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15 Best Things to Do in Dahlonega, Georgia

Dahlonega is a destination in the heart of the North Georgia Mountains, where year-round weddings, waterfall and wildlife viewing, and world-renowned cycling events take place. Enjoy live music and theatre, local shopping and dining, historic museums and tours and seasonal festivals.

By Locations UnknownPublished 3 years ago 11 min read
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Guests and locals enjoy outstanding art and gold medal wineries, original architecture and gold history attractions, a Golden Bear Golf Course and the University of North Georgia with its signature golden bell tower.

Dahlonega is a destination in the heart of the North Georgia Mountains, where year-round weddings, waterfall and wildlife viewing, and world-renowned cycling events take place.

Enjoy live music and theatre, local shopping and dining, historic museums and tours and seasonal festivals.

Here's a quick rundown of the Best Things to Do in Dahlonega, Georgia

Chestatee Wildlife Preserve and Zoo

Chestatee Wildlife Preserve and Zoo is a wildlife reserve and petting zoo that houses a wide variety of animals and birds, from white Siberian tigers, African lions and grizzly bears to zebras, elks and emus.

Admission & Hours

Admission:

Age 12 and older $15

Age 11 and younger $10

(under 12 months free)

Feed Bags $5 each

You will see all the animals!

Cash is preferred.

Visa, MC, AX, Discover are accepted.

Pets are not permitted for their own safety.

Saturday 10 am to 4 pm

Sunday 10 am to 4 pm

Monday 10 am to 4 pm

Tuesday 10 am to 4 pm

Wednesday 10 am to 4 pm

Thursday 10 am to 4 pm

Friday 10 am to 4 pm

Dahlonega Consolidated Gold Mine

Plan your visit to the largest Hard Rock gold mine east of the Mississippi River and it is located right in Dahlonega, Georgia!

The gold mine, founded in 1896, focused on the removal of gold trapped in quartz veins throughout the property.

Go 200 feet underground and over 100 years back to the past to experience life as a turn-of-the-century gold digger.

Their guide demonstrates how miners blasted quartz veins to discover vast gold deposits.

After your underground tour, their miners will teach you how to dig for gold and you will have a chance to hit it rich.

They offer gold panning, gemstone mining, gemstone cutting and more all year round and rain or shine.

So if you're looking for activities in Dahlonega, visit Consolidated Gold Mines, North Georgia's only underground gold mining tour.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

RAIN OR SHINE

Holiday Hours

Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED

Christmas Eve – 10am – 1pm

Christmas Day- CLOSED

ALL Other Holidays – OPEN with posted hours

Located at 185 Consolidated Gold Mine Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533

Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site, Dahlonega, Georgia

The Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site is a historic site in Georgia located in Dahlonega that commemorates America's first gold rush and mining history in Lumpkin County.

The museum is located in the historic Old Lumpkin County Courthouse, which was built in 1836 and is located in the center of the town square. Wikipedia

Hours

Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.–4:45 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m.–4:45 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's Day.

Admission s

Adults: $8.50

Seniors: $8.00

Youth (7–17): $6.00

Children (6 & under): Free

Group rates & tours available with advance notice.

State Park overnight guests receive:

Two dollars off

Group Rates Admission

Adults: $7.00

Youth (7–17): $4.00

Children (6 & under): $3.00

Phone Numbers

Historic Site 706-864-2257

Address 1 Public Square Dahlonega, GA 30533 Lumpkin County

GPS Coordinates

N 34.532700 | W -083.984933

Lake Zwerner Trail

This hiking trail and small picnic area is located north of downtown Dahlonega on Morrison Moore Parkway East. Yahoola Creek Reservoir provides most of the water supply in the city of Dahlonega along with a great recreational area. The lake offers fishing, hiking trails on the lake and picnic areas.

Lake Zwerner was named after the Zwerner family, in recognition of their collaboration with the city of Dahlonega and the Lumpkin County to make the Yahoola reservoir possible.

Dahlonega Walking Tours, Dahlonega, Georgia

Are you Looking for things to do this weekend? Dalohnega Walking Tours, They offer wine tasting, historical ghost tours, wine tours and pub tours in the heart of charming Dahlonega.

Let yourself be put in the holiday mood on cozy veranda with a glass of crispy, tasty wine! Grapes and Ghosts Tasting Room represents Georgia Winery in Ringgold Georgia.

Discover the surprisingly aromatic wines of the oldest and most famous winery in the Chattanooga Valley - The Georgia Winery and Vineyards.

The Georgia Winery, founded in 1983, is the first of its kind in Georgia and the only winery in northwest Georgia.

