Dark Skies in the North Georgia Mountains

Most people come to Helen for fall color and waterfalls, but the mountains put on a second show after dark. A 2016 study in Science Advances found that about 80 percent of North Americans can no longer see the Milky Way from home. Get above the town lights, onto a ridge, and you can see it again.

Gap elevations are from the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club. Brasstown fees are on the FIND Outdoors page.

At 4,784 feet you're above a lot of the haze and valley light, and the summit has open horizons in every direction. The summit trail is 0.6 mile, paved and very steep, and the shuttle only runs in the daytime, so most people set up near the parking area. Daytime staffed hours are 10 AM to 5 PM; FIND Outdoors says public access runs year-round but visitor services are seasonal, so ask the visitor center about night access before you commit to the drive. Expect it to be noticeably colder and windier than in Helen.

Hogpen Gap sits on GA-348, part of the Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway, at about 3,461 feet. The Appalachian Trail crosses here with parking, so you can step out of the car and look up. Town glow shows on the southeast horizon, so face the other way. It's a public road, so park fully off the pavement and keep headlights off once you're set up.

Meteor showers recur on the same dates each year, roughly the Perseids in mid-August, the Orionids in late October, the Leonids in mid-November and the Geminids in mid-December; the American Meteor Society publishes exact peaks each year. Pair a ridge drive with our fall color guide, and see wildlife watching for dusk drives.