Places to stay near attractions in McCaysville

McCaysville, Georgia sits on the Georgia–Tennessee state line at the confluence of the Toccoa River (which becomes the Ocoee once it crosses into Tennessee) and its twin town Copperhill, TN. A painted blue line runs straight down the middle of Main Street — the actual state boundary — and it is the most photographed spot in Fannin County. Visitors routinely straddle the line for the classic "one foot in Georgia, one in Tennessee" photo.

McCaysville was built on copper mining, and the surrounding Copper Basin was once a barren moonscape from a century of sulfur-dioxide emissions before decades of reforestation. Today the town serves as the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, whose passengers disembark for a 1½-hour layover to walk the downtown shops, eat at the Blue Line Diner or Kelly's Sidewinder, and buy fudge or Georgia peaches.

It's an easy day trip from Blue Ridge (14 miles) and the closest full-service Georgia town to the Ocoee River whitewater, the 1996 Olympic whitewater venue, and the Cherokee National Forest. Cabin rentals in the surrounding Fightingtown Creek and Toccoa River valleys are among the most popular in North Georgia.