Historic Walking Tour

Every Saturday and Sunday

11:30 am

Grapes and Ghosts Wine Tour

​Every Friday 5:00 pm & Saturday 5:30 pm

Historic Ghost Tour

Every Friday and Saturday Nights

8:00 pm

Boos and Brews Pub Crawl

Every Friday & Saturday 8:30 pm

ADDRESS

19 East Main Street

Upstairs Porch Suite F

Dahlonega, GA 30533

[email protected]

Cane Creek Falls

Cane Creek Falls is located on the grounds of Camp Glisson and is open to the public during daylight hours, except when the camp is in session. Cane Creek Falls is an 85-foot waterfall created at the intersection of Fall and Rockhouse Creeks and is the largest waterfall in the park.

Places to Stay

Whether you stay one night or a whole week, a visit to Dahlonega means relaxing nights of charm and hospitality for those looking for a soothing escape. From romantic getaways to campsites where you can sleep under the starry sky, Dahlonega offers a wide range of activities.

Location

865 Camp Glisson Rd. Dahlonega GA 30533

Phone (706) 864-6181

Georgia's Dragon - The Suches Loop

The route runs through the Blue Ridge Mountains and Chattahoochee National Forest, and circles the foot of Georgia's Blood Mountain.

This is an exceptionally beautiful area in autumn, when the foliage turns into a picturesque carpet of red, gold and green.

And you'll have incredible views up there as you pass three mountain passes along the way: Neel's Gap, Hester Gap and Stonepile Gap.

At the intersection of SR60 and 180 are two outstanding motorcycle resources. is a great bike restaurant and motorcycle hostel that serves a fine burger and friendly service.

On the other side is Dale's, the place where most bikes stop for refuelling and bikers for caffeine.

There are several stops along the route where you can stop and enjoy the view.

Bratzeit

Bratzeit is known for being an excellent German restaurant. They offer several other cuisines, including European, German and continental.

Bratzeit is a family-owned German and Swiss restaurant that serves traditional Swiss-German cuisine such as fondue, bratwurst, raclette and schnitzel, as well as weekly specialties and a variety of desserts.

The authentic cuisine is accompanied by a wide selection of German beers such as King Ludwig Hefeweizen, Warsteiner Pilsner and Warsteiner Dunkel on tap.

Phone: (706) 867-7741

Monday closed

Tuesday closed

Wednesday closed

Thursday 12:00PM - 07:00PM

Friday 12:00PM - 07:00PM

Saturday 12:00PM - 07:00PM

Sunday 12:00PM - 3:00PM

[email protected]

Historic Smith House Inn, Dahlonega, Georgia

Smith House in the picturesque Appalachian town of Dahlonega, Georgia, has been open to visitors since 1899.

One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of southern hospitality here. Sit back and enjoy their homemade country cuisine in the family dining area and you will see what we are talking about.

Relax for a weekend in one of our comfortable yet luxurious rooms and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of Dahlonega. Take a hike. Ride a bike.

The Smith House Operating Hours

Dec. 26th Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Lunch and Dinner

Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Lunch and Dinner

Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Friday & Saturday 11 a.m-8 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

North Georgia Astronomical Observatory, Dahlonega, Georgia

North Georgia Astronomical Observatory is a night sky observatory associated with the University of North Georgia.

They offer free night sky observations to the general public every clear Friday and Saturday night.

The North Georgia Astronomical Observatory at the University of North Georgia is open every evening Monday through Saturday under clear skies. We are closed on Sundays.

Picnic Café and Dessertery, Dahlonega, Georgia

Picnic Café and Dessertery is a small and picturesque café in the heart of the city of Dahlonega.

They are a great place to relax, enjoy a delicious lunch and finish off with one of our homemade desserts. Their mission is to make sure that every customer leaves happy and with a full stomach!

Picnic Cafe and Dahlonega Dessertery is unique. It is locally owned by Sam and Julia Norton, who started Picnic after their very own family recipes, which they still use today!

They have everything from chicken salad to beautiful cakes.

The Crisson Gold Mine

The Crisson Gold Mine is a real open-pit gold mine founded in 1847 and operated commercially until the early 1980s.

The Crisson gold mine was first opened to the public in 1969, when its main operation was open-pit mining. Mining stopped in the early 1980's, but now Crisson serves as education and supplier to gold enthusiasts. Come and explore the site and learn more about gold mining techniques and try your hand at gold panning.

they have instructors that are ready and willing to help each and every person ” Children and Adults” find some of their very own Gold.

