This is a beautiful and very clean rest stop. No overnight parking, but a great place to stretch…read moreyour legs.

Very nice park with a pool, ball fields etc. Well maintained and a nice spot to visitread more

Beautiful area to walk and enjoy the scenery. We came with my grandma, who cannot walk long…read moredistances. She has a wheelchair and I was happy to see the paths around us were all paved, so we were able to push her along them easily. We didn't venture onto any paths with elevation; the main path we chose followed the river and there were lots of areas to walk down to get a close up view or even wade if inclined. The path was shady also which was nice. I loved seeing the waterfall by the river right by the parking lot. This was a great time and I'd definitely return to explore some more paths or take a longer trek.

This was by far one of the best hikes we've done in the area. A quick drive from Mineral Bluff and…read moreunlike many of the hikes we've done in this area the drive up to the parking area was easy and able to be accessed in any vehicle. The hike was a bit challenging in some areas but truly worth every step!

It's a beautiful spot for swimming, or to launch your kayak from. Great for picnics and it's very…read moreeasy to access and handicap accessible. The con is the putrid smell from the unclean restrooms and the garbage is overflowing. I went up several times with my grandchildren and truly it was not kept up. Such a shame as it is a popular tourist and local destination.

Good place to visit!…read more Duke Energy worked with the city/state/County? to build this beach/Park. Nice parking spots on both sides of the road. Bathrooms located up in the parking area. A nice ramp down all the way to the water. Seriously, you could wheel a wheelchair all the way into the lake. The sand is very nice. And you can easily swim out to and hold onto the barriers. There's a dock off to one side where you can fish off of. We'll thought out and done pretty well. They even have donated life jackets for kids hanging here at the beach! My reasons for 4 instead of 5 stars: Dogs. The path down to the beach was littered with dog poop. On the path, on the side, everywhere! It was gross and unsanitary. Don't know if dogs are allowed on the beach, but they've turned the park area to crap. The beach is quite small. I do believe too small to support all the parking. The beach is very steep. I know it's the mountains, but if you're going to drain the lake and make a beach, a gentler slope to the beach for the little ones would've been preferable. A larger swim area. Some people just want to swim! Maybe another 10 feet out into the lake for swimming, not just waking.

What a beautiful trail! There's plenty of free parking and it's open until 10 pm. Lake Chatuge…read morestraddles North Carolina and Georgia. You can catch glimpses of it from the Jackrabbit Mountain Recreation area (if you feel like hiking or mountain biking) but the beauty is near the dam. Built in 1941 and named after a Cherokee settlement, Chatuge Dam is 150 feet high and stretches 3,336 feet across the Hiwassee River. The Nantahala National Forest surrounds the dam and NC section of the reservoir, the Chattahoochee National Forest surrounds the GA section. Chatuge Dam Trail is 1.5 miles, paved and open to walkers, hikers, bikers and runners. It's ADA accessible, perfect for those with mobility issues and babies in strollers. The trail leads through the woods (where I didn't venture) and to two nearby campsites. The breathtaking views are stunning! Lake Chatuge reflects the sun so it looks different in the morning and in the evening. You're surrounded by some of the tallest mountains in Georgia, which are sometimes backlit with hues of purple. The colorful autumn leaves and the stillness of the lake really bring a sense of calm. There were families, couples strolling hand in hand, kids on bikes and seniors. The trail can be accessed from Chatuge Dam Road or Clay County Park which offers bathrooms, fishing access, a playground, ballpark, pavilions, camping & a small sandy beach with a swimming area. Pets on a leash are welcome! Chatuge Dam Trail is definitely worth a trip!

