Downtown Dawsonville & Nearby Attractions Self-Guided Tour

Dawsonville North Georgia Premium Outlets

On your way from GA 400 to Downtown Dawsonville, be sure to stop by the North Georgia Premium Outlets, an outdoor Georgian-style village located 45 minutes north of Atlanta on Highway 400. Shop more than 140 designer and name-brand outlet stores including Burberry, Coach, Kate Spade New York, Nike and Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store. Enjoy exceptional brands at extraordinary savings of 25% - 65% everyday for shopping that's always worth the trip.

Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze

Our 15-acre corn maze and pumpkin patch in Dawsonville, Georgia is home to tons of farm fun, delicious farm food, and unforgettable family memories! Join us for a day on the farm exploring all our farm grounds has to offer including pick-your-own pumpkins, our jumping pillow, tire mountain, kids maze, and gem mining. 

On Friday and Saturday nights in October, brave the horror that is The Dark Rows, our unique haunted trail through some of the most twisted trails of our corn field!

Etowah Valley Sporting Clays

Etowah Valley Sporting Clays offers serious sport shooting enthusiasts as well as beginners looking to have fun the premier spot for clay, skeet, trap and five stand shooting in the greater Atlanta area. Open since 2004, our ownership and staff are veterans of clay shooting, and we know what fun looks like. We have several courses and offerings for beginners and gun sports veterans alike. Our courses are laid out over the natural setting of the Appalachian mountain range foothills, just north off of Highway 400. Come out and shoot with us!

Jungle Paradise Daylilies

Jungle Paradise specializes in crossing Daylilies. Suzanne Franklin has been working with daylilies and hybridizing them for over 30 years. Jungle Paradise is a large, peaceful garden located in Dawsonville, Georgia.  Take a leisurely stroll or a ride in the jungle buggy just for fun.  Enjoy the pleasant sound of the stream in the shaded areas, bring a picnic lunch while here in paradise or just simply relax while viewing the garden. Check out pavilion and stone patio for a place for small groups if buying lilies.

The Pearce Creative

Founded in 2022, The Pearce Creative is a family business dedicated to the arts. We offer projects such as pottery, canvas painting, and board signs. We approach every encounter as a unique opportunity to meet new people and encourage creativity.

Future Planned Town Center

2022-2023 The City of Dawsonville and the community worked together to develop a Comprehensive Downtown Strategic Plan, including a master plan and design guidelines for a future Town Center, seeking to connect the Historic District with Civic resources eastward. The full plan is available at downtowndawsonville.com:

The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame / Dawsonville History Museum / City Hall Complex

NEWLY RELEASED EXHIBITS & SIMULATORS: Dawsonville is the birthplace of stock car racing and home to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. This location also houses the Dawsonville City Hall, at 415 Hwy. 53 E, Suite 100 Dawsonville, GA 30534. Check out our website to learn about car shows and special events.

Annual Christmas Tree Lighting

Join us each November for kicking off the holiday season with a grand celebration, including a parade, music, food trucks, pictures with Santa, the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce Jingle Market and more!

Mountain Moonshine Festival

This annual festival is a fundraiser hosted by KARE for Kids, raising money to help countless children in need and assembling a diverse array of attractions and vendors.

Ghosts of Racing Haunted House at the GRHoF

Each year the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame hosts the Ghosts of Racing Haunted House...its a frightening good time.

The Station House & Grandaddy Mimm's Distillery & Tour

COMING SOON! Enhanced public spaces outside the GRHoF, the Station House Restaurant, and Grandaddy Mimm's Distillery.

Food Truck Fridays

Each May - October the City of Dawsonville hosts a variety of food truck vendors, with live entertainment and kids' activities at the Farmer's Market Pavilion, on the first Friday of the month.

The Amicalola Regional Farmer's Market

The Dawsonville Farmer's Market Paqvilion has been a wonderful addition to the community, hosting Food Truck Friday events and the Amicalola Regional Farmers' Market on Saturdays. Check downtowndawsonville.com for dates and times. This facility is available to rent for private events, see the City of Dawsonville for details.

The Playground at Main Street Park

The playground at Main Street Park is a popular destination for Dawsonville families. Most kids love the zipline and swings and parents like the shaded seating, clean restrooms, and safety fencing. This park now connects conveniently to the Dawson County Library, which always has wonderful community events and resources.

Disc Golf Course at Main Street Park

Main Street Park offers a 18-basket disk golf course including one practice basket. The tee boxes are marked, beginning near the Main Street Park sign. Come out and have fun while getting great exercise. Did you know that the Dawson County Library has disc golf equipment available to loan?

