Have you ever made the trip to Lake Conasauga in the Cohutta Wilderness?  This is a great day trip from Ellijay or Blue Ridge, as well as north Atlanta.  The Conasauga Recreation Area is about 3000 feet in elevation, which makes for a nice retreat from the summer heat of Atlanta.  There are some very clean picnic areas, a small boat ramp, and designated campgrounds surrounding one side of the 19 acres Lake Conasauga, as well as a nice platform and roped area for swimming.  The North Georgia Mountains has some of the cleanest water in the southeast, so feel free to dip a toe in (and for my Florida and south GA/AL  friends… no gators!).

Three popular hiking trails branch from Lake Conasauga- The Songbird Trail is a 1.7 mile loop.  The Lake Trail is a one mile loop (around the lake) and the Tower Trail is 2.1 miles one-way.   The Tower Trail climbs to nearly 3700 feet to the old fire tower on Grassy Mountain.

Although Summer is one of my favorite times to visit, Spring and Fall bring some special sites- bird migrations, leaf colors and less crowds