They offer special rates for groups of 20 or more:

  • school groups
  • tour buses
  • Senior groups
  • boy & girl scout troups
  • birthday parties
  • church groups
  • summer camps

Chestatee River Adventures, Dahlonega, Georgia

Enjoy a relaxing and enjoyable ride on the Chestatee River in Dahlonega, Georgia. Chestatee River Adventures, offer both an inflatable and a kayak ride, which is fun for families of all sizes and ages.

The adventure company offers guided river tours in kayaks or tubes, ranging from one-kayaks and two-person tandem kayaks to one-kayaks and rubber tubes.

Visitors can also use their equipment, and the company offers a shuttle service to and from the base camp, which is located just 3 miles from the city limits of Dahlonega.

Kayaks for $25 and sit on the top tandem, two-person kayaks for $45.

They offer a shuttle for those of you with your own equipment to take out for just $5.

Location

2718 S. Chestatee St./Hwy. 60

Dahlonega GA 30533

Phone

(770) 540-9950

Rates

Rate: $Call or See Website

Hours of Operation

Monday : 9:00am - 4:00pm

Tuesday : 9:00am - 4:00pm

Wednesday : 9:00am - 4:00pm

Thursday : 9:00am - 4:00pm

Friday : 9:00am - 4:00pm

Saturday : 9:00am - 4:00pm

Sunday : 9:00am - 4:00pm

The Dahlonega Farmers Market

The Dahlonega Farmers Market is a weekly event that brings residents to the downtown business district.

It promotes a sense of community and offers customers fresh, locally grown produce, while offering farmers from Lumpkin and surrounding counties a way to sell agricultural produce.

All items on the market are locally grown and seasonal. Buy locally grown plants such as vegetables, garden, landscape and indoor plants in May. With the beginning of summer, you can buy seasonal vegetables and fruit, as well as jams, jellies and pastries made with local ingredients.

Contact (706) 482-2707

Location

Hancock Park, North Meaders Street & Warwick Street, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533

Three Sisters Vineyards

Relaxed and fun, Three Sisters Vineyards is a favorite destination for wine lovers visiting the North Georgia Mountains and Dahlonega-Lumpkin County, the heart of Georgia's wine country. A large cherry wood tasting bar with a distinctive collection of southern folk art and ceramics offers a variety of tastings inside.

Three Sisters Vineyards is proud to be the First Family Farm Winery of Dahlonega and the founding winemakers of Lumpkin County. The beauty and history of the vineyards of North Georgia Mountain awaits you in the only place that TurnerSouth calls Best Winery In The South, Three Sisters Vineyards.

Three Sisters Vineyards

240 Vineyard Way, Dahlonega, GA 30533, US

(706) 865-9463

Hours

Open today

01:00 pm – 05:00 pm

Thursday - Saturday: 11am 5pm

Sunday 1pm-5pm

Frogtown Winery

Experience the ultimate in Georgia winery wines. They have won 50 medals at major California competitions alone. Are you looking for a great way to spend the afternoon? You will feel in the heart of the wine country when you sit and experience the fine wines, food and vineyards. Frogtown was recently described by Napa Sonoma Magazine as one of the most beautiful vineyards outside California. More than 20 wines are available for tasting! Bring a friend and enjoy the day. Special dinners, brunches and events.

Hours of Operation

Winter Hours:

Monday - Thursday 12:00PM - 5:00PM

Friday: 12:00PM - 6:00PM

Saturday 10:30AM - 6:00PM

Sunday 11:00AmM - 6:00PM

Serving Lunch Thursday - Sunday

Thursday: Panini Menu

Friday & Saturday: Winter Bistro Menu

Sunday: Winter Sunday Bistro Menu including Brunch served until 3:00PM

Here's a quick rundown of the

The Best Things to Do in Dahlonega, Georgia:

1. Chestatee Wildlife Preserve and Zoo

2. Dahlonega Consolidated Gold Mine

3. Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site

Romantic things to do in dahlonega, ga

4. Lake Zwerner Trail

5. Dahlonega Walking Tours

6. Cane Creek Falls

Things to do in dahlonega at night

7. Georgia's Dragon - The Suches Loop

Dahlonega, ga restaurants

8. Bratzeit

9. Historic Smith House Inn

10. North Georgia Astronomical Observatory

11. Picnic Café and Dessertery

12. The Crisson Gold Mine

13. Chestatee River Adventures

14. The Dahlonega Farmers Market

15. Three Sisters Vineyards

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Locations Unknown

Locations Unknown is a travel resource that covers destinations all around the world. Content is written by several freelance writers/travelers based on their own experiences and/or researching the web. www.locations-unknown.com

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