The Blue Ridge Region of Georgia

The Blue Ridge region covers the entire northeastern corner of the state and is named for the Blue Ridge Mountain range that extends into the area. Georgia’s tallest mountain, Brasstown Bald, is located here, as is Springer Mountain, the southernmost terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

The Blue Ridge receives the most precipitation of all the regions in Georgia and hosts the headwaters of the Savannah, Chattahoochee, and Coosa Rivers. Because of abundant rainfall and elevated slopes, soil erosion occurs frequently and farmland is consequently scarce.

The counties of Habersham, Rabun, and Lumpkin are found in the Blue Ridge region. Lumpkin County is especially known for the city of Dahlonega, which was the center of the first major gold rush in the United States.

The Blue Ridge region has mineral deposits of marble, granite, gneiss, feldspar, and mica. But it is probably best known for pockets of gold discovered in the 1800s.

Marble is a metamorphosed limestone that is characterized by extreme hardness. It has a long history of usage in the state, supported by Native American archaeological finds from as early as the 1400s. Marble is still mined today in Pickens County, Georgia.

Over sixty percent of the monuments built in Washington, DC, including the Lincoln Memorial, were made from Georgia marble.

Known as the element “Au” on the periodic table, gold is a yellow, malleable metal that effectively conducts electricity and does not tarnish. Due to these and other qualities, gold is considered one of the most valuable metals on earth.

Gold is used to make electronics, jewelry, and dental crowns and fillings. The 1828 discovery of gold in Georgia led to the state’s historic gold rush and the ultimate removal of the Cherokee people who owned the land at that time.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are the namesake for the Blue Ridge region of Georgia. A province of the extensive Appalachian Mountain system, the Blue Ridge is the highest mountain range in the state.

Originally called Shaconage or "the land of blue smoke" by the Cherokee people who first inhabited the area, the Blue Ridge Mountains paint a beautiful picture across the horizon.

We now know that water molecules and natural hydrocarbon particles in the air help to scatter the light a hazy blue, but the view is still magical.

The Appalachian Trail begins at its southernmost terminus on Springer Mountain in the Blue Ridge region of Georgia and extends all the way north into Maine. The trail is 2,200 miles long.

The city of Dahlonega has a very rich and complex history and is considered to be the starting point of Georgia’s gold rush. In 1838, a branch of the United States Mint began operating in Dahlonega and by 1861, it had produced more than 1.5 million gold coins.

Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in the state, is located in the Blue Ridge region. It stands 4,784 feet above sea level and is surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Did you know that the Blue Ridge region is home to countless waterfalls and whitewater rapids?

Amicalola Falls is the largest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Standing 725 feet tall, this Blue Ridge waterfall is considered to be one of Georgia’s seven natural wonders.