Discover Gilmer County

Carters Lake lies at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is Georgia’s deepest reservoir. For visitors planning time on the water, the public boat launches at Damsite, Doll Mountain, Woodring Branch, and Ridgeway also provide practical points of reference. The lake’s setting and four named launch sites thus represent different aspects of the lake.

Hiking Trails and Nature Destinations

The Rich Mountain WMA: Cartecay Tract is located in Gilmer County and covers 2,142 acres. It offers a different connection with nature than the water and boat-launch sites at Carters Lake: here, the area of a designated tract is the specific point of reference.

The Tumbling Waters Trail is located in the Ridgeway Recreation Area at Carters Lake. Along the trail, a 150-foot-long bridge crosses Tails Creek, 30 feet above the stream. These measurements give the hike a distinct structural landmark. Hikers interested in structures as well as the trail itself can consider this crossing a special feature of the trail.

The Bear Creek Trail leads to the Gennett Poplar. The round-trip hike to the tree is approximately 1.8 miles long, and the trail includes several stream crossings. Because of these crossings, an extra pair of shoes is a good idea. The Gennett Poplar is Georgia’s record-holding tulip poplar and also the state’s second-tallest tree. The hike thus combines a manageable, clearly measured round-trip distance with an extraordinary tree destination.

Festivals and Culture

The Georgia Apple Festival takes place annually over two weekends in October in Gilmer County. Hundreds of vendors showcase handmade and handcrafted goods. The specific festival dates vary from year to year; if you want to plan your trip around it, check the dates for the relevant year. This helps you factor the seasonal visiting period into your travel plans without assuming a particular weekend.

The cultural offerings also vary: the Tabor House Museum houses artifacts and donated items relating to Cherokee history, early settlers, the region, the Civil War, and military history. Gilmer Arts, by contrast, is dedicated to enriching the creative and cultural life of Gilmer County through a wide range of arts programs. The organization also operates a gallery where local artists can display their work. Regional history and the presentation of local art thus stand side by side as two distinct cultural highlights.

Visits and Seasonal Experiences

At the Mountain Valley Farm Store, visitors can see Katahdin sheep, rabbits, Boer goats, Jersey dairy cows, and calves. For anyone particularly interested in animals, this visit is a specific activity to add to the itinerary. The animal species listed also make clear what the visit is focused on.

Engelheim Vineyards offers private wine tastings led by staff in the tasting room. The winery also produces a wide selection of Vinifera wines from grapes grown on its own 15 acres of vineyards. A visit can therefore combine a personally guided tasting with a look at wine production, without treating the two as the same thing.

At B.J. Reece Orchards, visitors can pick their own apples each year in September and October. The timing may vary depending on the harvest. Anyone planning a visit during this period should therefore take the progress of that year’s harvest into account.

Discover more destinations: East Ellijay, Ellijay, Paulding County, Clarke County, Glynn, Gordon, Chattooga, Bibb

For the broader travel overview: Georgia.