Locate It: Cleveland

There’s no better place to explore the great outdoors that the area around Cleveland, Georgia in White County. With over 20 area waterfalls, 7 wineries, 3 state parks and Georgia’s newest Historic Site, every day in Cleveland is an adventure.

Cleveland is where you’ll find excellent hiking, biking, zip-lining, tubing, and kayaking, golf, fly fishing, gold panning, and more. Grab on to an extreme activity on an Adventure Challenge Course or sit in a serene winery sipping award-winning wine while enjoying a mountain vista. Hike to an amazing waterfall or welcome the birth of the newest Cabbage Patch Kid at BabyLand General Hospital.

Pan for gold and gems from convenient sluices set comfortably under shade trees with a view of a 7-acre lake. You’ll learn the art of gold panning just like the old timers did it!

Spend a day (or more!) at the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area, located off Highway 129 just inside the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest boundary. The campground is a scenic spot with easy access for either a weekend of camping or a quick hike to the falls. The two waterfalls can be easily viewed along the DeSoto Falls trails. Trout fishing is popular along Frogtown Creek which flows adjacent to the campground, and a mature forest provides the perfect setting for a family recreation getaway. The day use area is available for those looking to picnic along Frogtown Creek. Eight picnic sites are available, each including a fire ring/grill. The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest is pure heaven for those who love the mountains. Mountain bikers and backpackers will find a great selection of trails and adventures.

About 4 miles outside of Cleveland, you’ll find Mount Yonah, which is within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. Whether you call it Mount Yonah or Yonah Mountain, you’re sure to enjoy the climb to the top where you’ll have a commanding view of the surrounding area. The relatively short

trail (2.1 miles) is still steep enough in places to give you a good workout, and it’s just right if you just want to spend an hour or two outdoors.

Also around Mount Yonah is the new Yonah Preserve Sports Complex as well as the Yonah Preserve. The sports complex, a White County Parks & Recreation Department facility, is a wagon wheel baseball and softball complex for youth and adults participating in local leagues and tournaments. The 1,000-acre Yonah Preserve features a multi-use trail system that is ideal for mountain biking, hiking and trail running. Accessible from Neyelo Road, the trailhead is an entryway to trails of varying intensity, including the newest addition, an ADA- and kid-friendly pathway. Dogs and picnics are permitted on the 11 miles of trails, just clean up as you go.

Just a quick drive from Cleveland, you can jump on the Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway, Highways 348, 180, and 17, that will take you on a loop north to Georgia’s highest peak, Brasstown Bald, then south to Helen, Georgia. The byway winds through the valleys and mountain gaps of the southern Appalachians, taking you from the amazing vistas atop Brasstown Bald to the cooling mists of waterfalls such as Dukes Creek Falls and High Shoals Creek Falls. Scenic wonders fill this region, where you can hike the Appalachian Trail or fish in a cool mountain stream. Near Cleveland on the byway, get out of the car for a beautiful and historic four-mile round-trip hike on the Logan Turnpike Trail. The trail follows the historic Logan Turnpike, the first road to run south from Union County.

Golfers find much to love about Cleveland, too. Mossy Creek Golf Course is an 18-hole public course that has served Cleveland since 1958. Golfers will love the way the course combines the beautiful Georgia landscape with an excellent course layout, designed to challenge experienced players while relaxing rookies. From the longest tees, Mossy Creek is nearly 6,000 yards in length.