Great trail, plenty of people walk it without it seeming too crowded. However my only issue is that…read moreit's pavement or cement most of the trail with very little shoulder so it's difficult for people who have knee and back problems to walk for any length of time on it. I suffer from neuropathy and so I have to be careful and stick to the grass and ground beside the pavement whenever I can. One good thing about the trail though is that if you were to fall or injure yourself that it wouldn't be difficult for someone to reach you or emergency services to make it to you. The only other thing that would really help out is adding more benches periodically throughout the trail. There are a couple but not very many. Otherwise it's a good trail and it has a nice breeze especially when you're on the dam part of it.

I didn't even know this was here, and I've been coming to Cashiers for YEARS. Nice complex, they…read morehave a gym, a play ground and a swimming pool as well as classes offered for everyone. It's a great addition to the area!

Nice addition to the neighborhood (been open a few years now). Small gym, but I only go for…read moreexercise classes. I do wish there were a few more options. Only one cardio kickboxing class a week, wish there were more. Ashley is the instructor and she is AWESOME! Lots of spin classes, though I don't take spin. Only 2 Zumba classes, one of which is at 7pm, just too late for me. You can pay $5 per day to go, or $37 for a month if you are just visiting (like me), with no contracts to sign

This is by far one of my favorite areas to mountain bike! I live about an hour away and make the…read moretrek a couple of weekends a month. There are two sets of trails (Mouse Branch/Thompson Loop or Right Loop/Left Loop) and they vary by day which set is for bikes and which for horses, which is detailed on their site (but I have also copied that info at the end of my review. All the trails are one-way, dedicated trails so you can get some good speed too! Mouse Branch/Thompson Loop: I LOVE the flow of this trail. There are no drastic up hills or downhills. Pretty much anyone can traverse these trails. I am a solid intermediate but suck on ascending, but I do not have to get off my bike anywhere on this trail. It opens up to some GORGEOUS views of Fontana Lake. Be warned that you will need to wear your sunscreen on this side because it lacks a good tree canopy, unlike the other set of trails. Right Loop/Left Loop: These are the more challenging and longer trails. I did have to get off my bike and push a couple of times. There is more tree canopy on this side (thus more shade, which I love). It also has great views of the lake in spots. If I had my choice, I would choose a day when Mouse Branch/Thompson Loop is open for mountain biking for a more fun, easier, flowy trail. For more of a challenge, choose a Right Loop/Left Loop day. **Bring a few bucks cash. There is a daily use fee on an honor system (but it supports the trails so don't be cheap!!). You go to the little board at the end and fill out an envelope, which you put in a box. You can also kayak and camp nearby! :) *************************************************** Info from their site: The Tsali (pronounced "SAH-lee") Recreation Area's four-loop trail system has become a popular destination for mountain bikers and horseback riders. It is best known as a challenging mountain bike course. The Right Loop, rated moderately difficult, offers 13.9 miles of single track, with shorter 4- and 8-mile loops possible. The Left Loop, rated moderately difficult, is 11.9 miles of single track with views toward the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Fontana Lake. The Mouse Branch Trail, rated moderately difficult, is 8.7 miles of single track and includes old logging roads. The Thompson Loop, rated moderately difficult, is 7.3 miles of single track. Hikers may travel the trails on any day, but mountain bikers and equestrians-the primary users-are kept separated by alternating days on the trails. Be sure to follow the trail schedule: Jan./Feb./March/April/June/Sept./Nov./Dec. Right Loop and Left Loop: Horses - Tuesday , Thursday, & Saturday Mountain Bikes -Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop: Horses - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Sunday Mountain Bikes - Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday May/July/August/October Right Loop and Left Loop: Horses - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Sunday Mountain Bikes - Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop: Horses - Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday Mountain Bikes - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Sunday There is a per-person day use fee for trail use. Fees can be paid at either the Tsali Bike or Horse Trailheads.

Great mountain biking and camping area. The location was awesome and made it easy to bike, raft and…read morevisit the city. John was a great host at the campground and kept the noise to a minimum at night.

