A slow day
Mercier Orchards21 min · 12 miEnormous family orchard with a bakery, cider bar and hard-cider tasting. Fried hand pies are the thing people drive back for. U-pick runs May through October. Go on a weekday if you can.
Lake Blue Ridge Marina18 min · 9 miPontoon rentals by the half or full day on a 3,300-acre lake. Book ahead in summer. Closed Wednesdays.
Mountain Mama's Coffee Lounge19 min · 11 miDowntown coffee shop open 7 to 7, unusual for Blue Ridge, where most places shut by five.
A town day
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway19 min · 11 miThe four-hour trip runs to McCaysville with a two-hour layover on the state line. The two-hour version skips the layover. The four-hour is the better trip. It sells out, so book ahead.
Main Street on foot19 min · 11 miShops, the depot, and most of the eating and drinking within a few blocks. The whole downtown is walkable once you park.
Blue Ridge Distillery20 min · 11 miTasting flight across rum, vodka, brandy and moonshine. Non-alcoholic slushies too, so it works with kids along.
A river day
Two very different rivers. The Toccoa is a lazy float twenty minutes away. The Ocoee is Olympic whitewater and a full day.
Toccoa River Tubing Company22 min · 13 miMcCaysville. Shuttle up, float back down, roughly an hour on the water. Weekends only, and the last shuttle leaves mid-afternoon.
Ocoee River rafting65 min · 41 miThe 1996 Olympic whitewater course, in Tennessee. Outfitters cluster along US-64. Dam-released, so it only runs on scheduled days. Check the release calendar before booking.
Toccoa River Anglers13 min · 7 miGuided fly fishing for trout, based right here in Mineral Bluff. Beginners welcome, gear supplied.
A big adventure day
Everything worth the drive is 40 to 70 minutes out. Pick one and make a day of it.
Fall Branch Falls39 min · 22 miThe nearest real waterfall. About half a mile in, steep in places, with a viewing deck at the base. Parking is tight. Go early.
Amicalola Falls State Park65 min · 46 miThe tallest waterfall in the Southeast at 729 feet. Over 600 stairs between bottom and top.
Brasstown Bald65 min · 42 miThe highest point in Georgia, with a 360-degree observation deck. Seasonal hours. It can be twenty degrees colder at the top.
Swinging Bridge on the Toccoa60 min · 26 miA suspension footbridge reached by a short walk from the lot. Three miles of rough unpaved road to the trailhead. Not for a low car.
A rainy day
Rain on a covered porch is its own argument for staying put. The game room is downstairs.
Swan Drive-In21 min · 12 miA 1955 drive-in still running, with a diner attached. Rain does not close it. Rent the radio.
2nd Story Entertainment19 min · 11 miIndoor mini golf built through the rooms of an old house above Main Street.
The breweries20 min · 11 miGrumpy Old Men, Angry Hops and Tipping Point are all indoors and a short walk apart.
Blue Ridge Community Theater20 min · 12 miLocal productions and touring music. Check what is on before you drive down.
A day with kids
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway19 min · 11 miOpen-air cars, a snack car and guided commentary. Get there early if you want to sit together.
The Lilly Pad Village29 min · 17 miGem mining, a stocked fishing pond and mini golf on one site. Open Thursday through Sunday.
Cohutta Cove Mini Golf and Gem Mining20 min · 12 miOutdoor course with a long gem-mining sluice. Closer to town and open more days.
Swan Drive-In21 min · 12 miKids can watch from a blanket in front of the screen while you stay in the car.
A night out
Blue Ridge is not a late town. Most kitchens stop around eight or nine.
Harrah's Cherokee Valley River32 min · 20 miCasino and hotel across the line in Murphy, North Carolina. Several restaurants, open when nothing else is.
Black Sheep20 min · 12 miDinner downtown with a fire pit out front under the oaks. Closed Mondays. Reserve.
Grumpy Old Men Brewing20 min · 12 miBeer and a big outdoor pavilion. Karaoke on Thursday nights.
For festivals and live music while you are here, the county keeps a running calendar at blueridgemountains.com/events.
