Location: Dawsonville
Top Things to do in Dawsonville
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Top 10 Things to do in Dawsonville, United States
Dawsonville is a city in Dawson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,536 at the 2010 census, up from 619 in 2000. The city is the county seat of Dawson County.
Restaurants in Dawsonville
1. Consolidated Gold Mine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 842 reviews
You and your family will enjoy a 40 minute Underground Adventure of the mine with one of our friendly and knowledgeable staff members.As you descend the stairs, you will hear tales of miner’s struggles to uncover gold deep within large Quartz veins. Your tour guide welcomes interaction from the group as you experience life as a miner at the turn of the century.After your tour, you will receive gold panning instructions from some of the best panners in the world, having won numerous awards in the field. Then you will get a chance to try if for yourself and hopefully you’ll strike it rich!While you are at the mine, don’t forget to try our “Gemstone Grubbin’” for a great family experience. Everyone will love our water powered flume boxes that quickly wash away material revealing beautiful gemstones! We have buckets for beginners and experts alike. There’s no better way to strike it rich!The Mines remain at a comfortable 60 degrees year round. As a reminder, this is a walking tour. Guests enter the mine via three flights of stairs and two ramps. Tennis shoes are recommended and closed toed shoes are a must! Flip Flops are not permitted for the Underground Adventure.Pets and strollers are not permitted in the mine.TRAVEL 200 FEET UNDERGROUND AND 100 YEARS BACK IN TIME!
Reviewed By veggiegirl60 - Venice, Florida
My husband and I toured the gold mine on a weekday. Thankfully, we got there relatively early. By the time our tour was about halfway through, there were two other groups in the same area, and things were congested. Interesting facts learned. Friendly staff. The gold panning was a bit hokey, I thought.
2. Gibbs Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 619 reviews
Gibbs Gardens is open yearly from March until mid-December. 220 acres of artistically landscaped gardens surrounded by majestic forest, spring-fed ponds, streams, waterfalls and bridge crossings. Sixteen garden venues include four feature gardens including the Daffodil Gardens, 50 acres of daffodils with more than 20 million blooms, blooming from March to mid-April; the Manor House Gardens, designed to offer color in spring, summer and fall, with lush terraces, waterfalls, sweeping lawns and woodland; the Monet Waterlily Gardens, featuring 140 varieties of waterlilies blooming from late spring through fall; the Japanese Gardens spanning more than 40 acres with spring-fed ponds, islands, bridges, boulders, rocks and 40 handcrafted Japanese lanterns. A large collection of Japanese maples provide brilliant colors in autumn. We welcome you to visit the Gardens at least once every three weeks, from March through mid-December, to see its ever changing beauty. While you're here enjoy a bite to eat from our Arbor Cafe, ride our tram through the perimeter of the Gardens and don't leave us without stopping in The Seasons gift store to pick up a gift for a loved one or that special friend.
Reviewed By CSchaner57 - Caledonia, Michigan
Went this last weekend, March 17 and the daffodils were in bloom making my wife in heaven. In the next week they will be more vibrant. This place is beautifully landscaped with all sorts of flowers and shrubs. Great place to walk and get exercise as well because it does have some hills. The Japanese Garden is gorgeous and is on the level down the center so no hills to conquer there. Tram does go around the garden for those who cannot do all the walking. We had a chance to visit with Mr. Jim Gibbs the owner, who is a very successful landscaper in Atlanta area. What a nice man. $20 admission per adult, but worth the trip.
3. Amicalola fall
Overall Ratings
5 based on 118 reviews
Reviewed By NVanPelt45 - Jacksonville, Florida
An absolute must see if you are in this area! Absolutely beautiful foliage, clean air, away from the hectic city nearby and full of a range of healthy activities to plan. Visit nearby Dahlonega to learn about the history of the gold mining that was once the hub of this region of the southeast! Wonderful restaurants and museums! Go!
4. Amicalola Falls State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Home to more than 1,500 acres of mountainous terrain and the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River.
Reviewed By JJdub505 - Atlanta, Georgia
The view from the lodge is breathtaking, especially if you walk up to it. The lodge is a little dated but woodsy, with some interesting art on the walls all making you feel like you are outside while being inside. All the staff were very helpful and friendly all of the food offerings were a buffet but you can order parts or all of that. They now have full bar offerings but that is a work in progress, they don't really have the space for it as yet. We were on the 1st floor which is below the ground level where you enter the lodge. These rooms have a small patio in back with sliding doors. The 2 queen rooms were adequate but a bit small.
5. Crisson Gold Mine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 311 reviews
Here at Crisson Gold Mine you can Pan for Real Dahlonega Gold, and look for Gemstones. We have instructors that are willing to help you and your family have a fun adventure. We also offer the use of Trommels, Highbankers, Gold cubes to the person that wants to do more than just pan. Please call us to find out more information. The Crisson Gold Mine has a lot of history. It is an actual open pit gold mine that was established in 1847 and was worked commercially until the early 1980s. We've been open to the public since 1969 and we are the oldest gold mining establishment in North Georgia. At Crisson Gold Mine, there is a 130-year-old stamp mill that is still used to crush quartz rock which contains gold. This crushed rock is called ore. In addition to the stamp mill, we have rod mills and jaw crushers that we occasionally use. All of these antique gold mining machines along with our open pit mine can be seen when you visit our gold mine. We sell our ore by the 5-gallon bucket. You can pan for the gold at our gold mine, or you can take the ore home with you. For our more serious gold miners, we have trommels for your use during your visit to Crisson Gold Mine. These machines are used to separate the gold from the sand at a much more efficient pace. Several buckets of ore can be finished in less than half the time it takes to pan them out. New for 2014 you can now purchase a pan of quartz rock and use our crusher to crush them, then pan out the gold. This has been a big hit. Especially for the more serious miners.
