Carter's Lake-Georgia's "Other" Mountian Lake

Carter's Lake seen from the Marina


Conveniently located about midway between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Carter's Lake is 3500 acres of unspoiled paradise for boaters and fishermen in the north Georgia mountains. Carter's Lake may not have the panache of lakes Burton and Rabun to it's northeast, or the prime location near a bustling town like Lake Blue Ridge or Chatuge..but it certainly deserves mention along with those lakes when watersports, fishing and recreational opportunities are discussed.
There is only one commercial establishment on the shores of the lake, Carter's Lake Marina and Resort. The marina offers full service for boaters along with boat rentals and cabins. The rest of the lake is pretty much operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The visitor's center operated by the Corps is a great first stop for visitors to the lake. Here you will find exhibits explaining the history of the area and construction of the lake and dam, wildlife in and around the lake, and the recreational opportunities provided. Maps of the lake and pamphlets for the various camping areas, hiking trails and the Ridgeway Mountain Bike Trail can be picked up free of charge.
Carter's Lake is a little less crowded than the other lakes mentioned above, and that makes it a prime destination for fishermen pursuing largemouth, striped and smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish and panfish. The Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources manages 6,000 acres of public land around the lake which is available to hunters during the season.
Carter's Lake is located near Oakman, GA just south of Chatsworth off of US Hwy 411, and south of Ellijay and north of Jasper off of Hwy 515.

Camping Around Helen, GA

Camping Around Helen

Low Gap Creek and Andrews Cove



Visitors start flocking to the Helen, Georgia area this month as the weather improves and the kids get out of school. Helen has good restaurants, bars, shopping for the adults and amusement parks, tubing on the 'hooch, and a variety of other activities for the kids. Plenty of lodging accommodations are available throughout the area for whatever taste and budget you desire. The main attraction here is the beautiful setting in the Chattahoochee valley of the North Georgia Mountains, and there is no better way to enjoy the mountains than camping. All the campgrounds in the area will be open in May, and like other overnight opportunities, there is something for everyone. We decided to focus on some "real" camping this month-tent and small RV camping at Low Gap Creek Campground in the Mark Trail Wilderness, and Andrews Cove Campground just north of Helen on GA 75.


Low Gap Creek Campround


Waterfront Campsite on Low Gap Creek



Only about 5 miles from Helen, but a world away in the wilderness, Low Gap Creek Campground is a real jewel. 13 spacious campsites lie either next or adjacent to Low Gap Creek as it tumbles down to meet the Chattahoochee. This is "real" camping..no electricity, one water source, no showers. There are chemical restroom facilities on site. The sites here are certainly large enough for a big pop up camper to medium sized RV, but most of what I've seen here is tent camping.



Low Gap Creek


Low Gap Creek itself is a pretty good trout stream, and fishermen use the area as well as hikers setting out for Low Gap Falls upstream. Access is easy from Poplar Stump Rd. just west of the Chattahoochee off Alt 75 in Robertstown-across from Cool River Tubing and the Helen Flea Market. Poplar Stump Rd. turns into Forestry Rd. 44 (well maintained gravel) that will lead you to the campground. The fee for camping is $10 per night. The bathrooms and campsites are wheelchair accessible.



Andrews Cove Campground



Entrance to Andrews Cove Campground



Consisting of 10 padded sites along Andrews Creek and situated just off GA 75 a few miles north of Helen, Andrews Cove is a bit more known and popular than Low Gap Creek. Also the beginning of the Andrews Cove Trail, which leads 2 miles to the Appalachian Trail, this campground is a good jumping off point for many mountain activities. Amenities are very similar to Low Gap-chemical toilets, limited water water source and no electricity. These campsites are not RV friendly at all, anything larger than a pop up would have trouble with the fit and negotiating the roadway. For folks with larger campers I would suggest checking out Unicoi State Park, Moccasin Creek State Park, or Yonah Mountain Campground which is a privately owned campground about 4 miles south of Helen. The nightly fee for Andrews Cove is $10 per night, first come first serve.
If you would like to plan a camping trip to the Helen area..or anywhere in the North Georgia Mountains... don't hesitate to email us if you have any questions we can help with -editor@mountainfreak.net. We have a good deal of experience in the area, and if we don't know the answer to your question it is very likely that we know someone who does. If you have a camping experience or advice you would like to share with our readers, use the same email link and let us know about it so we can share

Mountainfreak Music Review-John Sosebee

Mountainfreak Review:


