Saturday, July 26, 2008

Get the kids off the couch this summer and take them on a great mountain hike!

It may be blistering in the concrete jungle, but it's not as humid and hot on the trails covered in a canopy of trees in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Here are some of our favorite Aska trails. If you need a map, then visit
The Blue Ridge Board and Trail on Main Street and ask for Linda. If you go in and mention Escape to Blue Ridge, then Linda will let you try out some hiking poles and tell you the best places to hike.
Fall Branch Falls (Aska Trail) Trail Description: A one mile trial, which is part of the Benton MacKaye Trail and features a lovely waterfall and bubbling stream. Directions: From Blue Ridge: Take old Highway 76 through Blue Ridge. Turn right on Aska Road, the first road after the three-way stop sign. Go 8.0 miles and turn right on Stanley Creek Road. Go 3.1 miles to the "parking lot" on the right just past the bridge over Falls Branch, just past the game warden's house (marked). Our suggestion is to turn your car around before you park here; parking is frequently a problem.
Green Mountain Loop (Aska Trail)
3.3 Miles Trail Description: The Green Mountain Trail actually consists of several hike options including a loop from Deep Gap, a shuttle hike to Blue Ridge Lake, and a shuttle hike connecting with the Long Branch Loop Trail. This route, however, describes a loop hike from Deep Gap at Aska Road. Directions: The trailhead is located across from the parking area at Deep Gap on the other side of Aska Road. Start at the trailhead to the right with your back to the parking area. (The trailhead to the left about 50 yards up Aska Road is where you will pop out in about an hour on this loop hike.) The Green Mountain trail gradually ascends on the southeastern side of Green Mountain on a well-marked dirt path through a canopy of hardwoods. There are excellent views of the surrounding mountains in this area (winter only). At approximately the halfway point, the trail begins a steep ascent onto the ridge of Green Mountain. At the ridge crest, there is a wood sign and a junction with a trail leading 2.5 miles to Forest Road 711. Here you will turn left and hike back towards Deep Gap for roughly a mile. (Going straight at the ridge crest will take you down to Blue Ridge Lake which requires a car shuttle.) To complete the loop, begin a gradual decent down past the summit of Green Mountain and back to Aska Road about 50 yards from where you started.
Stanley Gap Trail (Aska Trail) 5.5 Miles Trail Directions: Go south on Aska Road 8 miles. Turn right on a dirt/gravel road (Toccoa River Outpost on left). Parking area for trail is 4.1 miles on right. Alternate route -From FS office, travel south on East First Street 1 mile to Hwy. 515, turn left on 515 and go south 5.9 miles to Co. Rd. 152. Turn right on Co. Rd. 152 and then another right going beneath overpass. Follow Rock Creek Road upstream. Pavement ends at 1.8 miles. Continue on dirt/gravel road, parking area is on left 5.1 miles after end of pavement.
Flat Creek Loop (Aska Trail)
5.8 Miles Trail Description: Follow the trail (white & dark green blazes) on the road west from the bulletin board. Within a 100 yards the trail forks. Stay on the road to left. At about 0.4 miles look for dark green blazed side trail into woods on left. This trail goes through woods for about 0.25 miles. Come onto and follow old logging road. Route rejoins a dug trail and gradually descends toward Flat Creek. After 0.5 miles trail joins an old road near the creek. Follow the road downhill to creek, cross and take a right at about 50 yards. Follow road (Do not digress onto dead-end side roads!) about 1.0 miles to Head of Valley. Head of Valley has open, mature hardwoods in abundance. Cross creek again heading uphill, gradually ascend old road to graveled road. Follow dark green blazed graveled road 2.0 miles back to parking lot. Directions: Deep Gap - From Forest Service office, travel east 1.5 miles on East First Street (old US 76) to Aska Road (Harmony Church on left). Turn right, go south 4.4 miles to Deep Gap parking area below gap on west side of road
Free Knob Loop (Aska Trail)
2.5 Miles Trail Description: Via Benton MacKaye Trail and Dial Road. This trail combines a woodland trail walk ascending, crossing and descending a small knob with a return road walk alongside the Toccoa River. The ascending portion is just strenuous enough to provide a feeling of healthy outdoor exercise and the river walk provides a nice contrast to the forested setting. The eastern end is through a beautiful mature pine grove on a needle carpeted trail. Directions: From Blue Ridge travel east on E. First St. (top of hill from door of Toccoa Ranger Station) to Aska Road (1.5 miles). South on Aska Road to Shallowford Bridge. Turn left across river and immediate right on dirt-gravel road leading to Dial, GA. At 0.4 miles come to point where trail enters road from forest. Continue east on road to parking area at 1.2 miles.


Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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Monday, July 21, 2008

Scenic Drives

Blue Ridge, Georgia offers some breath taking scenic drives that allow you to enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains, rushing water rivers, green valleys, and wildlife all from the comforts of your vehicle. Below are just a few Blue Ridge, Georgia scenic drives to enjoy a leisure mountain tour, take in some off-roading in your 4-wheel drive, and some curves and steep grades for the adventurous sports car enthusiast.


Blue Ridge, Georgia and surrounding towns
Enjoy a refreshing mountain car ride that begins at the intersection of US 76 and Highway 5 in Blue Ridge, Georgia as you head east toward Blairsville, Georgia. The scenic drive is 36 miles and typically takes 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. You'll enjoy some great curvey county roads once you turn on Weaver Creed Road from Aska Road. As you travel down the winding Snake Nations Road (name prior to the famous early 1800s Trail of Tears) you will approach Deep Gap (2,200+ feet elevation), which is near the Appalachian Trail starting point. A few miles down you'll approach Highway 60 to return back to Blue Ridge, Georgia or extend your scenic ride by taking a right toward Suches and Dahlonega for more mountain twisties and mountain vistas.

Cohutta Wilderness rides (west of Blue Ridge)
This ride is 3+ hours on winding gravel forest service roads and some times steep grades which is more suited for the skilled driver. Make sure you're car is running well and you load up with fuel and food for the challenging drive.

Eastern Tennessee - Ocoee Byway
If you plan to visit nearby Chattanooga for a day trip adventure, then you should consider the scenic 26 mile Ocoee Byway that follows along some of the old copper roads that made this area famous for its copper ore in the early 1800s.



Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

If you are looking to get away from the city heat and relax in the mountains, consider playing a round or two of golf on the following courses just minutes away from Blue Ridge.

Butternut Creek Golf Course, Blairsville, GA
Surrounded by the majestic beauty of the North Georgia Mountains and featuring 6,536 yards of dramatic fairways, Butternut Creek Golf Course is one of the area's finest public golf courses. Experience the thrill of playing this mountainside course with 18 of the best holes in the northeast Georgia area. An experienced staff stands ready to make your golf experience one you will always remember.
Whitepath Golf Course, Ellijay, GA.
Whitepath Golf Course was designed by world-renowned architect Rocky Roquemore. Completed in 1987, this magnificent property consists of 750 building lots surrounding 18 glorious fairways. Whitepath is snuggled in the majestic north Georgia Mountains and offers breathtaking scenery from elevated tees overlooking lush fairways and medium-sized greens. A trout stream and four lakes come into play, and abundant wildlife including deer, quail and turkey can be observed throughout the course.
The Brasstown Valley Golf Club, Young Harris, GA
The Brasstown Valley Golf Club has been ranked by both Golf Digest and Leading Golf Courses of America as one of the top courses to play in Georgia. Designed by Dennis Griffiths, the golf course winds through wildlife preserves, ponds and streams framed in by the mountains. With four sets of tees, all skill levels will be able to enjoy a layout that is maintained to standards you'd expect from a course rated so highly. It's great for the corporate outing, couple's getaway or the guy's weekend. For more information on these mountain golf courses.



Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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Friday, July 11, 2008

Tons of watersport activities for you in Blue Ridge this summer. If you're interested in kayaking or canoeing, then consider the following adventures.

Clinics

Brush up on your kayak or canoe skills this summer. Many of the kayak and canoe clinics listed below have an introductory/beginner, intermediate, and advance program to help all experience levels.

Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, GA. The local favorite just minutes from our cabin rentals is Canoe and Kayak Ventures at 706-455-7972. The Toccoa River tail water is rare in that it feeds north and becomes the Ocoee River once you cross the Tennessee state line.

Ducktown, TN - 20 minutes from Blue Ridge, GA Kayak Clinic is held on a different local river depending upon the participant's skill level ranging from class I to IV water. The boat/equipment is included along with transportation to and from the river. Call the Ocoee
Adventure Center to make your reservation 1-888-723-8622.

