Your Guide to Helen

Helen sits in White County, in the Blue Ridge foothills along the upper Chattahoochee River. It began as a sawmill town around 1910, and after the timber ran out it shrank to a handful of concrete-block buildings. In 1968, a group of local businessmen took artist John Kollock's advice and decided to remake the business district as a Bavarian village. Zoning adopted in 1969 requires the southern German style on every building, and the half-timbered look you see today is the result.

The town is small: the 2020 census counted 531 residents. But there's a lot packed in. Anna Ruby Falls, Unicoi and Smithgall Woods are all within 20 minutes, Brasstown Bald is about 40, and Oktoberfest, which the Helen Chamber of Commerce bills as the longest-running in the United States, runs for about eight weeks every fall. Here's how to find your way around.

Planning a couples weekend, a family trip or a solo escape? Start with the categories below. For practical details on getting here, parking and when to visit, see our visitor planning hub.