Family Friendly

For the family looking for adventure, the whole family can take a step back in time to 1828 when the first gold rush began in the United States in Dahlonega by visiting places like the Consolidated Gold Mines, Crisson Gold Mine, and the Dahlonega Gold Museum. For the family looking for great meals, look no further than Dahlonega and its many delicious restaurants and eateries. Dahlonega most assuredly is a place that the whole family will enjoy! In Dahlonega, you can keep the family first!

For the family traveling North to get to Dahlonega, a likely stop before you get to the serene, natural beauty that is known as Dahlonega could be Amicalola Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi. Amicalola Falls is just eight miles from the southern end of the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. The next stop is the Chattahoochee National Forest. Here you will see scenic mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, and wildlife in their natural environment. Also, within the Chattahoochee National Forest, you will find many lakes and rivers available for fishing or searching for crawdads if that interests you. Along the trek to Dahlonega you will also find the Chestatee River where you can tube, kayak, canoe, trout fish, or fly fish—activities your family will find more than rewarding.

After all the sightseeing and adventuring, it’s time to tame that hungry appetite that you and your family have worked up. Since the plan is to keep adventuring, you might want to grab a quick bite for lunch. Maybe Gustavo’s Pizzeria might fit the bill with their delicious pizzas. Perhaps Picnic Café & Dessertery and their great soups and sandwiches might be more what you’re looking for. Another possibility could be The Front Porch with their scrumptious sandwich cuisine.

After lunch, it’s time to rent bikes and tour the city and our winding scenic mountain roads. Dahlonega Wheelworks or Lifetime Bikes would be a great place to do this. If bike-riding isn’t up your alley, perhaps you and your family could plan a walking tour with the National Historic Register District Tours. If you don’t want to plan a walking tour, you should stop by the Dahlonega Visitor’s Center to pick up brochures on walking trails.

Now that your family has spent the day adventuring, it’s time to shower up and get ready for a great dinner, but first you need to find the perfect place to stay. If you’re looking for cabins and cottages, Dahlonega is the place to go with numerous choices like the Bend of the River Cabins & Chalets, Dahlonega Cabins, and Yahoola Lodge to satisfy all your hearts desires. Maybe a hotel or motel is what your family is looking for. The Historic Smith House or Park Place Hotel might be what just what the doctor prescribed. No matter the choice, it’s clear that Dahlonega has all the lodging places you need to get a restful night sleep.

Now that you all are clean, it’s time to eat your perfect dinner on the town. If your family is interested in casual fine dining, the Corkscrew Café is great with their impressive list of wines and their bistro-style cuisine. If you aren’t in the mood for casual fine-dining, the Smith House might be what you’re looking for. The Smith House is Southern-cooking at its best with its finger-lickin fried chicken and delectable Southern sides. After dinner, you could catch a show at the historic Holly Theater with their renowned theatrical company performing one of their famous shows. With this exhausting day, it’s time to retire to the place of your choosing and prepare for another busy day.

After a relaxing night sleep, it’s time to arise to begin your journey through gold country. First, you should probably tour the Dahlonega Gold Museum to learn more about the history of gold in Dahlonega. The Gold Museum was built in 1836 and was once the Lumpkin County courthouse. This former courthouse is the oldest courthouse standing in Georgia! Next, your family should visit the Consolidated Gold Mines where everyone can enjoy underground mine tours, gold panning, and gemstone mining. Next, you should visit the Crisson Gold Mine for tours, gold panning, and the oldest 10-stamp mill in the state of Georgia.

Next, you should grab some lunch—The Oar House would be a great place to do this. Their contemporary, casual fine dining produces a great steak. Other possibilities for lunch include Dante’s on the Square, Caruso’s American Italian Restaurant, or Connie’s Ice Cream Parlor & Sandwich Shop. After lunch, it’s time to shop and gallery hop on the square with the family. With arts and crafts, jewelry, clothes, and antique stores the shops and galleries on the square are sure to keep your family occupied for hours on end. Shops on the square include The Fudge Factory, Picket Fence, Thomas & Company, The Humble Candle, Upstairs Downstairs, Dahlonega General Store, and many others.

Next, it’s time to enjoy another great meal on the town. Wonderful choices to eat include Wylie’s Restaurant for American cuisine, Piazza Italian Restaurant for contemporary Italian, Porter House for steaks, and the Crimson Moon Café for an intimate live music set with American cuisine. When you are finished with dinner, it would be a great idea to spend your evening at Yahoola Creek Park, burning off calories from your previous dinner with their enormous outdoor park with ball-fields, tennis courts, and hiking trails.

Day 3 arrives, but you still haven’t experienced everything Dahlonega has to offer the family. The Chestatee Wildlife Preserve is a great place to begin your day with a fun-filled look at exotic and domestic animals. It would also be a good idea to visit Wildlife Wonders which is a petting zoo for visitors of all ages. A must-see for the children is the Kangaroo Conservation Center which boasts the largest collection of kangaroos outside of Australia. With so many chances to see wildlife, the family is sure to make a day out of visiting all the wildlife parks. For lunch, you should visit one of the restaurants mentioned earlier that you didn’t have a chance to visit earlier. If you have a chance, another good place to visit if your family likes to shop would be the North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville. Also, you should visit one of the five beautiful, unique vineyards in Dahlonega. Your family will love Dahlonega—just don’t be surprised if you end up here full-time!