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Water-babies! Getting wet is only half the fun at Lake Nottely. Whether you like just enjoying nature, fishing, swimming, picnicking, camping or boating (Shhhh! The secret’s in the access – it has two marinas and several public boat ramps), you’ll love Lake Nottely with its 106-mile shoreline and 4,180 acres.
Park it! It’s nearly impossible to visit Union County without visiting Vogel State Park – it’s a centerpiece for the community. In addition to those miles of hiking trails within the park’s nearly 300 acres, there are also swimming beaches, picnic shelters and dramatic mountain views. Meeks Park and Poteete Creek Park and Campground round out a nice assortment of picturesque places to play.
Go jump in a lake! Lake Winfield Scott near the community of Suches features a crystalline 18-acre lake complete with picnicking, camping, swimming and . . . well, you get the idea. If it’s outdoors, it’s here.
Go take a hike! Really, go take a hike. Blairsville is smack in the midst of the verdant, towering Chattahoochee National Forest and the Appalachian Trail – the Grand Poobah of all hiking trails – meanders through it at several points within Union County. Vogel State Park, one of Georgia’s crown jewels in the entire state park system, also features 17 miles of hiking trails. Nearly two dozen additional trails crisscross the county among Georgia’s most spectacular scenery.
Polish the brass! Brasstown Bald – its summit was once treeless but no more – lies partially in Union County, and those nearly mile-high views are worth a climb. Not quite up to the challenge of hiking? Take a shuttle bus. You might not get the bragging rights of hiking Brasstown Bald, but no matter. It’s still the top view in all of Georgia, plus it has a rich Cherokee history full of legend and lore.
Get teed off! With several golf courses carved into the naturally rolling terrain, playing the links in Union County is challenging yet enjoyable at the likes of Butternut Creek Golf Course, Old Union Golf Course, Brasstown Valley Golf Club or Cherokee Hills Golf Course.
Giddy-up, cowboy and cowgirl! Bring your own horse or rent an equestrian ride at one of several stables, but either way, horseback riding along the wildflower-and-woods trails of Union County is one of the best ways to “hoof it” and see the countryside.
Take a shower! Under a waterfall, that is. Fewer sounds on Earth have the ability to mesmerize and cleanse the soul as a waterfall, so plan a day to visit local favorites such as Helton Creek Falls, Wolf Creek Falls at Vogel State Park, DeSoto Falls and Raven Cliff Falls.
So this is paradise! Noontootla Creek Farms, west of Blairsville, has earned its moniker of “outdoor sportsman’s paradise.” Quail hunt, trout fish or sporting clay shoot to your heart’s content. Afterward, stay over at their Farm House Lodge for a restful night’s sleep.
Channel Indiana Jones! Become an archaeologist for a day at Trackrock Archaeological Area by trying your hand at deciphering the petroglyphs of early Indian origins. Study the carvings resembling animal and bird tracks, crosses, circles, and even human footprints.
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