Discover Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Between Railway History and Culture

Blue Ridge offers several clear starting points for planning your trip: a historic depot in the center, a drive-in theater with a long history, and a railway experience with clearly defined durations. There is also an art center, tastings, and outdoor activities. If you’re looking for hotels in Blue Ridge, these different themes can help you choose the destination based on the experiences that interest you most.

Blue Ridge is characterized as a railway town, with a historic depot in the center. It was the first building in Blue Ridge to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Swan Drive-In Theatre is also part of the town’s history: it was built in 1955. If you’re planning a movie night, check the current movie schedule separately.

Art and a Unique Railway Experience

The Art Center is located in the historic Fannin County Courthouse. Its facilities and offerings include studios, a pottery and kiln studio, five artist guilds, five galleries, and an artist-in-residence program. The center therefore includes spaces for making art as well as galleries and a program for artists. For art enthusiasts, it offers a different focus from the railway history of the depot.

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway offers a two-hour, 26-mile round trip and a two-hour stop to explore. The ride and stop should therefore be planned as two separate periods of time. Schedules and trip formats may change, so check the details for your preferred date before planning. The stated durations give you a concrete reference for weighing this experience against other plans for your trip.

Tastings and Seasonal Harvests

At Mercier Orchards, visitors can sample hard cider and local and regional wines in a tasting room. Since services may change seasonally or operationally, it’s a good idea to check before your visit whether tastings will be offered on your chosen date. This lets you include the experience in your day’s plans without assuming it is available year-round on the same terms.

Depending on the season, visitors can also pick their own strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and apples at Mercier Orchards. Harvest times vary. If picking is important to your trip, find out in advance which fruit will be available at your planned time. Tastings and pick-your-own are different options, each depending on the date and seasonal availability.

Hiking and Water Activities

Blue Ridge has more than 300 miles of hiking trails. This total makes hiking a distinct activity to consider when choosing what to do; for your specific plans, the individual trail you select will matter. Another kind of outing is tubing on the upper Toccoa in Blue Ridge, above Lake Blue Ridge Dam. Check river conditions and safety information before taking part.

The 3,290-acre Lake Blue Ridge is also located near Blue Ridge. The area around the lake offers campgrounds, several boat ramps, a full-service marina, and public swimming and picnic areas. Facilities and operating conditions may vary, so take this into account when planning. The locations are distinct: tubing takes place on the upper Toccoa above the dam, while the campgrounds, boating, swimming, and picnic facilities mentioned are in the lake area. This lets you compare hiking, tubing, and activities around the lake as different focuses for your trip.

Discover More Destinations: Mineral Bluff.

Return to the Main Travel Overview: Fannin County.