What is so enjoyable about McCaysville, Georgia?

In one word: Everything! It iss a wonderful “border city” to explore!

McCaysville, Georgia had a July 2007 population of 946 people and the town across the river had a population of 454. The fact is that McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee are twin cities separated by an imaginary, but important, line that show the joining of Georgia and Tennessee.

As you can imagine you will have one foot in each state at some point while walking up the main street running through the twin cities. I am not sure if anyone knows the exact line other than a surveyor but it is fun to cross the old iron bridge built in 1911 where there is a sign identifying the state line.

And if you find that location on the bridge, you can boast that you found the location were the Tennessee Ocoee River becomes the Georgia Toccoa River. As a side note, this explorer was quite puzzled for some time trying to find the location of these two rivers. I mean, does the Mississippi River change names when it crosses a state line? And we don’t need to get into the previous names of these two towns over the years. Suffice it to say that the mining operation north of Copperhill on Tennessee Hwy 68 is/was a copper mine.

As for today, McCaysville and Copperhill rely on tourism, which has been good to them. They possess a couple of antique malls, art galleries, eateries, and specialty shops. McCaysville is a stopping spot for the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Is it any wonder that the Tri State Model Railroaders, a civic organization is located there?

I like going to McCaysville to explore the antique malls, cross the iron bridge, and sit out on the south side of the river watching the water foul and fish. For those who like more water action – like white water – stop off in Outdoor Adventure and get some local kayak information. You are about 15-miles from the Ocoee Whitewater Center that was built for the 1996 Olympic kayak competition.

You can get to McCaysville by driving up Georgia Hwy 5 from Blue Ridge or taking the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. I drive it as I always stop off at Mercier’s Orchard on my way back to my cabin in Ellijay after a long day exploring.

For more information on McCaysville area attractions, click here to visit Fannin County Chamber of Commerce or call 800-899-6867.

For more information on the city itself and its government web site, click here to visit the City of McCaysville

For more information on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, click here for my experience on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

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