Helen, Georgia

As a child, we often camped in the Northeastern part of Georgia. Nestled there in the mountains was a small town with architecture inspired by Bavaria, Germany. I was intrigued by the lake for swimming and boating. One of my favorite waterfalls, Anna Ruby Falls, is a short drive and hike up the road from Helen.

As I age, the history and evolution of locations like Helen become interesting. Local plaques and sites about the area indicate that some of the earliest indigenous people were here. Intensive agriculture and monumental architecture from advanced native chiefdoms were right here. Early pioneers traveled by wagons to settle in the rich soil and valleys between the hills and mountains. Traders often bargained with Cherokee towns.

The Cherokee time ended when pioneers found gold in Dahlonega, Georgia, the site of the first gold rush in North America. The US government removed the Cherokees through the Trail of Tears, lumber was a hot commodity, and land barons rushed in. Helen was initially established as a lumber town and named for one of the men’s daughters.

Fast forward to the 1960s, and Helen was a small gateway town to the waterfalls and hiking splendor. Three businessmen met at a local restaurant to discuss ways to encourage tourists to stop as they passed through. A friend of one of the business people was an artist, John Kollock, who had often visited family in the area. John took pictures and came back with sketches based on his memory of his time served in the military in Germany. The small town tucked into a mountain valley reminded him of his visits to small Bavarian towns with similar geography. The sketches and ideas were well received, and Helen reinvented itself. By that fall, visitors driving through had a new look at the town. Many of the buildings had fake facade fronts added. New merchants came as the traffic grew.

Helen became a tourism destination instead of just a stop on the map to fuel up before going into the mountains. Everything you could want in a tourist trap is now available. Weekend visitors from Atlanta pack the streets. Tubing on the river is cold, quick, and fun. If you prefer, you can sip a beer and watch people get caught on the one big rock. Watching it is comical and challenging to get off that rock while in a tube.

The last two times I went, I had to park blocks off the main square for $10 as many locals have converted side yards into parking lots. September kicks up with a large tent with big bands complete with tubas and accordions, lederhosen, and lots of beer for Oktoberfest. The fall leaf changes bring out the nature lovers who cruise the mountains during the day. Christmas is gorgeous in Helen, with lights on everything that does not move. The spring is lovely with small gardens all over the town. The first weekend in June hosts an annual hot-air balloon race. One year, one balloon lost air and landed in the tree right over our heads.

I have eaten at most restaurants in Helen and will not recommend to you for food. The locations by the river provide lovely views of people tubing. I went in the summer of 2022, and the lines were prohibitive. Everyone had signs in the window for help.

As a friendly suggestion, if you are headed that way and want to avoid traffic, bypass Helen on Georgia Alt 75. The main street through town is Georgia Highway 75. Expect to stop while driving on Hwy 75 as tourists jam the frequent crosswalks.

Thanks for the historical information to Chris Brooks & David Grear, Co-Authors "Images of America — Helen", 2012