Blue Ridge, Georgia, is the perfect pick for a fun family vacation destination. Gorgeous views, cozy cabins, beautiful hiking trails, tons of fun things to do that the whole family will enjoy…it’s all there! If you’re planning a Blue Ridge getaway (or trying to decide where to go this year), read on. We have some of the best activities for family fun in Blue Ridge – and some awesome cabins to cozy up in, too!
Take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
Hop aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway for a ride through scenic North Georgia, offering sights of the Toccoa River, Chattahoochee National Forest, McCaysville, GA, and Copperhill, TN, and more! There are chances to hop off to shop, stand on the Blue Line, get a bite to eat, and explore on this 26-mile roundtrip (about 4 hours) ride!
Pick your own fruit at Mercier Orchards
The perfect fall activity…spending the day at the apple orchard with the kids! Mercier Orchards offers plenty of fun activities for family fun in Blue Ridge throughout the year, though – including tractor rides around the orchard, a cafe with apple cider, U-pick days and a gift shop where you can choose some fresh fruits and veggies to take back to the cabin to do some family cooking!
Satisfy your sweet tooth
Downtown Blue Ridge is home to some great coffee and dessert shops – sure to satisfy any sweet craving you have. Stop by one of these sweet shops for fresh fudge, ice cream, and more!
Das Kaffee Haus | 612 E Main St
Mona Lisa’s Dessert House | 116 W Main St
Chocolate Express | 634 E Main St
The Sweet Shoppe | 721 E Main St
Have on-the-water fun at Lake Blue Ridge
Lake Blue Ridge offers days of fun, from Lake Blue Ridge Marina and Morganton Point to the Toccoa River below the dam at Lake Blue Ridge. Spend the day on the water with kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, pontoons, and tubes! You can rent everything at Lake Blue Ridge Marina, go on a guided fishing tour, grab a bite to eat the grill, and more! You can also spend time at the recreation area of Morganton Point, where you’ll find opportunities for fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking, camping, and picnicking. Or tube, kayak, or raft down the Toccoa River.
Be in 2 states – at the same time!
A fun, unique experience that kids will LOVE, standing on the Georgia/Tennessee line is a must when you travel to Blue Ridge. You’ll find the blue line in downtown McCaysville at Toccoa and Ocoee Street!
Visit the Ocoee Whitewater Center
The 1996 Olympics kayaking competition was held at Ocoee Whitewater Center, located between Cleveland and Ducktown, Tennessee. Here you can learn more about the competition, explore hiking and biking trails, take a walk on the legacy bridge, and watch rafting pros playing around!
Go horseback riding
Whether you’re a pro or a beginner, there are plenty of great riding stables in the Blue Ridge area. Spend the day riding the trails, enjoying the views, and spending quality time together.
Take a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Pack the snacks and road trip games and get ready for a fun – and gorgeous – day along the Blue Ridge Parkway! On top of amazing views of waterfalls, mountains, valleys, wildlife, and wildflowers, the Blue Ridge Parkway has plenty of great places to stop. You can go for a hike, see an old logging railroad, stop by a visitor center, grab a bite to eat, and explore the beauty of North Georgia.
Pack a picnic
What better way to enjoy the scenery – and some quality time together – in Blue Ridge than with a fun picnic? Use the full kitchen in your Blue Ridge cabin rental to pack up some easy picnic favorites, including sandwiches, fresh fruit and veggies, and crackers and cheese. And you can stop by a North Georgia winery to find a great bottle of wine for the parents to enjoy sipping while the kids have some lemonade. A spot by the water below the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge is a lovely spot too!
Go on a whitewater adventure
While rafting the Ocoee can be quite an adventure, the Toccoa River is better suited for families with kids. Try whitewater rafting, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and even tubing for a fun day on the water!
Hike to a waterfall
Get out, stretch your legs, and enjoy more of that gorgeous Blue Ridge scenery on a waterfall hike (Fall Branch Falls is a favorite)! Pack a picnic and plenty of water and enjoy a day on the trails – with the perfect ending at a rushing waterfall. Or you can start checking hike the Appalachian Trail off your bucket list!
Play around at the Lilly Pad Village
A day at the Lilly Pad Village is full of family fun, including gem mining, miniature golf among the trees, and fishing!
Cast a line!
One of our favorite activities for family fun in Blue Ridge, Georgia, is fishing! Get geared up at a local outfitter or bring your own fishing poles and gear for a fun day of family fishing in the cool waters of North Georgia.
Go gem mining
Great for kids, gem mining is a must when looking for the best activities for family fun in Blue Ridge! You’ll have plenty of options, too, including Cohutta Cove Mini Golf, The Lilly Pad Village, Huck’s Lost Mine, and Aska Mining Company.
Get Artsy!
If you have a kid who appreciates art, loves getting creative, or just likes exploring, take time to visit some of the great art galleries in the area. You can watch creatives as they work, find a special piece to take home, or even pick up create-your-own art kits to take back to your Blue Ridge cabin for some fun!
Break out at an escape room
Looking for something a little different for the family? Try an escape room! You’ll work together as a family to follow clues, decode messages, and decipher codes to break out of the room in less than 1 hour! Try Escape Blue Ridge for some unique fun!
Ziplining
Are you looking for something to get your heart pumping with the family? Go on a zipline tour! Blue Ridge has several options, including Zipline Canopy Tours of Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge Adventure Park, and Blue Ridge Mountain Trail Rides.
Bowling
Stop by the Fannin Lanes Bowling Center for a few hours of family fun! They’re open 7 days a week, have a game room for extra fun, and have a cafe and snack bar with pizza, burgers, chicken, nachos, coffee, sodas, and more.
Miniature Golf
Another family favorite is miniature golf, great for families with kids of all ages. Get ready to putt around at 2nd Story Entertainment, Cohutta Cove Mini Golf, and The Lilly Pad Village, or head over to Helen, Georgia, for Alpine Mini Golf and Bavarian Mountain Miniature Golf.
The Copper Express
The Copper Express is a fun mini-train ride for families visiting Blue Ridge. This kids’ train offers the City Tour for Copperhill and McCaysville, the River Tour by the Toccoa River, Old Tennessee Copper Co Tours, and more!
