Venue Smithgall Woods State Park ( Smithgall Cottages) 5 out of 5 stars After copious amounts of research and several venue tours, we decided on Smithgall Woods state park, and more specifically the cottages as the venue for our wedding on June 8th. We just have to say we loved the team we worked with at Smithgall, mainly Todd, Patty, and Art. Todd at Guestservices was simply fantastic! As he will be quick to mention "the venue sells itself", however having him as our man on the inside was a pretty huge selling point on its own. He was with us every step of the way to answer our plethora of questions, work with vendors, and generally keep our minds at ease. Honestly, I doubt the wedding weekend would have gone as smoothly and been as much of a success had it not been for Todd's guidance and cooperation. The venue is magical. I know how that sounds, but it's the truth. It's tucked away deep in the beautiful North Georgia mountains, surrounded by a lush forest teaming with wildlife. This majestic property consists of five "cottages", in quotations because they are more like log cabin style mansions. The two largest being; the expansive 4 bedroom 4.5 bathroom cottage called the Smithgall Cottage, and the even larger 5 bedroom 5 bathroom Dover cottage. The Creekside Cottage is 3 bedrooms, and The Laurel and Garden cottages are one bedroom cottages with hot tubs on secluded side porches. All the cottages were clean, modern, and a huge hit with our guests. We were able to house both our families, close friends and wedding party all on the same property. Which saved us a great deal on lodging. Which after factoring in the cost of rooms made this one of the more affordable wedding venues out there. Also you get it for the whole weekend!!! We used the Smithgall Cottage for our wedding location due to the large wrap around porch and decks, and also due to the picturesque, covered foot bridge under which flows a gorgeous champion trout stream. We had some difficulty deciding where on this property to hold our ceremony because it is simply lovely all over. Unfortunately, the record rainfall that weekend made the decision for us. Even though the storms limited our use of the enormous field in front of the Dover cottage, and the gardens next to Smithgall we still were able to comfortably host our 50 or so guests and dozen vendors, at the Smithgall Cottage and our ceremony and reception went along wonderfully. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone wishing to have a once in a lifetime event at a once in a lifetime location. read more

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I came here to see the covered bridge, but discovered they have so much more. THE SCENE Smithgall Woods may not be someplace Georgians are familiar with, unless you are an avid hunter or trout fisherman. It was once private property that was gifted to the state by conservationist Charles A. Smithgall Jr. in 1994. A large section still remains private property for the Smithgall family, but what was gifted is a treasure trove of beautiful mountains, streams, meadow fields and wetlands. I began my solo hike around 12:15pm from the Visitors Center. There I was given a map and a few brief highlights of points of interest, like the waterfalls and gold mine. I then set off one what turned out to be a 4.5 hour adventure. Probably not the smartest of ideas since I had surgery just three weeks ago. But I was tired of resting around the house and desperately wanted to get out and do something. Besides, nature brings a calmness to my inner being and allows me to relax my mind in ways I just can't at home. It was a perfect day with perfect temperatures for hiking. In my entire time there, I only ran across one other human. ----- THE HIKE Inside the Visitor's Center is a gift shop and small wildlife museum of the nature plants and animals. I walked down the paved Tsalaki Trail towards the Cathy Ellis Trail (approximately 2.6 mile away). The trail starts off as a fairly steep incline. Along the way I saw a sign saying "caution - bees". I thought that was a curious warning until I noticed the white honey bee houses in the woods nearby. Next came the wetlands with a one mile looping trail and a boardwalk into the marshes. Here you have a strong possibility of seeing a beaver at work on a dam. I decided to save this area for my return hike and I'm glad I did. My energy on the return leg was running very low and I needed the benches here for a nice long rest. I reached the covered bridge about 37 minutes after leaving the visitors center. It was a real beauty made in the simple Town Lattice style. The memorial plaque at the entrance was titled "Bay's Bridge In loving memory of 'Bay' Elizabeth Smithgall Watts", whom died the year the land for the state park was gifted. It crosses the amazing mountain stream known as Duke's Creek. The creek from here will be a large part of your journey. The trail turns to gravel just past the bridge. MARTIN'S MINE was one of the first Gold mines in Georgia. Most of the mining occurred from 1829 to 1935. By the 1840's most of the easy gold was gone and hard mining began. Miners dug tunnels and shafts to remove ore from deep underground. You can still see some of the entrances and shafts. The trail is well marked with numbers, so be sure to pick up the Mining Trail brochure at the Visitor's Center to help you decode the locations. There is a spur trail off the Martin's Mine loop that takes you to a waterfall used for hydraulic mining, which began in the 1850's. It is an uphill hike, but the waterfall is very nice. Back on the main trail I traveled another 1/2 mile to Cathy Ellis Trail. This 1/2 mile trail starts off uphill, but once you reach the shelter it's all downhill from there. The trail ends at the beautiful Chunannee waterfall (which means friendship). Lots of vegetation on this portion of the hike. This land was once the home of Lucy Bryant, a Cherokee Indian widow whom was granted this 640 acre parcel in the Treaty of 1817. But by 1839 the Trail of Tear forced all Cherokee Indians off their land to relocate in Oklahoma. They curiously chose to name the trail after a 19 year old girl who fell over a waterfall in a different county altogether instead of the Indian widow Lucy. I don't get that, but whatever. The waterfall here is beautiful. I sat here about 25 minutes resting and admiring its beauty and feeling sad for the ancient Cherokee Indian nation. I arrived here approx. 2.5 hours after I began my journey from the visitors center. NOTE: Prior to arriving at the Cathy Ellis trail there is another steep incline, similar to the one near the Visitor's Center. ----- FINAL THOUGHTS In total I hiked approximately 7.5 miles today. I would normally have done this in probably 3 hours, but I tried to go at an easier pace since I'm still recovering from surgery. I allowed myself plenty of places to sit and rest, the most enjoyable of them being the waterfall on the Cathy Ellis Trail. Smithgall Woods State Park is indeed a wonderful place for those who love nature and peaceful hiking venues. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND giving them a visit. read more

