Vogel State Park, Georgia, USA in the autumn season. Vogel State Park, Georgia, USA in the autumn season.

Optimal Things to Do in Dahlonega: 11 Key Locations

This cute town of Dahlonega, Georgia, has many amazing things to do. This town is mainly known for being the site of the Gold Rush in the early 1800s.

This delightful city offers many things you cannot complete in a few days. Besides the amazing things, it also has excellent wine farms and some vineyards with award-winning wines.

Dahlonega also has many beautiful natural landscapes, which include waterfalls, rugged mountains, and babbling brooks.

There are some things to do in Dahlonega Ga for each and every one. If you love taking a stroll through the art galleries, exploring museums, or tasting the region’s best wines, then Dahlonega is the best place for you.

Many years back, many prospectors migrated to this town with a wish to change their fortune. Blue Ridge Mountain has grown quite popular. The excellent shopping options, fine restaurants, and Appalachian-style art and crafts are some of the attractions of this place.

Some Amazing Things to Do In Dahlonega Ga

This city offers many things you can do for your family and friends. This city is a perfect spot for you to skip your daily life and enjoy the serenity of nature. Dahlonega is home to some awesome hiking trails and has one of the world’s best wineries.

However, when you plan to visit this place, call the tourism agency and restaurants to confirm their opening time. This is very crucial since some spots get closed due to some problems.

Historic building with gold dome in Dahlonega, Georgia
Photo by RobHainer from Depositphotos

Along with these you can explore the beautiful farms, and do other thrilling activities.

1. Scenic Drives

There are two great roads to drive near North Georgia Mountains. These two drives are the most famous drives taken by other visitors and locals. You will be pleased if you see this town’s magnificent landscape.

The first drive is the Lumpkin-Union loop which is around a 63-mile drive. During its journey, it will feature many other attractions. You can see Cane Creek Falls, Helton Creeks Falls, Lake Trahlyta, Dockery Lake, and even Yahoola Valley.

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Image From: Shutterstock

There are also some other wonderful places that you will get to see during the drive. It includes Dicks Creek Falls, Turners Corner, Lake Winfield Scott, DeSoto Falls, and the Suches Valley.

If you want to see a few more attractions, you can ask the agency to take you to Trahlyta’s Grave, which is at Stone Pile Fap, Woody Gap, and Vogel State Park.

The other drive is the Brasstown Bald Loop which is a total 106- mile drive. It will cover many more attractive spots. This drive will feature winding mountain roads, deep valleys, and other spectacular lookout points. 

These two drives will be the best thing to do while in Dahlonega.

2. Eat At Bourbon Street Grille

After a long ride, it will be very good to eat something from a famous restaurant in Dahlonega. The Bourbon Street Grille will give you the taste of its excellent cuisine. Your taste buds will be pleased after having a fantastic meal from this place.

This place also has a warm, inviting atmosphere and friendly staff. As a result, this restaurant is quite popular among locals and visitors.

Bourbon Street Grille restaurant official website screenshot
Source: https://www.thebourbonstreetgrille.com/

It will also give you an offer of a full-service dining experience. Other than this, they also give rental facilities for any special events and various promotions.

In this restaurant, you can enjoy delicious food with your loved people. The classic cuisines, which include crab cakes, jambalaya, and gumbo, are the best on the house. You can also prefer having the juicy steak dinner served with a pint of beer or a glass of wine from the best vineyard in the city.

3. Celebrate An Old Fashioned Dahlonega Christmas

The downtown of Dahlonega ranks at the top of all when we speak of the best Christmas towns in Georgia.

The holiday festival started with the annual lighting and Thanksgiving near the Downtown Dahlonega Visitor Center. The city gets covered in many colorful Christmas lights and special holiday decorations. 

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Image From: Shutterstock

All the shops and restaurants of the Public Square remain open for a longer time during the festive nights. You can check around all the shops to purchase special things for your loved ones or eat something special on this old-fashioned Christmas of Dahlonega.

You will also find Santa, who is available for the pose. Take one of the Santa and pose for free photos with your family or company to make things memorable.

Besides, you can also take horse-drawn carriage rides, which are available only for $10 for adults and Christ $5 for kids.

You can enjoy the Old Fashioned Christmas mid-December in the Dahlonega Parade. However, the best time to enjoy Christmas in Dahlonega is to visit Dahlonega during Thanksgiving. You must move into the Festival of Tress near Hancock Park.

