Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail

This is the easiest walk in the Helen area, and one of the few with a history lesson at the end. The Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail follows the Chattahoochee River for about a mile between the Welcome Center side of town and Hardman Farm State Historic Site. Along the way, signs introduce the plants and animals of the river corridor and the heritage of an area people have lived in for more than a thousand years.

Parking is available at both ends, so you can start from either side and walk one way or both. Strollers and wheelchairs are fine here; nothing on the trail requires stairs or steep grades.

The Helen end is by the Welcome Center at 726 Bruckenstrasse; the trail leaves the busy shopping streets and runs beside the river. The Chattahoochee is a small stream here, close to its headwaters, and it's the main soundtrack. In fall, the trees along the bank turn gold and orange, which makes this a nice place to catch color without a drive. See our fall color guide for timing.

The trail is about a mile long, so allow 20 to 30 minutes each way at a relaxed pace. It closes at dusk, so don't start the return walk late. More parking tips for downtown are on our parking guide.

The 1870 Italianate mansion was built by Captain James Nichols. The family of Dr. Lamartine Hardman, Georgia's governor from 1927 to 1931, owned it last, and the property was donated to the state in 1999. The grounds also hold the Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound and a surviving stretch of the old Unicoi Turnpike. Dogs on leash are fine on the trails but not inside buildings. Our Hardman Farm guide has the full story.