Chattooga River in Clayton, GA - 55 minutes from Blue Ridge these canoe or kayak clinics are available on many weekends starting at $195 and you must be over 12 years of age. Southeastern Expeditions, Inc. Phone: 1-800-868-7238


Hit the water

Blue Ridge, Georgia and its surrounding North Georgia mountain communities offer some great paddling adventures for canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts. The water conditions range from Class 1 to Class V, so there's a broad range to enjoy this summer.

The Classes breakdown as follows:

Class I: tame/mild
Class II: moderate rapids, some clear passages and a few small drops
Class III: moderately difficult rapids with large and irregular waves
Class IV: intense and powerful
Class V: insane/expert only

Ocoee River is only twenty minutes from Blue Ridge, GA and was used for the 1996 Summer Olympics kayaking events. The Toccoa River below Lake Blue Ridge dam turns into the Ocoee River once you cross into Tennessee, which has lots of challenging whitewater rapids to satisfy all paddlers.

Cartecay River is twenty minutes away from Ellijay, GA which is south of Blue Ridge, GA on highway 515. Cartecay River offers moderately technical flat-water to Class III whitewater rapids with plenty of areas to play in between for the novice and intermediate paddlers. Put-in access on either side of the bridge on Lower Cartecay Road or try the put-in at highway 52, paddle up 1 mile to Lower Cartecay Road then take out on Stegall Mill Road.

Chattooga River is most remembered as the river refernced in the 1970's movie classic "Deliverance". The Chattooga River provides some wild Class III and IV whitewater action between the Georgia and South Carolina border, which is just 55 minutes from Blue Ridge, GA.

Tallulah River is one hour from Blue Ridge, GA and is for experts that do not mind walking down 500 steps to the put-in. It's important to note that on weekends between April and November the Tallulah River rapid speeds are between 500 to 700 cubic feet per second (yes this is very fast). Just 1 hour from Blue Ridge.


Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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Monday, July 7, 2008

Blue Ridge Mountain Biking & Hiking Trails

Summer is here, so get the family out and hit the nearby mountain trails for hiking, trail runs, and mountain biking. Here are some scenic trails that will get the heart rate up and provide some great mountain scenery.

Aska Trail and South Fork Trail and Loop ride in the nearby Cohutta National Forest just west of Blue Ridge, GA are the 2 most popular and also great hiking trails. Aska Trails are the older of the two and mostly singletrack, which requires more concentration. These Aska trails were previously hiking trails that were opened up for mountain biking.

The Stanley Gap trail is very tight near the top of Rocky Mountain, but most mountain bikers live for singletrack, so you'll love the challenge and can relax in the hot tub when you return to your mountain cabin retreat! The 2 major Aska trails are Deep Gap on Aska Road and Stanley Gap on Stanley Creek Road, which runs between the two if you have the energy and time.

In addition to the hardcore mountain biking trails, there is a short 2.3 mile beginner trial called Turkey Farm Loop just across the road. The Turkey Farm Loop is longer but is mostly a gravel trail along the Forest Service roads.




Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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Saturday, July 5, 2008

Other Events in July
July 08, 15, and 22nd 2008 Blue Mountain Jam at Kiwanis Fairgrounds, Kiwanis Fairgrounds

July 10, 17, and 24th 2008 Pickin' in the Park, Ron Henry Horseshoe Bend Park , McCaysville, GA.

July 12, 2008, Chilli Cook-Off / Second Chance Animal Sanctuary, Equestrian Center at Cadence Community

July 12, 2008, Storytelling by the Blue Ridge Mountains Storytellers, The Silk Road Traveler

July 12, 2008, Singing in the Mountains, Fannin County High School Performing Arts Center

July 12, 2008, Flute & Drum Circle, Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association July 16, 2008 Thru

July 27, 2008, Georgia Mountain Fair, Hiawassee, Ga.

July 19 and 20th 2008 , Butternut Creek Festival, Meeks Park, Blairsville



Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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EscapetoBlueRidge.com is a website with information about Blue Ridge cabin rentals. Learn more about local attractions, festivals and last minute getaway deals.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Independence Day Events

There are lots of special events for July 4th this week, and lots of folks in town to enjoy them.

