Dahlonega Gold Museum
When Mulberry Sellers proclaimed, “There’s gold in them thar hills!” in Mark Twain’s The American Claimant, he was paraphrasing geologist and assayer Dr. Matthew Fleming Stephenson. From the balcony of Dahlonega, Ga.’s courthouse, Stephenson shouted to prospectors as they were leaving for the California Gold Rush, “Why go to California? In yonder hill lies more riches than anyone ever dreamed of. There’s millions in it!”
The Georgia Gold Rush started in Dahlonega (an anglicization of the Cherokee word for the color yellow, pronounced Du-LAWN-uh-guh) — a mountain town that is, as the crow flies, the closest town to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail — in 1828. It ended when everyone packed up and headed out West for golder pastures.
Over the past few years, the town has been experiencing a new gold rush by mining its vines. Unsurprisingly, it’s a little easier to pick a grape off a vine than to pick gold out of rock — tastier too. I visited Dahlonega with a group of travel writers earlier this month for a quick look at the town’s gold mining history, their wine country and their historic square. To get there, you’ll head down I-24 to Chattanooga, switch to I-75, then head into the hills on Highway 76 in Dalton, Ga. When you reach Ellijay (home of the Georgia Apple Festival), you’ll follow Highway 52 straight into Dahlonega. The drive takes about four-and-a-half hours in total.
Dahlonega Square Hotel & Villas
Stay
In town, there are a few chain hotels, but their facades look like they fit right in with the historic downtown’s aesthetic. For a more boutique experience, the Dahlonega Square Hotel & Villas give a slight bed-and-breakfast feel — as it’s in a restored historic home — with modern rooms. They’ve turned the kitchen and dining area into a satellite tasting room for Kaya Vineyard & Winery and use the local Chastain Southern Catering & Outback Cafe for breakfast in bed.
There are plenty of campgrounds along the way, but Amicalola Falls State Park just outside of Dahlonega is the main outdoor attraction, boasting a 729-foot waterfall, the largest in the state of Georgia.
Do
To really understand Dahlonega, you’ll need to start on the historic square and the Dahlonega Gold Museum, which resides inside the old courthouse (the courthouse from the plea and proclamation above). There you’ll learn all about the town and the gold rush. For those interested in weird true crimes, they offer a Crime and Punishment tour, which takes visitors around the square, telling the story of strange crimes and the absurd punishments the perpetrators received.
Lining the city square are adorable shops, eateries and venues. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll certainly want to stop by Paul Thomas Chocolates and The Fudge Factory. There are plenty of little specialty clothing shops and outfitters, but you can’t miss the old General Store, which has all of the locally made products and mining-themed knickknacks you could ever want. For dinner, you’ll want to get a reservation at Bourbon Street Grille, a Cajun-inspired restaurant in one of Dahlonega’s oldest buildings, or the famous Smith House, which offers family-style Southern cooking — seriously close to the way my Granna used to cook. Just off the main square, you’ll find The Canopy + the Roots, a coffee shop on the ground floor with tree limbs hanging from the ceiling and a listening room below decorated in roots, and the Holly Theatre, a beautiful historic setting for first-class stage productions.
Consolidated Gold Mine
If you’re interested in mining for gold, you can head deep down underground at Consolidated Gold Mine. Miner D or Miner Jamie will take you into the old mines, where you’ll stand 16 stories under Walmart. Once you’re above the surface, you can pan for gold or gemstones and browse the gift shop. Crisson Gold Mine is a still-active mine with some old equipment that still works, like the machine that crushes the quartz and sends the bits down to the troughs below, where you can also pan for gold or gems.
Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery
Georgia is fairly new to making wine on a large scale, but the town is situated on the Dahlonega Plateau, which has just the right climate and sun exposure for growing grapes. You’ll definitely want to make time to visit each of the wineries. Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery sits at one of the highest points in town, offering breathtaking views and incredible food; do not skip the pizzas and the grits fries. Montaluce Winery is tucked back in the hills, in what could be considered Little Tuscany — you can experience Italian fine dining in a Tuscan villa at the crest of the hill. Three Sisters Vineyard is more laid-back, with a tasting room and delicious wines next to a small pond. And Accent Cellars is a winemaker, not a grape-grower; its more modern vibes focus on experiencing fantastic wines with good friends.
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