4. Go to Lake Zwerner Trail, Dahlonega, Georgie

A long 3.5 miles trail, The Lake Zwerner Trail is ideal for adventures. Tourists can enjoy hiking or biking here anytime. You can even go cycling or jogging here and get a view of the Dahlonega Reservoir.

While crossing the trail, you will cross the lake shoreline, which offers a stunning view. It is one of the best routes for reaching the Appalachian Trail. For people who come to take training for hiking in the longer trails, this Lake Zwerner trail is the perfect place for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mThqV5M5X8g

This trail even gives a wonderful and interesting sight to the nature and wildlife of the surrounding place. It is the most suitable trail for people of all ages and is a bit challenging for high levels of hikers and bikers.

5. Visit The Gold Rush Days Fall Festival

The Gold Rush Days Festival returns every year on October 21st and 22nd. This year is going to be the 76th year of its return. People like to celebrate the discovery of gold in this area in 1828. Most of the gold mines were found in Lumpkin County, leading to America’s first gold rush.

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Source: https://goldrushdaysfestival.com/

The Gold Rush Days Fall Festival is popular for being a part of the top events in the Southeast. More than 200,000 visitors gather around to enjoy this festival.

You can indulge in family-friendly games, live music, painting, and a gold panning contest at this festival. You will also witness a downtown Dahlonega parade with many marching bands.

The Gold Rush Days King and Queen coronation are also featured in this parade. Besides this, more than 200 arts and crafts exhibitors are scattered all around the area. There are even varieties of food vendors where you can taste some delicious local meals.

6. Visit Shenanigans Irish Pub

The Shenanigans Irish pub is a typical Irish restaurant that offers many impressive alcoholic concoctions. Along with these, you will also get to witness the live performance of this Irish pub and its delicious foods.

Shenanigans Irish Pub official website screenshot
Source: https://www.theshenaniganspub.com/

This bustling pub is the best place for you to have some fun at night time. It usually boats a huge collection of alcoholic beverages, with another mouth-watering Irish cuisine. The visitors of this pub are offered live entertainment throughout the week.

To make things more interesting at this pub, you can get a couple of special drinks in the house. In addition to drinking alcohol with your friends, you can enjoy some tasty dishes.

The cuisine includes quesadillas, authentic Irish sausages, and shepherd’s pie. You can also enjoy karaoke or trivia nights, which most visitors like. At this night party, you will witness some of the local talents.

7. See The Cane Creek Falls

This Crane Creek fall is a long 85-foot plunge waterfall created at a specific point. At this point, the Fall and the Rockhouse Creeks meet, and this point is also known as the largest waterfall in this park by volume.

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Image From: Shutterstock

Due to this meeting point, the water has carved a spectacular gorge all throughout the woodland. Each fall in this region originates from the Crane Creek Falls. The best gift from this water is the breathtaking sight. It can be viewed from two different outlook points.

However, the waterfall’s best view can be above the Cane Creek Cascades and the Rockhouse Galls. This place can be accessed by a swinging bridge along with a walking trail. If you wish to return to Crane Creek Falls, you can follow the walking trail. 

Other than visiting the fall at this place, you can take a short ride or walk from the park’s nature center. You will get a chance to relax in the park, and then you can go back to watch the waterfalls.

8. Visit The Crisson Gold Mine

The Crisson mine is well known for being the opening pit gold mine in Lumpkin County. This pit mine allows visitors to explore the mining world, and here you can learn more about how gold was discovered and then mined later in this area.

Crisson Gold Mine, Dahlonega GA | September 2021

The mining in Crisson Gold Mine started during the Georgia Gold Rush. From 1847 to the 1980s, this gold mine was operated commercially. 

This mine is one of the oldest gold mines established in North Georgia and is now open for public exploration. Most people visit this mine to see the stamp mill. This rock crusher was used in mining and breaking quartz rock in this gold mine. 

Also, more antique gold mining machines were used for crushing the quartz rocks. Those machines include rod mills and jaw crushers, which are used occasionally.

As a visitor, you can take part in expeditions to find gems or for your gold with the tractor scoop and trommels in some large buckets. Participating in the activities here in the gold mine will teach you about the mining techniques and things used to work back in the day.

8. Fishing and Hiking at Yahool Creek Reservior

You can enjoy a nature place downtown Dahlonega; if you are craving some peaceful place covered by nature scenes, you should head towards the lovely mountain lake just 1.4 miles northeast of the town.

This mountain lake is known as Lake Zwerner, and it was later included in a reservoir project. 

