Blairsville is a small mountain town, the seat of Union County, and it sits in a bowl of the north Georgia hills at about 570 meters, in country that Georgians think of as the high mountains. The town square has an old courthouse and a few shops, and the surrounding roads lead to some of the best scenery in the state. In October the town holds the Sorghum Festival, a local tradition with syrup-making, music and crafts that draws crowds from across the region.
The hills around are a point of pride. Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia at 4,784 feet, rises a short distance to the southeast, with an observation tower on the summit and a view that reaches into four states on a clear day. Vogel State Park, one of the oldest in Georgia, was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, with a lake and stone buildings. Nearby, Neels Gap, a pass on US 19 and 129, is where the Appalachian Trail passes through a building, the stone Walasi-Yi center, now an outfitter, with hikers resting on the porch beneath Blood Mountain.
For riders, the roads here are excellent. US 129 and Georgia 180 climb through the pass, with tight bends and steep grades, and the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway winds down to Helen from the northern end, a short, twisting road with good views. Georgia 180, around Wolf Pen Gap, is another fine, quiet ride, and Suches and Lake Winfield Scott lie to the south. The surface is generally good, but cars drift across the centerline in some bends, and gravel and wet leaves are common.
Blairsville has fuel at several stations, a supermarket, diners and a handful of motels, so it makes a handy end to a day. Young Harris, a few kilometers north, is home to a small college, and Hiawassee has a lake and fairgrounds. The best seasons are late April, with fresh green and blossoms, and mid-October, when the whole range turns gold and red. Summer can be hot, with heavy thunderstorms, and winter brings occasional ice. Deer cross the roads at dusk, so slow down toward the end of the day.