Outdoor Adventures

Enjoy the Fall weather by spending some time apple picking in the mountains. There are several places in the Northeast Georgia Mountains that offer a variety of Fall activities.

One nearby orchard is:

https://www.hillsideorchard.com/

Take advantage of the many festive events going on in the local areas. 

September 25th - Painted Fern Festival of Art in Clayton, GA

October 2nd - Foxfire Mountaineer Festival in Clayton, GA

October 8th - Georgia Mountain Fall Fest in Hiawassee, GA

October 11th - Helen Oktoberfest in Helen, GA

One of the best parts of being in the mountains during the Fall is seeing the beautiful colors of the leaves. Drive along the road and stop at the many lookouts to see views of the beautiful & colorful trees.

 This is a large, smooth rock in the middle of a river that is very fun to slide down. The water is a bit cold, but it is a ton of fun. Located off of East Wildcat Rd about 2 miles in on the left side of the road. It is about 10 minutes from the house. 

Sunburst Stables is located about 15 minutes south on HWY 197. They offer trial riding as well as ziplining. (251 Sunburst Lane, Clarkesville, GA 30523) 

Nacoochee Adventures (7019 S Main St, Helen, GA 30545), Unicoi Zipline & Aerial Adventure Park (1788 GA-356, Helen, GA 30545), and Cool River Zipline (112 Poplar Stump Rd, Helen, GA 30545) are all great options for zip lining in Helen. 

There are a lot of great places nearby to hike, bike, and take a picnic. Some of the favorite spots are:  

Hill Top -- flat gravel circle road. Just walk out the  drive to the left.

 Kennesaw -- great short hike to river. Turn right out of drive way, then just down the road about 100 yards on left. 

Jack Rabbit -- mountain biking trial in Hiawassee.  Approximately 30 min  

Hemlock Falls -- great hiking trail that leads to a nice waterfall/swim area.  Directly across from Moccasin Creek Campground (turn left out of drive way, then 1 mile down the road on right). Drive in approximately 100 yards to parking area and hike from there.   Approximately 1 mile hike to falls.

The closest public course is Kingwood Golf Course located just east of Clayton at 

401 Country Club Drive, Clayton, GA 30525 

(approximately 30min away). 

 Helen, GA, about 20 minutes away has all kinds of fun family activities. Helen Tubing and Water Park ( 222 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, GA 30545 ) and Cool River Tubing ( 590 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, GA 30545 ) are both great places to tube. Pirates Cove Adventure Golf ( 1081 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, GA 30545 ) makes for a fun family putt putt adventure.

 There are several options for fishing depending on the time of year. The waterfront just out your back door is an incredible trout stream (all the mounted trout in the house have come from there!).  You can wade up stream as well. The lake is also a great place for spotted bass and brown trout. Anchorage Marina, Laprades, and Moccasin Creek Campground all have guide information if you are interested in more information regarding fishing. There are numerous stocked trout streams all over.   

 We have a boat and water toys available for  your stay. Our water toys are included and the boat is available to be rented separately. Please inquire if you are interested in our on-site boat rental.

 There are two great places to stop on the lake when you get hungry. Laprades is perfect for either a casual lunch in your swimsuits at the grill, or a fancy dinner out in the restaurant upstairs. Anchorage is a great place to stop for some ice cream or snack foods. It'll probably be your kids favorite part of the day! Both of these places provide gas for you to fill up the boat. 

 There is a shallow swimming area in the middle of the lake that are great to anchor the boat and swim around. It is marked by large wooden poles and “Slow no wake” signs. You may tie your boat to the post or simply just drop your anchor nearby to take advantage of these super fun swimming areas. It is especially great for young kids.  

 Easy access steps for children. Great area for floating on rafts etc..  

 If you prefer to swim off of a sandy beach, then billy goat island is for you. It is one of the only places on the lake that you can pull your boat onto shore to swim. It is marked in the provided map.