Recreation Abounds

North Georgia, steeped in Civil War history, was the site of several pivotal battles in the War Between the States. Battle sites that today are national or state historic sites include: Chickamauga (which became the nation’s first National Military Park), Kennesaw Mountain, Allatoona Pass and Pickett’s Mill State Historic Site. The region’s Blue & Gray Trail brochure, historic markers and museums guide visitors through these momentous events in the life of the American people.

Native American History
The area is filled with Native American history as well. The Etowah Indian Mounds State historic site, located in Cartersville, is just west of Allatoona Lake. This major Mississippian Period Cultural Center was home to several thousand Native Americans from 1000 to 1500 A.D. The largest mound stands over 63 feet high and covers three acres. The impressive archaeological museum interprets life in what is now known as the Etowah Valley Historic District. Beyond the mounds lies the Etowah River where original Indian fish traps can be viewed.

The new Booth Western Art Museum in downtown Cartersville has 80,000 square feet of must-see western art, a Civil War art gallery and a Presidential Galley featuring a unique collection of signed letters and handwritten documents from each U.S. President.

Red Top Mountain
Red Top Mountain State Park and Lodge, located on 1,900 acres in the lake’s northwest corner near Cartersville, offers 18 cottages, 33 lodge rooms, restaurant and conference facilities, 92 campsites and a marina. Before the Civil War, the area was an important iron production center. Numerous historic sites in and around the park have been preserved. Park personnel and U.S. Army Corps of Engineer staff work together in providing quality historic special events. Popular reenactments include the re-firing of Cooper’s Furnace, an 1840’s cold blast furnace used in iron manufacturing, and an encampment at the site of the Battle of Allatoona Pass. An 1869 log cabin provides the backdrop for lighter heritage entertainment such as storytelling and bluegrass concerts. Red Top Mountain State Park and Lodge presents various festivals and events throughout the year, plus holiday festivities at Christmas and Memorial Day weekend.

Resorts, Golf and Polo
Once the siite of an English Manor home, Barnsley Gardens is one of the Southeast’s most popular golf resort and vacation getaways. Located 20 miles northwest of Allatoona Lake, the resort offers golf, spas, horseback riding and beautiful gardens created in 1841. The resort lures present-day guests with activities such as championship golf, relaxation at the spa, fine dining, heirloom garden tours and gardening classes, Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking trails.

On the southeast side of the lake, visit Chukkar Farms polo fields and catch a game on almost every Sunday of the year. Nearby Waleska is home to Reinhardt College and the Funk Heritage Museum that features background about Native Americans and the largest tool collection in the Southeast.

In Nearby Rome, take in a spring or summer minor-league baseball game with the Rome Braves, farm team for the Atlanta Braves, in the new stadium or visit the Chieftains Museum or Native American history.

Agricultural Fun and the Arts

Cherokee County is ‘Where Metro Meets the Mountains,’ and points of interest run the gamut from country to culture. Cagle’s Dairy Farm in Hickory Flat, a Centennial Heritage farm, is open for farm tours most of the year. There’s 10-acre corn maize each fall for wholesome family agri-tainment. Tanglewood Farm is home to over more than miniature farm animals to see, pet and feed. The Cherokee County Arts Center and renovated Canton Theater are bringing the Arts back to the heart of the community.

Historic Canton and the Cherokee Indians
Canton was founded in 1833 and was named after Canton, China because a local entrepreneur had dreams of making the North Georgia hamlet the silk-producing center of the New World. The area had better luck mining marble and gold and later producing cotton and timber. The historic downtown is now lively with offices, shops and restaurants. The historic Cherokee County Courthouse was built of marble quarried in the area. A nearby historical marker on Highway 20 east of Canton marks the site of a Cherokee removal fort built in 1836-38 when the Indians left Georgia on the “Trail of Tears.”

Woodstock Summer Concerts, Stock Car Racing
Historic buildings in the old downtown area of Woodstock are reminiscent of the era of founding in 1897, with shops to browse and a lovely landscaped town square that hosts concerts most Fridays and Saturdays during the summer months. For those who are looking for a faster pace, Dixie Speedway in Woodstock is a banked clay oval track hosting stock car racing every Saturday night March through November.

Ball Ground and Native Americans
Don’t miss a drive to quaint little Ball Ground. The Cherokee and Creek Indians met here during an earlier century to settle their differences in stick ball games along the Etowah River. Although the area was always known as Ball Ground, it wasn’t until 1882 when citizens donated land to the railroad that the town was finally established. For more than 75 years, the main industry was marble finishing. An historical marker in the downtown area notes the site of the major Cherokee-Creek Indian battle near the confluence of Long Swamp Creek and the Etowah River.