Georgia’s Blue Ridge has plenty of Appalachian heritage and historic areas to discover.
Learn about our Appalachian history in Blue Ridge and the Copper Basin by discovering cultural and heritage locations throughout Fannin County.
The town of Blue Ridge was founded in 1886, when the Marietta and Northern Railroad came to Fannin County. The rail line at Blue Ridge, with an altitude of 1,751 feet, was reported to be the highest in Georgia at that time; Fannin County was called “the Switzerland of the South” in promotional brochures.
Learn about historic buildings in Downtown Blue Ridge by following our Historic Blue Ridge Walking Tour map guide (link below).
Board the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway mid-morning and experience first hand what passenger rail service was like in the old days. The train operates with period railroad engines and cars, following the Toccoa River as it winds its way to McCaysville. Here you disembark and have lunch, do a little shopping and see the GA/TN line marker where the towns of McCaysville, Ga. and Copperhill, Tenn. meet. You can stand with one foot in Georgia and the other foot in Tennessee at the same time!
For an old-time fun evening, go to Blue Ridge’s Swan Drive-In, one of the last five drive-in theaters in Georgia. It was established in 1955 and shows first run movies every night in season. Plan to try the concession stand for old fashioned funnel cakes!
Learn the history of copper mining and the quaint towns of McCaysville Ga., Copperhill and Ducktown Tenn. on our McCaysville & Copperhill Discovery Tour (link below). Make your first stop our McCaysville Visitor Center at 53 East Market Street on the Toccoa River, which is filled with historic pictures and artifacts from the Basin. See the Burra Burra Mine and a fascinating collection of photos and artifacts at the Ducktown Basin Museum in Ducktown. In addition to the mine, the museum grounds contain a number of historic buildings used for mining.
Ten pretty amazing things you might not know about McCaysville & Copperhill
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