Leave your city blues behind and travel off the beaten track to the mountains and lakes of northeast Georgia.  Meander down Scenic Hwy 197 where you can stop to have a morning biscuit, go trout fishing, shop for hand made regional arts and crafts, flowers, and native plants, experience fine dining, local entertainment, and stay at cozy bed and breakfasts, comfortable cabins, park your RV, or camp at Moccasin Creek State Park, or nearby Unicoi.  To visit the businesses along our scenic highway, click the links above.

Start in the historic town of Clarkesville where Hwy 197 heads north, or head west from Clayton and enjoy the beauty of Lakes Burton, Lake Rabun, and Lake Seed.  Or venture over from Alpine Helen and maybe you will see the occasional bear coming out of the woods.

Regional arts include pottery, painting, stained glass, woodcarving, rustic furniture, and other work of the many local artisans.  Lunch in historic Batesville and dine on the shores of Lake Burton.  Trout abound on the beautiful Soque River, and deer roam the woods. Tuck your head on your pillow after a long leisurely day and listen to the sounds of nature.  Northeast Georgia's Scenic Highway 197 invites you to enjoy it all.

Trout fishing July 2010 in the Soque river on Hwy 197. Click to enlarge.