Helen Attractions & Things to Do

Helen, Georgia sits at roughly 1,450 feet elevation in the upper Chattahoochee River valley, cradled by the Blue Ridge Mountains on nearly every side. The little town is famous for its Alpine-themed downtown - every building dressed in Bavarian timber-and-stucco facades - but what keeps visitors coming back year after year is the sheer depth of things to do within a short drive. You can spend a morning watching 153-foot Anna Ruby Falls thunder into its mossy pool, eat lunch on Main Street while the Chattahoochee slides past your patio table, then end the afternoon standing on Georgia's highest point at Brasstown Bald with four states visible on the horizon. Few mountain towns anywhere in the Southeast pack this much variety into such a compact area.

Nature is the headliner here, and the numbers back it up. Unicoi State Park covers over 1,000 acres just two miles from the village center, Smithgall Woods protects another 5,600 acres of pristine trout streams and old-growth forest, and the surrounding Chattahoochee National Forest stretches across hundreds of thousands of acres of public land laced with hiking trails, waterfalls, and scenic overlooks. Raven Cliff Falls, Dukes Creek Falls, and the Richard Russell Scenic Highway are all within 15 to 20 minutes of Helen's Main Street. If you have ever wanted to explore the southern Appalachians without fighting big-city traffic to get to a trailhead, Helen is one of the best base camps you will find.

But the attractions are not all about quiet forest hikes. Helen is a genuinely fun place for families, couples, and groups looking for a little adventure. Kids light up at the gem mining flumes, where a few dollars and a screen sieve can turn up rubies, sapphires, and amethyst. The Georgia Mountain Coaster sends you hurtling through the tree canopy at whatever speed you dare. Tubing down the Chattahoochee through the middle of town is a summer rite of passage - lazy, cool, and ridiculously fun. And if you want something more off-the-beaten-path, there is gold panning in the same creeks that sparked the nation's first gold rush in 1828, horseback rides through mountain meadows, and zipline courses that let you soar hundreds of feet above the forest floor. Use the guides below to explore every attraction in detail and start building your itinerary.