Places to stay near attractions in Dawsonville / Amicalola Falls

Dawsonville, Georgia is the southern gateway to the Appalachian Trail and the seat of Dawson County at the foot of the North Georgia mountains, roughly an hour north of Atlanta. The town's centerpiece is Amicalola Falls State Park, whose 729-foot cascade is the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi and the site of the 8.5-mile Approach Trail that climbs to Springer Mountain — the southern terminus of the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail.

Dawsonville is also the birthplace of NASCAR bootlegging heritage. The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and the Dawsonville Pool Room downtown celebrate hometown driver Bill Elliott and the moonshine-running roots of stock car racing. On the retail side, the North Georgia Premium Outlets bring more than 140 outlet stores to the U.S. 400 corridor.

Outdoors, travelers use Dawsonville for the Amicalola Falls Lodge, the Len Foote Hike Inn (a 5-mile backcountry lodge accessible only on foot), Etowah River tubing and fly fishing, Dawson Forest WMA mountain biking, and the drive up GA-136 to Burnt Mountain. It's the closest AT gateway to Atlanta and a strong pick for a one-tank trip.