Things to do at Lake Blue Ridge and around Fannin County

Most days at Lake Blue Ridge (TVA’s Blue Ridge Reservoir) start on the water and end in town. Launch a boat, swim at Morganton Point or fish for bass, walleye and stocked rainbow trout, then head for the dam overlook, the Toccoa River, the Aska trails or the scenic railway out of downtown Blue Ridge.

On the lake

Boating

The lake is open to motorboats and jet skis as well as nonmotorized craft (USFS). We list three public Forest Service launches. Morganton Point charges $5 to launch a trailer, per USFS, checked October 2026. Lake Blue Ridge Recreation Area, on the west side, is free and open year-round (USFS). Lakewood Landing, on the north side, is open sunrise to sunset and needs a launch pass bought through Recreation.gov (Recreation.gov).

Lake Blue Ridge Marina, a private operator, rents Bennington pontoons, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. Pontoon renters must be 21 with a valid driver’s license, with at most 8 guests aboard (Lake Blue Ridge Marina). As posted in October 2026, the marina is open Thursday through Monday and closed Tuesday and Wednesday; hours may change by season, so call (706) 632-2618. Our boating guide has the full list.

Swimming

Morganton Point has a designated swimming area with picnic tables and outdoor showers. Day use is $5 per person 16 and older. Swimming from the dock and ramp at Lakewood Landing is prohibited. See where to swim.

Fishing

Alabama bass are now the dominant black bass in the lake and outnumber largemouth about 3 to 1, and DNR has stocked walleye every year since 2017. Most Blue Ridge walleye run 2 to 4 pounds (GA DNR). Anglers 16 and older who fish for trout need both a Georgia fishing license and a trout license. Our fishing guide covers species and seasons.

DNR says Blue Ridge is the only large reservoir in Georgia stocked with rainbow trout, released in the main lake from the dam upstream to Morganton Point. (GA DNR, checked Oct 18, 2026)

Blue Ridge Dam and the overlook

TVA has a scenic overlook above the dam and a shaded picnic area near the powerhouse. The earthen dam is 175 feet high and 1,553 feet long (TVA), and it went into service on July 1, 1931 (TVA). As of October 2026, TVA says the dam is safe for normal operations and that its safety study is scheduled to be completed during calendar year 2026 (TVA). Read more on our Blue Ridge Dam page.

The Toccoa River, above and below the lake

Below the dam, a canoe and kayak launch gives nonmotorized boaters access to the Toccoa, which becomes a Class I-II float when the dam releases water to generate power. DNR stocks rainbow and brown trout in this tailwater every year (GA DNR). TVA’s instruction for anyone near the river who hears the dam sirens or sees rapidly rising water is to get off the river to high ground immediately.

Above the lake, Toccoa River – Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area (USFS) is the take-out for the 13.8-mile Toccoa River Canoe Trail (Recreation.gov). The Toccoa’s Delayed Harvest trout section is also upstream, between Shallowford Bridge and the Sandy Bottoms Canoe Access (GA DNR), and the Delayed Harvest season begins Nov. 1. Our Toccoa River guide covers both stretches.

Trails: Aska and the Swinging Bridge

The Forest Service’s Aska Trail System has about 17 miles of hiking and mountain-bike trails off Aska Road, less than 10 miles from downtown Blue Ridge. It is free and open year-round (USFS), and there is no water on the trails, so carry your own. The Benton MacKaye Trail shares part of the system along the Stanley Gap Trail and is blazed with white diamonds.

Upstream of the lake, the Benton MacKaye Trail crosses the Toccoa River on a suspension bridge reached from Georgia 60: the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge. The Forest Service’s text on Recreation.gov gives its length as 260 feet. We couldn’t confirm current trail conditions, so call the Blue Ridge Ranger District at 706-745-6928 before a long hike.

In and around town

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway runs a 26-mile round trip along the Toccoa from the historic Blue Ridge depot to McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, in two hours or four with a layover (Blue Ridge Scenic Railway). Mercier Orchards, a family-owned orchard founded in 1943, has a market, bakery, U-pick events and a hard-cider tasting room (Mercier Orchards). The Arts Center at 420 West Main Street hosts the Holiday Market from Nov. 15 to Dec. 19, 2026 (Blue Ridge Mountains CVB), and the city calls the Swan Drive-In one of the few drive-in theaters left in north Georgia (City of Blue Ridge).

In Mineral Bluff, the Tri State Model Railroaders run 5-mile round-trip motor-car rides from the historic L&N depot over the Toccoa River iron bridge on scheduled weekends; the next listed one is Oct. 24-25, 2026, with tickets at $15 for adults and $5 for ages 3-12 (Blue Ridge Mountains CVB).

Coming up

Places to go

• Dam

  Blue Ridge Dam (TVA)

  TVA earthen dam built 1925-1930 by the Toccoa Electric Power Company and bought by TVA in 1939; 175 ft high and 1,553 ft long, with one 16-MW generating unit. TVA says the dam is safe for normal operations; a safety study is scheduled to finish in 2026 and TVA reports no active plans to change seasonal lake levels (as of its July 2026 page).

