Helen Free Activities

The Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail is the best free walk in town: a mile along the Chattahoochee, with signs about native plants, animals and local heritage, and no cars. You can start at the trailhead near the Welcome Center or at Hardman Farm State Historic Site (143 Highway 17), where the Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound is on the grounds. The trail is ADA accessible, pet friendly and closes at dusk. In summer you'll watch tubers float past, and in fall the trees along the bank turn first. Our trail guide has more.

For a harder walk from town, the Unicoi/Helen Trail runs about 3 miles each way to Unicoi State Park, for foot traffic only. If you park in Helen and walk in, you skip the state park's $10 parking fee; see our Helen to Unicoi guide for the trailheads.

Helen was rebuilt as an Alpine village starting around 1969, and the walk down Main Street is free entertainment on its own. Duck into Lindenhaus Imports (8669 N Main St, 706-878-2357) for cuckoo clocks, steins and nutcrackers, browse the toy shelves at Jolly's Toys (8800 N Main St), and watch the candy makers at Hansel and Gretel. The Glassblowing Shop shows flameworked and furnace glass. Shops keep their own hours, which shift with the season, so mid-morning is the safest time to find the doors open.

Just south of town, Nora Mill Granary still grinds with its original 1,500-pound French burr stones, powered by the river, and the store sells grits, cornmeal and flours. A little farther into the Sautee Valley, the Old Sautee Store is a general store with a market, and the visitors bureau lists the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia as free admission. For parking downtown, read our parking guide; it covers the free city lots.

The best free thing near Helen may be the Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway, a 40-mile loop on GA-17/75, GA-180 and GA-348 (the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway). It crosses Unicoi Gap at 2,940 feet and Hogpen Gap at 3,461 feet, where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road, and passes the turnoff for Brasstown Bald. Driving is free; going up Brasstown Bald is $10 per adult 16 and over. October is the best month for color, and cell signal is spotty on the mountain, so download a map first. See also our scenic drives guide.

Arrive before dark for the evening events and park in the outer lots, since streets close around the parade. More dates on the events calendar.

Sources: Georgia ParkPass, FIND Outdoors and the Forest Service pages for Dukes Creek Falls and Raven Cliff. Mount Yonah is a popular hike nearby; see our Mount Yonah page for the current trailhead details.