Explore Helen and the mountains
Everything below is a short drive from the cabin. Drive times are approximate.
Prices, hours, permits and event dates change. Use the official links and confirm before you go. Last reviewed September 26, 2026.
Helen, GA
A full Bavarian village dropped into the North Georgia mountains, with cobbled streets, timbered facades, and the Chattahoochee running through the middle of it. Come for the pretzels and the beer halls, stay for the river walk and the candy shops.
It is your closest stop for groceries, dinner and last-minute anything.
Unicoi State Park
Hiking trails, a quiet lake, and the trailhead for Anna Ruby Falls: twin waterfalls dropping 153 and 50 feet, reached by a paved half-mile path that most kids and grandparents can handle. Start with the 2.5-mile Lake Loop if you want easy; take the 4.8-mile Smith Creek Trail if you want to earn the view.
Good to know. Parking pass about $10 per vehicle for the park, plus a separate per-person fee at Anna Ruby Falls (free under 16). Bring a card or small bills.
Helen Tubing
The most Helen thing you can do: float the Chattahoochee on an inner tube with a cooler tied alongside, for a lazy hour and a half or the longer ride if you are in no hurry. Tubes, life jackets and the shuttle back are included, so you park once and forget about it.
Good to know. Roughly $10 for a single tube, $15 for a double, $5 for a cooler tube. Weekends get busy, so go early. Water shoes are a good idea.
Smithgall Woods State Park
The quiet one. Nearly 6,000 protected acres with 28 miles of trail and far fewer crowds than Unicoi. Dukes Creek runs through it, a catch-and-release trout stream known among fly fishers across the Southeast.
Good to know. All visitors check in at the Visitor Center. Trout fishing is by reservation only, with limited permits per session that book out weeks ahead. If fishing is the plan, check the park website and reserve before you book your stay.
Habersham Winery
Making wine in Nacoochee Village since 1983, practically around the corner. Tastings, a self-guided tour, and cheese and crackers to build a picnic out of. An easy, low-effort afternoon with the shortest drive home afterward.
Good to know. Check the winery website for current hours, and ask about reservations if your group is large.
Helen Oktoberfest
Live oompah bands in the Festhalle, dancing that goes later than you would expect, and a whole town leaning into it. It is a long-running fall tradition and the reason Helen books up months ahead every autumn.
Good to know. Schedule: Thursdays to Sundays through September 27, then daily October 1 through November 1, ending with a Halloween costume party. Doors typically open at 6 pm on weekdays and 1 pm on weekends. Confirm dates and tickets with the Helen Chamber of Commerce. Fall dates at Monarch's Roost go first, so book early.
Betty's Country Store
Not a tourist stop: a real grocery at the corner of Main and Yonah, family-run since 1973. Stock the kitchen here. Homemade pies from the bakery counter, steaks and chops from the meat case, and a German beer selection better than most bars.
Good to know. Our pick for the first stop on your way in. Check the store website for hours.
Hofbräuhaus Helen
Schnitzel, sausage, spaetzle and a half-liter of something German, in a room that fully commits to the theme. It is the Bavarian dinner you came to Helen for, with big portions and a pub side that stays lively.
Good to know. Weekends and all of Oktoberfest are worth a reservation. Confirm hours before you go.
Mason Jar Coffee
A tiny shop on South Main doing one thing properly: locally roasted coffee and gelato made by hand. Order the cortado. There are only a few seats inside and a couple of tables out front, so it is grab-and-go more than a linger.
Good to know. Tucked beside The Mason Jar Shoppe, across from the Georgia Mountain Coaster.
Georgia Mountain Coaster
A mountain coaster ride you control yourself, close to the middle of town.
Good to know. Check the website for current prices, height rules and hours.
Getting here from farther away? See the drive times from cities across the Southeast, or get directions with live traffic.