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Dahlonega is Pure Gold
Looking for your next weekend getaway? You’ ll strike it rich with a trip to this former North Georgia gold mining town.
BY JILL BECKER
Any number of the quaint little towns in North Georgia make an excellent choice for an idyllic escape, but a lot of people are partial to one in particular: Dahlonega. And for good reason. It’ s a great option whether you’ re hitting the road for a family outing, solo retreat, girls’ getaway, guys’ golf weekend, outdoor adventure, you name it.
Any proper visit to Dahlonega should start with a tour of the 19th-century town square. There are countless shops to explore, restaurants to enjoy, and artifacts to examine at the Dahlonega Gold Museum. Housed in the old Lumpkin County courthouse, the museum chronicles the city’ s history as a major part of the Georgia gold rush back in the early 1800s. In fact, the saying“ There’ s gold in them thar hills!” was referring to Dahlonega.
Another way to explore that part of the city’ s past is to take an underground gold mine tour. At the Consolidated Gold Mine, which is the site of the largest hard-rock gold mine east of the Mississippi, you’ ll venture 20 stories beneath the surface, where a guide will
A guided tour of the Consolidated Gold Mine reveals what it was like to work the mines during the Georgia gold rush.
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Dahlonega’ s charming downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ralph Daniel demonstrate the rough conditions and the antiquated equipment the miners once had to use to blast the gold from the quartz veins. At the Crisson Gold Mine, you can pretend you’ re a miner panning for gold and take home any of the shiny nuggets that remain in the bottom of your pan.
Another activity Dahlonega is well known for is wine tastings at any of its 10 wineries and 5 tasting rooms. A top choice is Frogtown Cellars & Winery, whose estate-grown wines have won best-in-class awards at multiple wine competitions. Perhaps the most popular of the bunch is Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery, where you can sip its prize-winning varietals as you gaze out toward the Appalachians in one direction and row after row of grapevines in the other. If you can swing it, check out their delightful Sunday brunch, as there’ s typically live music and a food theme like Mediterranean cuisine or Southern barbecue.
Speaking of swinging it, if you want to get in 18 holes while you’ re there, be sure to reserve a tee time at the gorgeous Achasta Golf Club, designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus and home to several PGA Tour events over the years. Staying with the outdoor theme, there are ample hiking opportunities in the area, including treks to scenic waterfalls
Explore Georgia / Geoff Johnson