  • Toccoa River near Mineral Bluff, about two miles northeast of the city of Blue Ridge (Fannin County, Georgia)

  Source: Tennessee Valley Authority, checked Oct 18, 2026

• Park Not yet confirmed

  Blue Ridge Dam overlook and powerhouse picnic area (TVA)

  TVA lists a scenic overlook above the dam and a shaded picnic area near the powerhouse. Georgia DNR calls the shore access here the Blue Ridge Dam Recreation Area and suggests it for bank fishing for stocked rainbow trout.

  • At Blue Ridge Dam, Toccoa River (Fannin County, Georgia)

  Source: Tennessee Valley Authority; Georgia DNR fishing forecast, checked Oct 18, 2026

• Beach

  Morganton Point swim beach (USFS)

  A designated swimming area with picnic tables, outdoor showers and trash bins inside Morganton Point Recreation Area. Day-use parking is $5 per person 16 and older. No alcohol is allowed in the day-use areas.

  • Yearlong (USFS)
  • $5/person/day for 16+
  • 475 Lake Drive, Morganton, GA 30560 (Fannin County, Georgia)
  • 706-374-1645

  Source: USDA Forest Service, checked Oct 18, 2026

• Marina

  Lake Blue Ridge Marina (private)

  A privately run full-service marina with Bennington pontoon rentals (renter must be 21; maximum 8 guests), canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals, a fuel dock, store, service, a boat showroom and the Boat Dock Bar & Grill. As posted in October 2026 it is open Thursday-Monday and closed Tuesday-Wednesday, and slips have a waiting list.

  • Posted Oct 2026: open Thu-Mon
  • Pontoon half day $475 + tax / full day $625 + tax (plus fuel surcharge & booking fee); single kayak $55 / double $75 per 2 hours
  • 335 Marina Dr., Blue Ridge, GA 30513 (Fannin County, Georgia)
  • (706) 632-2618

  Source: Lake Blue Ridge Marina (operator website), checked Oct 18, 2026

• Trail Not yet confirmed

  Toccoa River Swinging Bridge (Benton MacKaye Trail, USFS)

  The Benton MacKaye Trail crosses the Toccoa River on a suspension bridge reached from Georgia 60, upstream of the lake. The Forest Service's recreation.gov text gives its length as 260 feet; other sources say 270, so avoid quoting a single number without attribution.

  • Benton MacKaye Trail over the Toccoa River, reached from Georgia 60 (Fannin County, Georgia)

  Source: Recreation.gov (USDA Forest Service), checked Oct 18, 2026

• Attraction

  Blue Ridge Scenic Railway depot

  A heritage railway running a 26-mile round trip along the Toccoa River from the 1905 Blue Ridge depot to McCaysville, GA, and Copperhill, TN. Trips are 2-hour express or 4-hour with a layover. The 2026-27 winter season runs Nov. 5, 2026, to Feb. 28, 2027, and the 1-hour Holiday Express runs on select dates Nov. 27 to Dec. 23.

  • Year-round seasonal schedule (2026-27 winter: Nov 5-Feb 28)
  • 241 Depot Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 (Fannin County, Georgia)
  • (877) 413-8724

  Source: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, checked Oct 18, 2026

• Attraction

  Historic L&N Depot, Mineral Bluff (Tri State Model Railroaders)

  The historic depot houses a large HO-scale model railroad. On scheduled 2026 weekends (April, July and Oct. 24-25), the Tri State Model Railroaders run 5-mile round-trip motor-car rides over the Toccoa River iron bridge to Murphy Junction. Motor car tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for ages 3-12.

  • Scheduled ride weekends only
  • Motor car $15 adult / $5 ages 3-12
  • 150 Railroad Avenue, Mineral Bluff, GA 30559 (Fannin County, Georgia)
  • (423) 299-3914

  Source: Blue Ridge Mountains CVB (Fannin County Chamber) event listing, checked Oct 18, 2026

• Attraction

  The Arts Center (Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association)

  The community arts center downtown. It hosts the Holiday Market (Nov. 15-Dec. 19, 2026, Tuesday-Sunday 10-6) and the Light Up Blue Ridge Gingerbread Village. The association also runs Spring Arts in the Park on Memorial Day weekend.

  • 420 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 (Fannin County, Georgia)
  • (706) 632-2144

  Source: Blue Ridge Mountains CVB event listing; Light Up Blue Ridge, checked Oct 18, 2026

• Attraction

  Mercier Orchards

  A family-owned apple orchard founded in 1943, with a farm market and bakery, U-pick events (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches and more than 40 apple varieties) and a hard-cider tasting room. The orchard says it is the only one in Georgia that grows, presses, ferments and cans its own hard cider (its own claim).

  • Blue Ridge Drive, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 (Fannin County, Georgia)

  Source: Mercier Orchards (operator website), checked Oct 18, 2026

• Attraction Not yet confirmed

  Swan Drive-In

  The City of Blue Ridge calls it one of the few drive-in theaters left in north Georgia. The seasonal Blue Ridge on Ice rink (Nov. 17, 2026-Jan. 2, 2027) sets up next door at the Blue Ridge Farmers Market.

  • 651 East Summit Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 per OSM (Fannin County, Georgia)

  Source: City of Blue Ridge; Blue Ridge Mountains CVB, checked Oct 18, 2026

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