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Scenic drives
The state's best drives split into honest groups: the lake roads close to home and the mountain byways an hour or two north. Every route on this page is a real public road, and every named stop is a real, verified place; nothing here is invented.
I'll tell you what I'd do if it were my house: keep a half-day drive in your back pocket for a Saturday, and save a mountain loop for when a full day actually happens. Road and weather conditions change, so check the sources before you go.
The drives
Each card names the road and the shape of the day. Where a full drive guide exists, the numbered stops, distances, and schedules are one link over.
Buford Dam Road, out of Buford
The easiest scenic drive from the north Atlanta side: up Buford Dam Road to the dam overlooks and the Corps day-use parks, with Lanier Islands a short drive up the shore. Half a day, no mountains required.
The Buford and Lake Lanier guideI-985 and US 129 north from Gainesville
The classic one-day mountain trip: about an hour up the highway and through Gainesville into Helen, with Unicoi State Park and Anna Ruby Falls at the far end.
Full drive guideUS 129 and 19 with GA 60 and 180 through the gaps
The mountain drive locals brag about: the switchbacks over Blood Mountain at Neels Gap, then the GA 60 and 180 loop through Suches and the gaps of the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Full drive guideThe National Scenic Byway loop near Helen
About 40 miles of designated National Scenic Byway through the Chattahoochee National Forest, past Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest point, and Raven Cliff Falls. A full day, best in the fall color season.
A Blairsville-based day on the routeFrom Clarkesville north along Lake Burton
The state's officially designated scenic highway runs north from Clarkesville past Batesville and Moccasin Creek State Park along Lake Burton, a quieter alternative to the Helen crowds.
General route, check conditions
Tallulah Gorge and the falls beyond
The Tallulah Gorge overlooks, Minnehaha Falls beyond, and Clayton for lunch, a full mountain day out of north Georgia, best in spring for the fullest water.
Full drive guideGA 52 east of Ellijay
Ellijay's apple corridor runs the length of GA 52 East, with the u-pick season between September and early November and the orchards lining the road for miles.
Full drive guideGainesville to Gainesville through the mountains
The full mountain circuit through Helen, Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Jasper, and Dahlonega, roughly 180 to 200 miles of driving: a full day, best saved for peak color.
Full drive guideDay trips with the whole route
Seven of these drives are built out stop by stop in the drive guides, with the distances, the drive times, and a schedule that fits a day. The u-pick season has its own dedicated day trip at the orchards.
How to use these
Pick one drive and do it slowly, not two drives fast. The half-day shoreline run works on a Saturday with a pool open or not; the mountain loops want a full day and an early start, especially in the fall color season.
Before you go
Roads close for weather, construction, and events; mountain passes ice in winter, and the fall color weekends bring traffic. Check the Georgia DOT 511 site, the forecast, and the park or attraction's own page before you leave.
Every route here runs on public roads in a normal vehicle. None of them needs a four wheel drive or a reservation; the parks along the way may take a day-use fee.
Routes are drawn from published sources: the Georgia DOT scenic byway designation, Explore Georgia, the US Forest Service, and the Corps of Engineers. Distances and drive times are estimates and change with traffic, weather, and work zones. Everything on this page is an editorial recommendation, not a guaranteed condition; verify before you go. Updated September 23, 2026. This is an editorial page of CityGuideGA, not a listings site, and carries no property material.