Motorcycle Routes & Touring

Helen sits at the foot of some of north Georgia's best riding. In 20 minutes you can be on GA-348 climbing toward the Appalachian Trail, and in an hour you can be on Wolf Pen Gap Road. Come back at the end of the day and you've got restaurants, biergartens and beds a few steps from where you park. The routes below start from downtown Helen.

Times are estimates without traffic or stops; fall weekends run slower.

This is the nearest good road to Helen, and it's part of the byway loop. It climbs through the Chattahoochee National Forest past the Raven Cliff Falls and Dukes Creek Falls trailheads and tops out at Hogpen Gap, 3,461 feet, where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road. From there GA-180 leads toward the Brasstown Bald turnoff. See our Russell Scenic Highway page for stops.

Georgia State Parks singles out Wolf Pen Gap Road for fall scenery, and riders like it for the same reason: it's narrow, wooded and winding. It runs west from US-19/129 near Vogel State Park toward Suches, roughly 12 miles. Vogel's lake is drained for dam repairs this fall and its visitor center is under construction, so parking there is tight; the cabins and campsites are open. Watch for gravel in blind curves, especially after rain.

US-19/129 climbs from Dahlonega over Neel Gap toward Blairsville. At the top, the Appalachian Trail passes through the stone Mountain Crossings building, an outfitter and hiker resupply stop built in 1937 and open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. It makes an easy rest stop for riders. Our Blood Mountain page and Blairsville guide cover the area.