Georgia's Blue Ridge Hamlet Is A Storybook Riverside Getaway With Folk Crafts, Art, Wineries, And Gardens

Sautee Nacoochee in North Georgia is about a two-hour drive from Atlanta and just a seven-minute drive from the quaint mountain town of Helen, Georgia. This hidden gem is a riverside getaway with historic sites, incredible folk crafts, art, wineries, and beautiful gardens to explore. The highlight of Sautee Nacoochee is the Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound, which is a traditional burial ground for the Native Americans who lived in the area from 1350 to 1600.

Captain James Nichols bought the land in the 1800s and built what is now the Hardman Farm. The gazebo-topped Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound measures 17 feet tall and 70 feet in diameter. In 1915, archaeologists from the Smithsonian Institute excavated the mound and found 75 human burials, ancient artifacts, and pottery. Some of these findings are on display at the nearby Sautee Nacoochee Center. You can visit the Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound on a tour of the Hardman Farm State Historic Site for $7 (ground admission) or $13 (includes a guided mansion tour), at the time of this writing.

The Sautee Nacoochee Center began as a community project in the 1970s with the goal of having the Nacoochee Valley added to the National Register as a Historic District. Many decades and awards later, the campus is an 8.5-acre complex with gallery shops, museums, and a 98-seat theatre, among many other amenities. Much like the lively Poncey-Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, Sautee Nacoochee Valley is a historic district in Georgia that has always valued art.

Folk pottery is a traditional art form in North Georgia, and on the property, you'll find the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia. Dr. John Burrison, Georgia State University folklorist and curator of the museum says, "Northeast Georgia is one of the few areas of the United States with a living, and thriving, tradition of folk pottery...the Museum interprets both the artistic and historic dimensions of this heritage" (via Alpine Helen-White County Convention & Visitors Bureau).

You'll also find walking trails, a native plant nursery, and four gardens at the Sautee Nacoochee Center. The Native Peace Garden is approximately 200 years old and was made possible by a donation in memory of the area's Indigenous people. The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail Garden is part of a statewide garden network that provides habitats for butterflies and other pollinators. You could easily spend a full or half day at this sunning complex exploring all its different sections.

The best seasons to visit this fascinating place are spring and fall, when the weather is mild and nature's beauty is on full display. This is also the perfect time for wine! Creekstone Winery is the ideal addition to a day out in Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia. Enjoy a wine tasting, learn about the winemaking process, admire the beautiful vineyard vistas, and explore the stunning property. One guest raved about it on Tripadvisor, "Beautiful mountain top views of the blue ridge range. Wine was great, staff was super friendly ... We stayed 3 1/2 hours because it was such a relaxing and entertaining experience."

Don't miss the locally-owned Old Sautee Store, which just happens to be the oldest continually operating store in Georgia, since 1872. Here you'll find a mix of antiques to shop and artifacts to peruse in a unique space that was once a post office and a general store. It also offers homemade sandwiches, sweet treats, assorted snacks, and vintage drinks. For more time-traveling, visit a charming city full of antique shops between Atlanta and Chattanooga. There's so much to see and learn in this tiny Blue Ridge hamlet — indeed, the National Register of Historical Places agrees, as Sautee Nacoochee has been on the list since 1980.