So incredibly beautiful. So many dang bears…read more Or so I've been told. Fortunately for me, a person who is very much afraid of bears and wants nothing to do with them, I did not see any bears during my visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But they're there! Lurking ... somewhere ... in the forest, I'm sure. I visited during the spring, when the bears were waking up from their long slumber, and I'm sure they were just waiting, with growling tummies, to eat someone. Because of the bears, I didn't travel too far away from the visitor center area of Newfound Gap. But there are trails and other things to see that are beautiful if you like hiking and whatnot. As for me, I was satisfied staying close to where there was more concrete and cars than nature. (I know! I'm kind of dumb sometimes.) Newfound Gap straddles both Tennessee and North Carolina, so you can be in two states at once -- literally, you can have one foot in Tennessee and the other in North Carolina! There's also a cool rock structure that you can climb to the top of called the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, where you'll get great views of the mountains. They really do look smoky! They ain't lyin'. The Newfound Gap area of the Smoky Mountains also has a trailhead for the Appalachian Trail, plus restrooms. I saw backpackers who definitely looked like they had been on the the Appalachian Trail for a while. I've since learned that although this is not the largest national park, it's the most visited, and I believe it! There were quite a lot of people at the Newfound Gap area. That said, I visited a few other places around the park where there were zero people, so you might have to change locations, depending on how many people you want to share your park experience with.

The #1 most visited National Park in the USA!…read more We spent three days in Gatlinburg and visited the Kuwohi Observation tower and did the Cades Cove 11 mile drive. Both awesome! Definitely try to get to Kuwohi for sunset. Amazing panoramic views of the blue ridge mountains, and on a clear day you can see as far as four states away! Cades Cove is an early morning must. We beat the crowds by getting there at 6:30am and were done with the 11 mile drive by 9:30am, taking our time to check out most of the stops along the way. Just to note it is closed on Wednesdays to cars when they turn it over to bikes and pedestrians. We also did the Roaring fork motor nature trail which was also very nice and not as chaotic as Cades Cove.

Have been coming here for the past several years. We have a boat docked here year-round to enjoy…read more The lovely Lake Chatuge is settled between two states and the two towns of Hiawassee, Georgia and Hayesville, North Carolina. "This pristine lake has 132 miles of shoreline and is ideal for fishing, swimming, boating and camping. A part of the Nantahala National Forest in Clay County, North Carolina, it is one of the most scenic lakes in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) water system. This pristine lake, exquisitely nestled between the Tusquitee Mountains. Visitors enjoy casual walks along the dam with its spectacular view of the lake and surrounding mountains. The lake has numerous outcrops of land forming numerous private coves that are for great fishing, swimming, boating, and water sports. The fishing is great with more than 32 species in the lake."

What a clean Nice park with beautiful views and a great swimming area! I loved this area so much I…read moream buying a cabin in the area..

The best kept secret in North Georgia. This lake is clean and beautiful. The mountain water is…read morecold and it's a perfect place for summer swimming. No motor bias are allowed and that makes it perfect for paddle boarding and kayaks or canoes. The fishing is great. Picnic areas and bathrooms are kept clean. There is a beautiful pavilion available to rent with a huge fireplace.

I've camped all over Ga and NC and this is one of my favorites. The North Loop hosts deserve all…read morethe credit for keeping such a clean area! My fire pit was completely clean, the bathrooms are very clean and they made a point to greet me without being over attentive. The hiking is abundant. Hike to Maine, swim In the lake or relax in your hammock. Campers are super quiet and all the canines we met are well behaved. It's a place of respect for quiet hours and enjoying completely off grid time.

Had a great time at creek and tubing and hiking. Next time will bring food to grill!read more

This is a beautiful picnic and hiking area at the start of the Nantahala National Forest. We GPS'd…read moreourselves to Leatherwood Falls, and started our hike off at the waterfall. The trails are well maintained, and you walk along a raging river. The trails were very easy with little to no elevation, so this would be a great spot to take kids and pups. It would also be the perfect location for a romantic hike and picnic. I highly recommend checking it out if you're ever in Murphy, NC.