering trees, shadowy hollows, and sparkling waterfalls. Traversed long ago by hardy pioneers, much of this land remains wild today.
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• More Great Road Trips!
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