Brasstown Bald

Brasstown Bald near Hiawassee, Georgia, is the state's highest mountain at 4,784 feet (1,458 m) and a classic stop on a road trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains. The summit sits on the line between Towns and Union counties. From the viewing platform you can see into four states on a clear day (Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina), and on very good days the skyscrapers of Atlanta, about 85 miles (137 km) away, are visible.

You can drive to a parking lot just below the summit. From there a shuttle takes you up, or you can walk the very steep paved Summit Trail, about 0.6 mile (1 km). The visitor center has a small museum on the region's nature and history; according to the Forest Service it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and an admission fee applies (as of October 2026). The summit is usually much cooler than the valley. For fall color, come early: once color appears in the valleys, the leaves on the summit are often already past peak. According to Atlas Obscura, the name comes from a mistranslation of the Cherokee word for "green place."