Visitors here prefer to hike, bike,and canoe in this area that the Cherokee Indians once called home, before their removal on the infamous Trail of Tears. Today, a host of eco-treasures, attractions, historic districts, Native American heritage, national forests, and Civil War sites attract visitors from around the world.
Enjoy the ultimate outdoor mountain experience at any of four state parks in the area. Feel the spray from the twin waterfalls that cascade over layers of sandstone and shale into pools at the bottom of the gorge at one of the most scenic parks in the state, Cloudland Canyon, on the western edge of Lookout Mountain in Rising Fawn. Or stand in awe of the ancient and mysterious rock wall on the mountain top at Fort Mountain State Park near Chatsworth. Experience the serenity of James H. (Sloppy) Floyd State Park near Summerville, with its rural countryside and forest, and outstanding fishing on two stocked lakes, three miles of lake loop trails and easy access to the scenic 60-mile Pinhoti Trail. Cartersville’s Red Top Mountain State Park on 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona is ideal for swimming, boating, and fishing, as well as hiking along the lake shores and on the mountainsides.
Sail the skies from the Lookout Mountain Flight Park, which offers expansive views and a lifetime rush as you hang glide over mountains and valleys. Or revel in outdoor activities such as fly fishing, horseback riding, and sporting clays as well as a fine spa at Barnsley Resort in historic Adairsville. Farther south in Dallas, Hiram, Rockmart and Cedartown, hikers, cyclists, and equestrians can access the popular Silver Comet Trail, transformed from an old railroad route.
Pigeon Mountain in LaFayette boasts wonders galore. Find one of the deepest caves in the world – Ellison Cave – plus horseback riding trails, hiking, and primitive camping. One of the most intriguing places on the mountain is an easy one-mile hike in the woods to the mysterious “Rock Town,” a collection of boulders and monoliths that truly resemble a town and that have provided shelter to wildlife and Native Americans alike.
In
Georgia’s Rome,
take a kayak or canoe along the Etowah
River Trails, or catch a game of the Rome Braves minor league baseball
team.
Honor and reflect on Native
American contributions to Northwest Georgia culture at Cartersville’s Etowah Indian Mounds, a ceremonial center more than four
centuries ago; at Calhoun’s New Echota Historic Site,
once the capital of the entire Cherokee Nation; and at Chatsworth’s Chief Vann House Historic Site.
Stroll through lovely gardens such as the unusual folk-art ROCK Garden in Calhoun, the breathtaking Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, or famous Rock City Gardens on Lookout Mountain.
In the southernmost part of the Northwest Georgia Mountains region, explore Villa Rica, with its Pine Mountain Gold Museum and the trails in Stockmar Park, or the nature trails at 200-acre Clinton Nature Preserve.
