Swan Drive-In

One of four drive-in theaters in Georgia still in operation, the Swan drive-in is open year round with first run movies. Old Highway 76 in Blue Ridge. For more information, call 888-469-1955 or visit www.swan-drive-in.com.

Trout Fishing

According to Georgia Outdoor News, the Toccoa River is one of the region's rivers that hold the characteristics required for anglers to find big trout. Serious trout fishermen know that there is serious trout fishing in Fannin County not only in the Toccoa, but in Rock Creek, Cooper Creek and Noontootla Creek. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources publishes a comprehensive trout fishing guide to Georgia, available at the Welcome Center. Below are some suggestions for simple access to great trout fishing in Fannin County.

TOCCOA RIVER: (State Hwys. 2, 5 and 60E)
The Toccoa is stocked above Blue Ridge Dam about every other week during trout season. Most of it is on private land, but much of the section along Rt. 60, near the town of Margaret, flows through National Forest. The river below the dam is very broad in most areas, making it a good choice for fly fishermen. Trout are also stocked regularly in this section. A popular way to fish this area is to float-fish from the dam downstream approximately 15 miles to McCaysville. Use caution. Water levels can rise suddenly. Check dates and times for water releases from Blue Ridge dam at 800-238-2264

SHALLOWFORD BRIDGE/Above the Dam - Aska Road, Blue Ridge.
Old steel one-lane bridge over the Toccoa River. Fish under the bridge or along the dirt road to the right following the river on the Benton MacKaye Trail.

TAMMEN PARK/Below the Dam, Appalachian Highway - Blue Ridge.
A very popular place to fly fish for trout in the Toccoa River below the Lake Blue Ridge Dam. Call in advance for water-release information 1-800-238-2264. This park also has ball fields, playground equipment and picnic areas.

HORSESHOE BEND PARK/Below the Dam - River Road off of Highway 60, McCaysville.
Beautiful park with good trout fishing on the Toccoa River. From Blue Ridge take Highway 5 into McCaysville. Turn right onto Highway 60 then drive a short distance and turn right on River Road. The park has a playground, picnic pavilions and restrooms.

ROCK CREEK: Forest Service Rd. 69 off State Rte. 60, Between Morganton and Dahlonega. The Chattahoochee National Fish Hatchery is located on Rock Creek. This creek and other nearby streams are stocked with trout from the federal hatchery, which is open year round. Rock Creek also supports good populations of wild trout, including native brook trout in some of the high elevation tributaries. This area is highly used.

COOPER'S CREEK: Hwy. 60 South between Morganton and Dahlonega.
This area offers camping, hiking and trout fishing. Fishing in Cooper Creek and Mulky Creek for stocked and wild trout is popular. From Blue Ridge, take Highway 76 east to Morganton; turn right on Hwy. 60 south toward Dahlonega for 16 miles. Turn left on Forest Service Road 4 for 6 miles.

WILDERNESS AREAS

NOONTOOTLA CREEK: Forest Service Rd. 58, southeast of Blue Ridge in the Blue Ridge Wildlife Mgmt. Area.
The creek and its tributaries are managed to imitate a natural stream with an unharvested trout population, to provide a unique experience that emphasizes catching wild trout for fun, rather than harvest. If you're lucky and catch a very rare trophy trout that is 16 inches or longer, you may keep it. All smaller trout must be released immediately. Artificial lures only.

COHUTTA WILDERNESS AREA
JACKS & CONASAUGA RIVERS: Forest Service Roads 22, 64 and 73 off State Rte. 2 west of Blue Ridge.
Inside the Cohutta Wilderness there are 45 miles of fishing opportunities on the Jacks (March - Ocober) and Conasauga Rivers (open year round). The Jacks is not stocked, but it contains reproducing trout populations. If you want real wilderness, this is the place. The Forest Service has a detailed map of the wilderness. It is wise to have this map if you plan a fishing or hiking trip to this wild area.

For more information on lake levels and releases, please see www.tva.gov

Water Activities

Toccoa River Canoe Trail

The Toccoa River Canoe Trail is perfect for beginners who are looking for a few rapids and some beautiful scenery along the way. The trail is also popular with float fishermen looking for cold-water mountain trout. The put in is located at the Toccoa Ranger District's Deep Hole Recreation Area, a U.S. Forest Service campground of highway GA 60 south of Blue Ridge and north of Suches, GA. Launch and parking costs $2 per vehicle. The canoe trail begins on the north bank of the river, flowing west and north toward Blue Ridge. The entire float from Deep Hole to Sandy Bottoms is 13.8 miles.

