The evolution of Dawson County and Historic Dawsonville from quiet mountain village to a popular destination for visitors began when Georgia 400 was completed in the 1980s. Today, the county is one of the most popular "backyard getaways" for the metro Atlanta region and beyond, featuring attractions that range from nature-based activities in nearby backcountry tracts to more urbane pursuits in the community's shopping and entertainment district. Bisected by two well-known recreational rivers, surrounded by the southern Appalachian mountains and flanked by 39,000 acre Lake Lanier, Dawson County has become a destination so attractive to its visitors that many of them become full-time residents. But a thriving business environment and the phenomenon of residents from nearby population centers "moving out" to the county in pursuit of lifestyle improvements is not surprising to long time natives of the area.

Dawson County and Dawsonville are truly unique in that we have been able to retain our natural beauty and greenspace while also tapping into the convenience and efficiency of modern infrastructure and transportation. People visit and live here for the beauty and the lifestyle that goes with it, so good community planning and good stewardship of the natural resources go hand in hand.

The 400 corridor of Dawson County offers a busy shopping and dining district where the upscale shopping at North Georgia Premium Outlets and adjacent retail, dining, theater and entertainment draw literally millions of visitors each year.

A few miles west on Highway 53, historic Dawsonville hearkens back to its founding in the mid 1800s, a time when the region was a quaint mountain farming community. During the early days following the revolutionary war, the area was dotted with small farms and orchards. The discovery of gold in the 1800s permanently changed the mountains of north Georgia as the Native American Cherokees were displaced first by miners and then by settlers. Today, a historic town square with courthouse, jail and other original period architecture stands as a reminder of that bygone era.

Past the courthouse and downtown square, beyond the picturesque farms and mountain cabins is the Dawson County that the Cherokee called home. Tens of thousands of acres of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the 25,000+ acre Dawson Forest Wildlife Management area offer true wilderness experiences to visitors. Less adventurous travelers can enjoy the many well-marked and mapped trails including the ADA approved Amicalola River Trail and other trails in the Dawson Forest WMA. Those with more experience and energy will appreciate the well-marked but more remote Wildcat Tract Trail System or the Springer Mountain Approach Trail, a trail established in 1957 near Amicalola State Park that put the county on the map as the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

Rivers of Dawson County, the Amicalola and Etowah,offer kayaking, fishing and exploring, and the 39,000 acre Lake Lanier serves as the county's southern border, offering innumerable water sports activities from skiing to fishing for warm water species like bass, stripers and crappie.

The less adventurous visitor will find plenty of excitement with the wild bargains on hand at North Georgia Premium Outlet's upscale stores and the area's many antique, arts and crafts shops, all close to fine dining and recognized restaurant and lodging chains.

Although the precious metal that helped settle the area is all played out, a little exploring can yield gold in the form of charming B&Bs, cabins, home rentals, local dining and other hard to find treasures. Many visitors spend an afternoon on the area's golf courses, or touring the back roads and byways that weave between area farms and climb into the mountains of Dawson Forest Wildlife Management area and the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Of course every visitor to the region will learn about the area's unique and colorful moonshine history, from backwoods stills, "runners and revenuers" to the roots of NASCAR on display in downtown's centerpiece Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and at The Pool Room, home of the Bully Burger and the unofficial gathering place for racing fans of every age and stripe.

Dawson County and Historic Dawsonville is a destination featuring many attractions, in one easy-to-reach package. For more information, visit the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce web site at www.dawsonchamber.org