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The address is not good. Through Helen and then turn on 75 alternate.. Several miles further on 75 alternate. Worthwhile once you find it. read more

This park is beautiful. There is no driving through, you have to park at the visitor center and walk on one of their many hiking trails. This is a definate plus. Pick up the interpretive guide at the center, and learn about the history of gold mining. Martin's Mine trail has an interpretive guide that tells you all about it. This park also offers up some of the best trout fishing in the area. Dukes Creek flows through the state grounds. Don't miss this glorious piece of nature. read more

Great State Park that you have to explore on foot or by bicycle. Scenic Dukes Creek flows through the park. Cars not allowed beyond the parking lot. Moderate hills to be climbed throughout the park. We were there for Pioneer Days, and there was live music and vendors set up with wares and demonstrations including blacksmithing, apple cider pressing, woodworking, etc. It was a beautiful day in one of our favorite parks. read more

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Women for The Woods Weekend outdoor exploration for women. This is the highlight of the Fall season for me: getting out of the city and into one of the most beautiful parks in the Southeast. There are an assortment of classes: archery, tree climbing, shooting, cooking over a fire, medicinal herb class, mushroom class, stream ecology. The classes are different every year. You choose three that interest you and participate on Saturday. There is a campfire and dinner that night then camping on the grounds.This year we had an interesting night hike. Sunday we went birdwatching early and had a Yoga class to get the kinks out before leaving this peaceful place. Great instructors! Wonderful Ranger and instructor Johnna Tuttle! New friends! Peace read more

One of my favorite State park in Helen (there is also Unicoi in Helen), many trails here, one of my favorite is the Martin Mine trail, holes in the ground where they mined for gold, and also in the back is a nice cascading waterfall, much larger than the waterfall on Cathy Ellis trail. Every time I come here I always bought a jar of honey, they have honey bees at Smithgall Woods, it's the wildflower honey. The staff here is always been friendly (most remembers who I am, haha) and helpful. read more

This is undoubtably the most beautiful state park in Georgia. The cottages meet and exceed the highest of expectations. The fishing is extraordinary. The staff is superb and the trails offer something for everyone. If you have not visited this treasure, you are missing out! read more

Very well maintained and clean facilities. Went in the fall but can't see a whole lot on the interpretive trail. Was still a good workout!

Smithgall Woods is beautiful! We just got married there. Most of our friends and family were able to stay on site in the excellent cottage accommodations. Many of our party had never been to north Georgia before, and could not believe how beautiful it was. Cabins/cottages were very classy, and have all the amenities you would expect from a good hotel, including wifi, good kitchen and laundry facilities. For late nights, our guests also enjoyed the fire pit (stocked with wood) and the hot tub. Mostly, though, the woods are just gorgeous and magical. Good range of trails, for everyone from the less fit to the more adventurous ends of the spectrum. Staff is super friendly and accommodating. Sherry (spelling?) was an especially great help to us. We strongly recommend Smithgall for a casual day in the woods, or for a larger family gathering/party/wedding. read more