Sections of the Toccoa River Canoe Trail include:
Deep Hole to Rock Creek Road Bridge: 1.5 miles with good fishing.
Rock Creek Road Bridge to Margret: 1.0 miles
Margret to Butt Bridge: 5.8 miles with rapids, campsites and a suspension bridge
Butt Bridge to Dial Bridge: 1.5 miles
Dial Bridge to Sandy Bottoms: 4 miles

Area Waterfalls

Within the boundaries of Fannin County are several waterfalls accessible by hikes of various distances.

Long Creek Falls

The most popular of the waterfalls in Fannin County is Long Creek Falls, which can be seen by hiking down a short side trail from the combined Appalachian/Benton MacKaye Trail. These falls total about 50 feet in two distinct drops. A leisurely 30 minute hike to the falls is uphill on the way in, downhill on the way out.

Alternate Route to Three Forks and Long Creek Falls:  Go South on Aska Road to end (13.5 miles). Turn right onto Newport Road, go 4.5 miles to end.  Turn right on Doublehead Gap Road, go 2.0 miles to USFS Road 42 on the left.  Turn left on USFS Road 42, go 9.0 miles to USFS Road 58 on the left.  Turn left on USFS Road 58, go 2.7 miles to Three Forks.  The trail on the right will take you to Long Creek Falls.

Falls Branch Falls

The upper portion of Fall Branch Falls is a series of cascades that lead to a single major drop of some 30 feet, with the water plunging into a deep pool at the base of the falls. These falls, along the Benton MacKaye Trail west of Aska Road are a shorter, although a bit harder walk than Long Creek Falls.

Directions-Take Aska Road south 8 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

Sea Creek Falls

Located in the Cooper Creek Scenic Area, Sea Creek Falls are an easy walk of less than .1 miles. Unfortunately, the drive can be difficult. The first, or upper falls is a series of steep cascades ending in a brief drop. The second falls are also a series of steep cascades. When the water flow is heavy either in late Winter or Spring or after a summer rain these are a remarkable sight.

Directions: From the Georgia Mountain Parkway just past Blue Ridge, take Highway 60 south (toward Morganton). At Cooper Creek Store turn left on Cooper Creek Road (this road is also called Mulky Gap Road). After 3.3 miles the road makes a dramatic turn back on itself and FS 264 comes off to the left. This road is rough and may not be passible in anything but a four wheel drive vehicle. Travel .3 miles to a campground, park and walk .1 miles further up the creek.

Jacks River Falls

This popular destination in the Cohutta Wilderness Area requires the longest walk of all falls in Fannin County. The easiest access is a 9.2 mile hike from Dally Gap along the Jacks River Trail.

White Water Rafting

From March to October the Ocoee River comes alive with whitewater enthusiasts from around the world who journey to shoot the world-class rapids in rafts, canoes, and kayaks. Outdoor adventure writer Kim Urquhart calls it "a paddler's paradise ...loved for its size and power, constant flow rate and continuous waves and holes".

The Class III and IV rapids that highlight this river begin just west of Ducktown, TN. The Ocoee Whitewater Center is a federally operated put-in that is used by both commercial companies and individuals. In 2002 nearly 300,000 people made the journey from this site to the take-out more than 5 miles further down the river.

 

Ocoee River Whitewater

Olympic Events were held on the upper Ocoee River. They ended near the Ocoee Whitewater Center, and this section is generally not open to the public. After the center is the Middle Ocoee, a five mile section of the river from the center just west of Ducktown to a remote take-out point in the Ocoee Gorge. In this five miles the river falls some 250 feet across some Class IV+ rapids. The Middle Ocoee River is significantly calmer than the Upper Ocoee, although there are some good drops. Under normal conditions there are no Class V rapids on the river, however, at times when waterflow is greater than normal, some of the Class IV rapids become Class V.

Ocoee Rapids

Here is a list of some of the rapids on the Middle Ocoee River:

• Grumpy
• Gonzo Shoals
• Broken Nose (Vegomatic)
• Second Helping
• Moon Shot
• Double Suck
• Double Trouble (Maypop)
• Squeeze Play
• Tablesaw (Buzzsaw)
• Diamond Splitter
• Slingshot
• Hell's Hole