John Sosebee


John Sosebee says that he first heard Jimi Hendrix at age 14 and decided then he wanted to play the guitar for a living. John has reached back into the roots of Hendrix and countless others to the native American blues of Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson in his one man show I recently took in at Wylie's in Dahlonega.
Armed with 3 guitars, a foot drum and a tambourine, the Jasper, Georgia native puts on a good show of delta based blues. He combines excellent finger picking and slide work with a voice made for singing the blues. This isn't "blues fusion" or some modern take on old standards, this is American music at it's very core.
Sosebee is also a member of the band Dripping Theater, where he says he does venture out into other musical areas. Check out John's MySpace page for more background, history, songs and information-and keep checking with Mountainfreak Music for upcoming dates so you can get out to see John either solo or with his band.

S.W.

Unicoi State Park Camping

March Camping at Unicoi State Park




I took my two sons and two of their friends up to Unicoi State Park for a couple of nights of tent camping, hiking and sightseeing just this past weekend, March 21-23. We started out setting up camp when we arrived on Friday afternoon and it couldn't have been nicer, probably 65-70 degrees. The boys had a lot of pent up energy from the ride up so we decided to hike the Bottoms Loop Trail that winds around the Unicoi Lake. It follows Smith Creek from near the camping area and winds its way on a wide path that made for an enjoyable hike.
Boys being boys (the 4 range in age from 12-15), they were hungry when we made it back to camp so we had a little lesson in fire building, which is when all else fails use charcoal lighter fluid! The wood we had brought from home was damp and I had forgotten kindling, so we gathered up some fallen twigs out of the woods and eventually got a fire going. After all the lighter fluid burned off we set about cooking some hot dogs and hamburgers, which were not as good as they would have been had we remembered to bring BUNS. Can you tell I don't camp very often? But it gets better. I had purchased a brand new Coleman multi fuel, top of the line lantern specifically for this trip. I had gotten a Coleman stove for Christmas from my wife (a hint?) that runs on small propane canisters. In my haste to pack and get ready I had purchased 4 canisters of propane and not a single drop of the liquid fuel required to burn the lantern. It was going to be a dark night spent with 4 boys who had just filled up on bunless burgers and beans. Fortunately we made it through and were able to buy some fuel at the trading post in the morning.
We had a lot of fun hiking some of the Smith Creek Trail, driving to Anna Ruby Falls and spending some time in Helen. While in Helen I was able to talk the boys into having a proper sit down meal inside a restaurant, and explain to them that the first camping trip of the year is kind of like a shake down cruise, or a dry run to make sure your equipment is working properly and that you have your packing list trimmed down to only what your need.

Michael (Clark W. Griswold) Allen

Flowery Branch, GA

The World Famous Yonah Burger

Ok..maybe not "world" famous..but in the world around Cleveland and Helen in the north Georgia mountains, everybody knows about the Yonah Burger. For 40 years, the Yonah Burger restaurant has occupied the same spot on Georgia hwy 75 just north of Cleveland and in the shadow of Mt. Yonah. My father used to bring me here when I was a child-and very little has changed. It was a globally warmed 31 degrees with a little snow on the ground when I visited the Yonah Burger in early March on my way to Helen for a little hiking at Unicoi State Park-I needed some fuel. I didn't have to look at the menu, I ordered the Yonah Burger deluxe with fries for $3.99. Yonah burgers do not hit the grill until you place your order, no heat lamps or microwaves-just cooked to order on a very well seasoned steel griddle that imparts the flavor of every burger that has gone before, and that is a good thing. I had mine all the way and it was ready in about 5 minutes. The fries are sprinkled with a special seasoning salt as they come out of the deep fryer which helps distinguish them from your run of the mill burger joint fries. Service is quick and friendly and business is always brisk.
Burgers are not the only thing the Yonah Burger is "world" famous for...they serve a full breakfast that includes home made biscuits with "city" ham or "country" ham, bologna, tenderloin, steak, eggs, hot links and about 10 other options which can also be ordered on white bread toast as a sandwich. Biscuits and sandwiches run around $2 and a full plate breakfast can be had for less than $5. If you are not in the mood for a Yonah burger at lunch, other options include salads, hot dogs, deli sandwiches, bbq and chicken. Ice cream and shakes are also available. My one complaint with the Yonah Burger are their "world" famous fried pies...they are a tad greasy and the fruit filling comes out of a can..very average to me, but they have been serving and selling them since 1968 so I must be one of the few. The Yonah Burger is located at 2051 Helen Hwy. (GA 75), Cleveland, GA 30528. Phone-(706)865.4791