Main Street Park & Amphitheater

Main Street Park, located behind the Dawsonville City Hall and Food Lion shopping center, is a great place to exercise and play. The park features walking trails, a disc golf course, environmental exhibits, exercise equipment, walking trails, a skate park, and an amphitheater for the occasional free concerts and events. There are restroom facilities, and 3 pavilions for rent.

NEW Pickleball & Basketball Courts!

Now open, pickleball and basketball courts at Main Street Park! Equipment is available to borrow at the Dawson County Library.

 Official Rules of Pickleball 

The Pollinator Garden

The pollinator garden is both a beautiful and educational endeavor brought to the community by the Dawson County Woman's Club. It contains a wide range of native species in fruit and flower, including Mountain Mint, Anise Hyssop, Agastache, Purple Cone Flowers, Milkweed, Bee Balm, Black-eyed Susan, Touch-me-not, Hot Lips Salvia and some unusual plants like Fairy Candle, Foam Flower, Crosominia, Big Blue Sea Holly, Ithuriel’s Spear, Clasping Venus’ Looking Glass, and Naked Ladies. In addition to the native plant species, these gardens are an important ecosystem for insect pollinators such as honeybees, native bees, wasps, flies, butterflies and bumblebees. Guests will have the opportunity to observe these creatures in action as they move from flower to flower, collecting nectar and spreading pollen. The DCWC mission is to inspire and encourage our community to join the grassroots effort to create productive ecosystems one plant at a time.  By setting aside part of our properties for native plants, whether it’s a few feet or a few acres, we will be saving our pollinators that are so incredibly vital but threatened by pesticides and lack of healthy and diverse ecosystems.  Join the club… remove half your grass and plant natives.

The Skate Park at Main Street Park

Enjoy some entry-level bike, skateboard, or roller skate sessioning at our skate park, remember safety first and helmets are required!

The Outdoor Gym at Main Street Park

The City of Dawsonville cares about the well-being of its residents and believes that fitness shouldn't exclude those who can't afford a gym membership. Main Street Park two circuits of outdoor exercise equipment designed to utilize the body-weight resistance of users.

Dawsonville Dog Park

The "Heart of the Dog Park" for dog lovers is conveniently located near Main Street Park, with spaces for both large and small dogs. This park was developed by Dawson County graduate and Eagle-Scout Christopher Palmer Hartley.

Dawson County Performing Arts Center

The Dawson County PAC hosts an array of Dawson County fine arts, as well as other events. What a talented community!

The Dawson County Library

The Dawson County library, located at 342 Allen Street, is a part of the Chestatee Regional Library System. Fully connected by the City of Dawsonville's sidewalk system, check out a great book and enjoy it in the park.

The Bowen Center for the Arts

The Bowen, located at 334 Hwy. 9N, has new and exciting exhibits year-round such as museum quilt displays, juried art shows, photography, luncheons, lectures, classes for adults and children, concerts, fundraising events, seasonal shows and an art gift shop. See their events calendar to plan a trip.

The Pool Room

The Dawsonville Pool Room, located at 9 Bill Elliott Street, is a must visit for lunch, and a great place to find stock-car racing memorabilia.

IGY6 Coffee

After lunch at the Pool Room, be sure to grab a coffee at IGY6 coffee and support veterans and first responses.

The Historic Courthouse

The Dawson County Courthouse was constructed circa 1859 with Greek Revival-style features such as wide cornices, symmetrical facades and double hung windows. The courthouse was rehabilitated in 1989-1990 in conjunction with the Dawson County Women's Club. View historic documents, local relics and Indian artifacts at this location, still in public use today as a part of the Dawson County Courts system. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Historic Jail

Located just off the square in downtown Dawsonville, visitors are welcome to come and tour the old prison cells and former living quarters of the county sheriff. Built in 1881, this building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Unique Local Shopping in Historic Downtown Dawsonville

Shop one-of-a-kind stores with a Dawsonville flare, like The Fancy Flea, Appalachian Armory & Off-Road, and the Purple Corn Boutique.

Dawsonville Hardware

Dawsonville Hardware is the oldest operating business in Dawson County having celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023. Owned and operated by the Gilleland family, Dawsonville Hardware is both a destination and a community landmark.

Dawsonville Historic Old City Cemetery

The original deed from 1891 conveys the cemetery property from Henry Howser to the town of Dawsonville. Robert Howser (1828-1861), son of Henry Howser, is the first to be buried in the cemetery after being killed during the Civil War. Another notable burial includes Lloyd Seay, who won the 1941 National Stock Car Championship. He was shot and killed by his cousin the next day over their moonshine business, the innovation that birthed stock-car racing. Seay was inducted into GA Racing Hall of Fame in 2002. More information about Dawsonville history compiled by the Dawson County Historic Society is available at the Dawson County Library.