McCaysville's Fireworks Extravaganza will take place on Thursday, July 3rd. The Scenic Railway has a special train leaving the station for McCaysville at 7:30 p.m.

The Lake Blue Ridge Fireworks will take place at the Marina on Friday, July 4th, with activities beginning at 4 p.m.

The annual Old Timer's Day Parade takes place on Saturday morning in downtown Blue Ridge at 10 a.m., with Ron Zadroga as the Grand Marshall. At 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, there will be a concert by the Air National Band of the South, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association.

The Blue Ridge Community Theater will feature "An Evening with Mark Twain" at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evening and 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

There's a full schedule of activities planned for Miner's Homecoming in Ducktown, beginning on Friday and ending Saturday evening.



Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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EscapetoBlueRidge.com is a website with information about Blue Ridge cabin rentals. Learn more about local attractions, festivals and last minute getaway deals.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Horseback Riding in Blue Ridge, GA and other North Georgia Towns

Horseback riding in Blue Ridge, Georgia and the surrounding North Georgia mountain communities is a great activity for couples and the entire family. Many of the nearby stables offer trail rides that will take you along National Forests, rivers and green meadows surrounding the amazing Blue Ridge Mountains.


The following are some of our favorites that you should consider this summer.

Blanche Manor is just 15 minutes north of Blue Ridge, Georgia, convenient to the towns of Blue Ridge and Copperhill, and the rivers of the Ocoee and Hiawassee. Blanche Manor offers beautiful trails for riders of all levels that forge streams and lead to a panoramic view of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee that are situated on 350 acres and home to a variety of wildlife that includes white-tailed deer, turkey, wild boar, black bear, red fox, coyotes, and bobcats. Blanche Manor offers private rides, as well as large corporate groups or family reunions.


Adventure Trail Rides is located in the Cashes Valley in beautiful Blue Ridge, Georgia. Adventure Trail rides offers three different levels of riding, all of which take you on a unique scenic tour of the Blue Ridge Mountains based on your riding experience. There are several horses to choose from ranging from retired racing quarter horses, comfortable Tennessee walking horses, retired jumpers, and many others.


Trackrock Stables has over 250 acres bordering the Chattahoochee National Forest in Blairsville, GA just 20 minutes from Blue Ridge, GA. Trackrock Stables offers year around adventures you will long remember. Trackrock Stables welcomes first time and skilled riders and offers many well-trained horse to suit their level of riding experience. The experienced guides will take your across crystal clear mountain streams and canter through peaceful green meadows. Also, Trackrock Stables has a great horse camp for kids of all riding levels.



Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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EscapetoBlueRidge.com is a website with information about Blue Ridge cabin rentals. Learn more about local attractions, festivals and last minute getaway deals.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Whitewater rafting Trips

Adventure mountain vacations are becoming more popular, since they give people in this fast-paced world the unique opportunity to both relax and revitalize the spirit. Whitewater rafting is one of the most popular summer time mountain adventures in Blue Ridge and the surrounding North Georgia mountains. You can enjoy an exhilarating whitewater rafting trip as a couple or with a larger group, while providing a challenging and exciting adventure to be remembered.
Summer months are the peak times that bring many vacationers up to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Between June and August most whitewater rafting companies run daily trips. The most popular whitewater rafting company with our guests is Ocoee Rafting, which is less than 20 minutes away from Blue Ridge, Georgia. Ocoee Rafting trips are between 1.5 and 2 hours and take you down the Ocoee River through an amazing gorge within the Cherokee National Forest. You'll be able to enjoy 20 continuous rapids and enjoy several spots to play along this scenic river. People of all experience levels will enjoy the Class 3 and Class 4 rapids that are recognized as one of our country's premier rivers (also part of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics).

If you do not have whitewater rafting experience, then don't worry because Ocoee Rafting provides some great guides that take pride in providing a safe and action packed adventure for their guests.

So add a whitewater rafting adventure to your Blue Ridge mountain vacation list of cool things to do.


Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabins



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Resources: Looking for Additional Blue Ridge Mountain North Georgia Cabin Rental Information?


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www.EscapetoBlueRidge.com

1-866-618-2521


EscapetoBlueRidge.com is a website with information about Blue Ridge cabin rentals. Learn more about local attractions, festivals and last minute getaway deals.