Reviewed By janice_foodie - Chicago, Illinois
Went just to dig for gems and had a blast. Love the intimate family owned environment. Will always go here!!Thank you so much for taking time to write us a Review!!! We love to see that you always have a great time every time you come here! We hope to see you again soon!! Have a great summer!!
6. Sawnee Mountain Preserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 259 reviews
Reviewed By AUROBINDO S - ALPHARETTA
I hate even writing this review and revealing my secret, but alas, I must. There are 2 parts to the preserve. One is the trail that leads to the mountain itself, along with Indian Seats, etc. It's beautiful and heavily trafficked in nice weather. The other, hidden gem is on Tribble Gap Road and it is a 5 mile ridge hike in almost solitary conditions. If you do this hike and see more than 12 people on it, it'll be an unusually busy day. The last 3 times I've been - 0, 3, 7. And so close to the northeast suburbs too.
7. Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 313 reviews
This site tells the story of the Gold Rush of 1828.
Reviewed By ScottInPTC-GA - Peachtree City, Georgia
I had some time to kill in downtown Dahlonega, so I decided to finally check out the old courthouse that I’ve driven around 3 million times in my life. It’s apparently the oldest public building in North Georgia (guessing the 1820 clock tower in Fayetteville doesn’t count as a building – otherwise looks like we’ve got a potential battle for claiming rights) and I think it’s great that they use it as a museum for Dahlonega’s gold rush history. Too often there are grand old buildings that you can only observe from the outside – always a nice rush to step through the doors (and the “rush” here is doubly appropriate).
That said, there’s not really much to this museum. The $7 State Historic Site entry gets you three small rooms downstairs and a large upstairs room that shows a Gold Rush video on the half-hour in one half of the room and a large table that details more of the courthouse history on the other half. The video, even though only 10 years old, still feels a little dated and is the most informative display in the museum – though you just really gloss over the main details (basically: aprocryphal tale where a guy stumbles over a golden rock, people go nuts, Native Americans get drummed out, and mining companies swarm in with hydraulic cannons). 4th grade history told on a 4th grade level – which is great if you’re a 4th grader but it left a bit to be desired with me regarding both the Native American tragedy and the actual gold rush itself. If you’re really interested in the latter, you’ll get a slight taste of it here but you’ll get much more out of a tour at one of the local gold mines.
I will say though that I did come out with a neat bit of knowledge – contrary to what I thought, the first established Gold Rush town in Georgia (and therefore the USA) was the nearby community of Auraria, which as you might surmise from the name established itself immediately after the discovery. Despite my North Georgia roots I had never heard of Auraria and a quick GPS search revealed it’s only 10 minutes away from downtown Dahlonega (and even on a path that ties you back into GA-400 if you’re heading south afterwards). It’s essentially a ghost town now – an attractive ruin of what was apparently the town tavern stands at an intersection alongside a state historical plaque. It might not look like much, but the quiet history of this little spot speaks to a bit of the past that you’d never guess otherwise. A pretty cool discovery, thanks to this otherwise modest museum.
8. Burt's Farm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 185 reviews
Reviewed By Cynthia G - Coral Gables, Florida
We passed this place as we left Amicalola Falls State Park so we stopped because we were curious. Tons of pumpkins in all sizes, shapes and colors. Families were selecting their seasonal pumpkins and enjoying hayrides. There is a BBQ shack which we didn’t try. There is a store of course with jams, jellies, bread mixes, etc. Also, they had prepared breads such as pumpkin bread as well as muffins. We had a pumpkin muffin with chocolate chips. Delicious. Worth a visit if you’re in the area.
9. North Georgia Premium Outlets
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 244 reviews
GeorgiaNorth Georgia Premium Outlets is more than just a great collection of the finest designer labels and brands, it's the Atlanta area's only upscale outlet center. Include a shopping stop during your next trip to the area. Located approximately 45 miles north of Atlanta on Georgia 400, it is a bargain hunter's haven. Local Shop & Stay packages and group dining options are available.
Reviewed By Jennylovestravel_13 - Hartford, Connecticut
This was a pretty great outlet mall. Incredible range of stores with excellent deals. I really made out at the Kate Spade store. Would love to see giant full maps to guide people. I imagine this place must get really busy on the weekends.
10. Kinsey Family Farm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 59 reviews
Family environment with fall harvest activities including pumpkin patch, barn animals, kids field trips and hayrides. Holiday season pick your own cut and live Christmas trees.
Reviewed By SoBelle27 - Gainesville, Georgia
We were absolutely charmed by Kinsey Family Farm. We visited on a Sunday afternoon and while there was lots of family, children, etc getting pumpkins and checking out the animals, it never felt packed or touristy. There was a great selection of pumpkins, apples, fall items and such. We loved supporting a local family business as well! If you are in the area it is worth checking out.
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