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Image From: Shutterstock

Recently, this reservoir has covered more than 141 acres of land; it is mostly responsible for providing water supply to the City of Dahlonega.

It also allows for visiting outdoor recreation. Lake Zwerner is a very special place. The hiking trails of this place are very beautiful, and it loops around the reservoir. 

During your trail journey, you can find some breathtaking views of the lake and the nature of the surrounding place.

However, you can’t take the gas-powered boats for a ride. These waters are best for kayaking and fishing, especially for bass and bream. If you want to experience these activities, you can join and help the locals. Some locals admit that they never go empty-handed from this lake.

This place will have renovations from the higher officials’ funds that the Dahlonega officials expect to receive.

They have planned to expand the park with the help of those funds. Along with the expansion, the hiking trails will be improved, and several campgrounds will be imposed.

So if you go on hiking trails in this area, you can sit back and relax for a while. Lake Zwerner is a great place to escape city noises and have a peaceful time in a covered area.

9. 1884 Lumpkin County Jail And Museum

The Dahlonega Gold Museum is a historic site in Dahlonega, which you can visit to know all its historical importance. Undoubtedly, this Gold Museum is the top historic site in Dahlonega, but you can even choose to visit the 1884 Lumpkin County Jail and Museum.

If you are interested in learning about Georgia’s state history, you should visit these two museum houses.

1884 Jail Museum

The most famous prisoner who was held in this jail was Bill Miner. He spent more than half of his life in San Quentin for robbing a train near Lula Ga in 1911.

When you visit this museum, you can see that the main level of this museum was turned into a small museum that features artifacts and several photographs. You will also witness gold mining, quilting, and farming relics.

Though this jailhouse has so many interesting facts, the main highlight of this museum is the upper-level jail, which remains unchanged.

If you go behind the bars of one of the cells of this upper jail, you can see graffiti on the wall made by the inmates. This is a great place to witness all the incidents that happened back in the Gold Rush days.

10. Red Oak Lavender Farm

This farm was founded in 2014 and is home to more than 2443 kinds of lavender. Other than lavender, there are also different kinds of flowers. It includes sunflowers and dahlias. The Red Oak Lavender Farm invites everyone to take a look and relax in their serene lavender fields.

You Won't Believe How Beautiful This Lavender Farm Is in Dahlonega, Georgia | Southern Living

If you start your journey from the foothills of the North Georgia mountain, then you can reach this farm. It has more than 4000 lavender plants and at least 9 varieties.

You will notice that the farm is surrounded by a calming scent coming from thousands of lavender plants. More than 100 different lavender products are made from essential oil distillation processes.

If you wish to visit this red oak lavender farm, you should come to this place in early June. At this time, the lavender is in full bloom. Though, you can even come anytime in the year. 

You can stroll along the fields and create many lifelong memories here. This family-run farm is an awe-inspiring landscape that can serve you as a perfect backdrop for your photos in the Red Oak Lavender Farm.

11. Dahlonega Magic Theater

It is a family-friendly theater that has an intimate setting. The show here is so great that you will forget the time in the outer world.

Dahlonega Magic Theater - "A Knight of Magic"

This magic theater can hold up to 40 spectators at a time. If it’s raining or heavily cold, and you cannot go outside, you drop by this theater and enjoy some of the best shows. 

However, traveling with a large group, you can request a customized show according to your desires. In this theater, you will see illusions, escape acts, and comedy stints. The place is fun if you are thinking of relaxation except hopping around. 

Other Places to Create Memories – Dahlonega

In Dahlonega, there are many things that you can do. An endless number of places gives you every chance to make your time in Dahlonega worthwhile.

  • Consolidated Gold Mine.

  • Wolf Mountain Vineyards.

  • North Georgia Astronomical Observatory.

  • Chestatee Wildlife Preserve Zoo.

  • Cavender Creek Vineyards.

Bottom-Line

There are many tourist attractions in Dahlonega, GA, which is the major tourists attraction. In addition, you will find that some exotic animals in these places are becoming extinct daily.

17 Best Things to Do in Dahlonega, GA

If you want to taste some beers, you will also find famous wine-tasting taprooms in this place. There are even some wine-tasting vineyards for wine lovers.

If you are considering visiting Dahlonega and are unsure about the exciting things to do in Dahlonega, Ga, then you need not worry.

We hope by reading this article, you have got some idea, where to visit and what things you must do. If still confused, you can contact the Dahlonega walking tours.

Also check out; Inside of the Statue of Liberty

Last Updated on June 10, 2023 by somya909