Atlanta Motor Sports Park

Atlanta Motorsports Park is the first green, sustainable motorsports club of its kind, for high performance cars, motorcycles and karts. In addition to providing a driver’s haven for its members, Atlanta Motorsports Park offers private track rentals, corporate group options as well as the world’s most unique kart track. For family fun, anyone 12 years or older can rent a kart and experience the thrill of going up to 60 miles per hour on our exciting track. If you would prefer to drive a luxury car on the track, one of our driving experiences will certainly satisfy your thirst for adventure.

Fausett Farms Sunflowers

Family owned farm since 1858, Fausett Farms Sunflowers is located just South of Burt's Pumpkin Farm and Amicalola Falls in the North Georgia Mountains. For 60 years, the farm's main business was poultry farming, which ended in 2011. Now the farm offers 900,000+ flowers or 30+ acres of beautiful sunflowers for everyone to come out and experience God's beauty. The visit also makes a fantastic location for photography sessions.

Burt's Pumpkin Farm

Come experience the fall season at Burt’s Farm in the secluded North Georgia mountains! The only thing more beautiful than the fall foliage is the sea of orange created by thousands of Burt’s pumpkins. Scroll down to see why Burt’s Farm has become a cherished fall tradition for thousands of families every year.

The Hike Inn - Appalachian Trail Experience

From the experienced Appalachian Trail “thru-hiker” to the family seeking a unique weekend getaway, the Hike Inn’s secluded location allows a wide range of people to enjoy the peace and beauty of the mountains without the trappings of modern life.

The Inn — open year round — is a sustainably designed Georgia State Park facility nestled in the Chattahoochee National Forest, just a few hours north of Atlanta. Its four main buildings offer twenty private guest rooms, hot showers, fresh linens and home-cooked meals.

The Hike Inn’s mission is to make experiencing nature easy, and help protect it through education and recreation.

Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge

WELCOME TO AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK & LODGE

Northeast of Dawsonville, Georgia, on the cusp of the North Georgia Mountains, sits Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge. A nature lover’s wonderland, it’s only 8 miles from the Appalachian Trail and within the Chattahoochee National Forest. The park is named after its most treasured feature, Amicalola Falls – a magnificent 729-foot waterfall that’s the third-highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. In the thick of the spectacular terrain, stands Amicalola Falls Lodge – a beacon of comfort, rejuvenation, and true Georgia adventure. At Amicalola Falls Lodge, almost every room has a view. The breathtaking vistas and spectacular sunsets await behind the door. Time spent at a destination of this caliber turns an ordinary trip into a great escape. Whether you are planning a corporate meeting, a family reunion, a friendly mountain getaway or a romantic rendezvous, Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge offers amazing accommodations and world-class recreation on the southern tier of the Appalachian Mountain Range.

EXPERIENCE AN ADVENTURE LODGE

An Adventure Lodge is a place to play, discover and explore. Looking for a mountain resort, a classic cabin rental or fantastic camping accommodations? Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge is the perfect Appalachian Mountain command post. Thrill seekers enjoy the best  zip lining  in Georgia without leaving the park. Naturalists feed their curiosities on  guided hikes.  Groups trek to the cliff of Amicalola Falls to observe white water in motion. State Park staff educate about local wildlife in the  Birds of Prey  Show. Outdoor enthusiasts who seek something more interactive can sign up for  GPS scavenger hunts ,  3-D archery  or  survivalist camp . The Lodge at Amicalola Falls also serves as a bed and breakfast for travelers passing through this picturesque pocket of North Georgia.

Springer Mountain, Trailhead of the Appalachian Trail

Hike the Appalachian Trail to Springer Mountain on this two mile adventure, visiting the southernmost blaze of the AT in Georgia and catching gorgeous summit views.

 Springer Mountain  is well-known and well-loved by hikers and backpackers. The mountain’s summit views are outstanding, looking west into the southern Appalachians. And its proximity to Ellijay, one of Georgia’s favorite weekend getaway cities, and the tumbling cascades of Georgia’s tallest waterfall,  Amicalola Falls , draws hikers to its network of trails. This rocky mountain summit is most notably home to the southernmost blaze of the  Appalachian Trail , the epic-length, much-revered long distance trail that spans over 2,000 miles from North Georgia to Maine.

Nearby Towns of North GA - We have great neighbors!