Northeast Georgia facts for kids
Northeast Georgia is a special part of Georgia in the United States. The northern area is known as the North Georgia mountains. It's a very rugged and beautiful place. The southern part, east of metro Atlanta, is still hilly but a bit flatter.
The mountains here are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This mountain chain ends right here in Georgia! The Blue Ridge mountains are super old, over a billion years old. They are part of the huge Appalachian Mountains system. This system stretches along the eastern side of North America, all the way to Alabama.
The Cherokee people, who lived in these mountains long ago, called them ᏌᏆᎾᎦ (Sah-ka-na'-ga). This means "Blue Smoke Mountains," which is a cool name! A big part of the North Georgia mountains is inside the Chattahoochee National Forest. This forest covers more than 750,000 acres (about 3,000 square kilometers).
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Exploring Northeast Georgia's Landscape
This mountainous area includes several counties in Georgia. They are:
Many towns and cities are found in this region. In the northern section, you'll find Helen, Cleveland, Blairsville, Sautee Nacoochee, Clarkesville, Clayton, Dahlonega, Gainesville, Hiawassee, Young Harris, and Toccoa. Farther south are Elberton, Hartwell, and Lavonia. The largest city in the region is Gainesville.
Rivers and Waterways
Northeast Georgia has many important rivers. The Savannah River forms part of the state line. Its smaller rivers, like the Tugaloo River and Chattooga River, also help form the border.
Other major rivers include the Chattahoochee River and its branch, the Chestatee River. These rivers are very important. They provide much of the water supply for the Atlanta area. This water is held in Lake Lanier by the Buford Dam. The Oconee River also starts near Athens. The Little Tennessee River flows north from Rabun County.
A special line called the Eastern Continental Divide runs through Northeast Georgia. This divide separates rivers that flow to the Atlantic Ocean from those that flow to the Gulf of Mexico. The Chattahoochee, Chestatee, and Little Tennessee rivers are west of this divide. They flow towards the Gulf. The other rivers are east of the divide and flow towards the Atlantic.
Learning in Northeast Georgia
This region is home to several colleges and universities. Some of them include Piedmont University in Demorest, Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia, and North Georgia Technical College in Clarkesville. You can also find Young Harris College in Young Harris, Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, and Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa. The University of North Georgia is in Dahlonega, and Brenau University is in Gainesville.
Northeast Georgia in Movies and Shows
The beautiful Chattooga River was used as a filming location for the movie Deliverance. In the film, it was called the Cahulawassee River. Scenes were shot in the Tallulah Gorge and on the Chattooga River itself.
The animated TV show Squidbillies also takes place in this area. It is set in a made-up place called Dougal County, which is located in the North Georgia mountains.
