A winning Ford takes you right into Dawsonville’s motorsport history: the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Museum showcases Gober Sosebee’s winning Ford from the Daytona 500. Interactive exhibits and multimedia presentations bring the city’s motorsport heritage to life. You’ll encounter both a specific car and different ways to discover this history.
Motorsport History and Arts and Crafts
The Mountain Moonshine Festival and Car Show offers a different perspective on motorsport. It takes place every year on the fourth weekend in October at Main Street Park in downtown Dawsonville. It features hundreds of classic cars and more than 200 arts and crafts vendors. The festival brings together historic vehicles and arts and crafts at a set time each year. If you’d like to plan your visit around it, check the event dates in advance.
River, Trails and Waterfalls
The Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area covers 25,500 acres and is located in Dawson County. The lower Etowah River runs through the area, offering boaters a more secluded experience. The area’s size and river offer two different ways to connect with nature: the expanse of the protected area and the perspective from the water.
The Styles Park Nature Trails offer another way to spend time outdoors: the network includes five miles of unpaved trails. Motorized vehicles are not allowed, but e-bikes are permitted. E-bikes are permitted on the trails, while motorized vehicles are not.
At Amicalola Falls State Park, the cascades of Amicalola Falls take center stage; the waterfall is considered Georgia’s tallest cascading waterfall. A well-marked, less strenuous, ADA-accessible trail leads to one of the best viewpoints of the falls. The park also offers the Screaming Eagle Aerial Adventure Tour zipline experience. Tour operations may change; check for the latest information before your visit.
Fields, Horses and Fall Experiences
Fausett Farms Sunflowers has more than 13 acres of sunflower fields. There’s another option for riders: you can bring your own horses and ride along many miles of trails. Sunflower fields and horseback riding are two different offerings at the same farm. Burt’s Farm adds a seasonal touch, offering hayrides during its fall pumpkin experience.
Art and History
The Bowen Center for the Arts offers art exhibitions, museum-quality exhibits, art classes and workshops, educational lunch events, and concert performances. The center presents new exhibitions every year. Around Back at Rocky’s Place offers another glimpse of local art, with works by many self-taught artists from the southeastern United States and Georgia.
History is also part of a building with a present-day purpose: the old Dawson County Jail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the historic courthouse. The Dawson County / Dawsonville Welcome Center is currently located in the historic jail. Here, the historic designation meets the building’s current use as a welcome center.
Seasonal Planning and Local Tastings
The outdoor pool at Veterans Memorial Park is open seasonally: the season begins every year on Memorial Day weekend and ends on Labor Day. War Hill Park has 14 primitive campsites and four boat ramps. Ramp availability depends on the lake’s water level, so keep this in mind when planning to use one.
In Dawsonville, Grandaddy Mimm’s offers tastings of various kinds of moonshine, including corn, apple pie and blackberry. Operating details may change, so it’s a good idea to check the latest visitor information before a tasting. Along with art, motorsport, rivers and waterfalls, this offering shows how varied discoveries in Dawson County can be.
Discover more destinations: Dawsonville, Appling County, Crisp County, Effingham County, Sumter, Lamar County, Glynn, Jackson County.
View the main travel overview: Georgia.
