Welcome to Foothills AHEC's Service Area!
On behalf of the Foothills AHEC staff, welcome to our beautiful region in northeast Georgia. We hope you enjoy your time here, both professionally and personally.
We've collected over 100 ideas for adventures in the 31 Foothills AHEC counties, plus some bonuses just outside our borders, to help you start planning your next day-cation. Whether you prefer the moutains or the lakes, quiet backroads or lively city sidwalks, Southern comfort food or modern fare, you can find it all in northeast Georgia.
Banks County:
Atlanta Dragway (Commerce)
Chimney Oaks Golf Club (Homer)
David & Katie’s Amish Store (Homer)
Barrow County:
Chateau Elan Golf Course, Winery, & Spa (Braselton)
Fort Yargo State Park (Winder)
Clarke County: (unified with the city of Athens)
AthFest every June (music and arts festival)
Beechwood Cinemas (dine in theatre)
Big Dogs on the River (kayaking)
Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall Sports Museum (UGA)
Creature Comforts Brewing Company
Georgia Museum of Art (UGA)
Georgia Theatre (concert venue)
Ovation Cinema 12 (dine in theatre)
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Twilight Criterium every May (cycling, 5K, music)
Your Pie brick oven pizza restaurants (originated in Athens)
Columbia County:
Feathered Friends Forever Parrot Sanctuary (Harlem)
Elbert County:
Elberton Granite Museum (Elberton, granite capital of world)
Georgia Guidestones, aka America’s Stonehenge (Elberton)
Nancy Hart Log Cabin (Elberton)
Franklin County:
Tugaloo State Park (Lavonia)
Ty Cobb Museum (Royston)
Victoria Bryant State Park (Royston)
Glascock County:
Mitchell Depot Historical Museum (Mitchell)
Greene County:
Lake Oconee (Greensboro)
The Yesterday Café (featured in Southern Living) (Greensboro)
Historic Scull Shoals Mill Village (ruins) (Greensboro)
Gwinnett County:
Mall of Georgia (Buford)
Mall of Georgia Regal Cinemas (Buford)
Washington Farms (Loganville)
Habersham County:
Tallulah Falls & Tallulah Gorge State Park (Tallulah Falls)
Hawg Wild BBQ & Catfish House (Clarkesville)
Old Clarkesville Mill (antique mall) (Clarkesville)
Hall County:
Atlanta Botanical Gardens: Gainesville (Gainesville)
Don Carter State Park (Gainesville)
Downtown (Gainesville)
Jaemor Farms Farmer’s Market (Alto)
Lake Lanier Islands Resort & Waterpark
North Georgia Canopy Zip Line Tours (Lula)
Road Atlanta (Braselton)
Hart County:
Center of the World historic site/monument (Hartwell)
Hartwell Lake (Hartwell)
Jackson County:
Crawford W. Long Museum (Jefferson)
Funopolis (arcade, laser tag, mini golf, bowling) (Commerce)
Hurricane Shoals Park (water, disc golf, covered bridge)(Maysville)
Jaemor Farms’ Deli (Commerce at Banks Crossing)
Shields-Ethridge Farm (outdoor agricultural museum) (Jefferson)
Tanger Outlets (Commerce at Banks Crossing)
Lincoln County:
Graves Mountain (rock collecting site) (Lincolnton)
Lumpkin County:
5 different vineyards & wineries (Dahlonega)
Dahlonega Gold Museum (Dahlonega)
Historic Downtown (Dahlonega)
Chestatee Overlook (north of Dahlonega)
Madison County:
Boutier Winery (Danielsville)
Watson Mill Bridge State Park (Comer)
McDuffie County:
The Rock House (National Register of Historic Places) (Thomson)
Morgan County:
The Caboose deli & ice cream shop (Rutledge)
Hard Labor Creek State Park (Rutledge)
Morgan County African-American Museum (Madison)
Oconee County:
Heritage Park (bike riding trails) (Farmington)
Herman C. Michael Park (disc golf) (Bishop)
University 16 Theatre (Athens)
Washington Farms (Watkinsville)
Oglethorpe County:
Goodness Grows nursery (Lexington)
Shaking Rock Park (Lexington)
Putnam County:
Georgia Writer’s Museum (Eatonton)
Rock Eagle (Eatonton)
Uncle Remus Museum (Eatonton)
Rabun County:
Black Rock Mountain State Park (Mountain City)
The Dillard House restaurant (Dillard)
Goats on the Roof (Tiger)
Richmond County:
Augusta National Golf Club (Home of the Masters) (Augusta)
The Bee’s Knees (tapas restaurant) (Augusta)
Stephens County:
Currahee Military Museum (Toccoa)
Currahee Mountain (Toccoa)
Traveler’s Rest State Park (Lolo)
Taliaferro County:
Crawfordville Historic District (film site of Sweet Home Alabama and other films) (Crawfordville)
Towns County:
Lake Chatuge (Hiawassee)
North Georgia Highlands Seafood Festival every June (Young Harris)
Union County:
Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games every June (Blairsville)
Blood Mountain (hiking) (Blairsville)
Brasstown Bald (hiking) (Blairsville)
Walton County:
Antiques Capital of Georgia, Walton County
Blue Willow Inn restaurant (Social Circle)
McDaniel Tichenor House (Monroe)
Skydive Monroe (Monroe)
Warren County:
Ogeechee River Mill (operating corn mill) (Warrenton)
Rock Mill Plantation historical site (reservation required) (Jewell)
Ogeechee River Car Museum (on Rock Mill Plantation) (Jewell)
Wilkes County:
Aonia Pass (motocross park) (Washington)
Robert Toombs House Historic Site (Washington)
White County:
Alpine Mini Golf Village (picnic area, gardens, mini golf) (Helen)
Anna Ruby Falls (Helen) (hiking)
Babyland General Hospital (Cabbage Patch Kids) (Cleveland)
Chattahoochee Stables (Sautee)
Cool River Tubing (Helen)
The Gourd Place Museum (Sautee)
Helen Tubing & Waterpark (Helen)
Unicoi Lodge Woods & Water Craft Show every June (Helen)
Bonuses: (through or near Foothills’ service area)
Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Atlanta, Fulton County)
Georgia’s Antebellum Trail Bicycle Route (multiple cities/counties)
Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites directory (Dept. of Natural Resources)
Atlanta Street Food & Music Festival every June (Stone Mountain, DeKalb County)
North Georgia Premium Outlets (Dawsonville, Dawson County)