Autumn Appalachian Road Trip

THE ASCENT FROM GEORGIA into western North Carolina slowly becomes a dizzying stream of narrow, two-laned roads where gaps in trees offer panoramic mountain scenes that, in October, seem to shift from bright green to gold, crimson, and fiery orange overnight. This region is part of a much broader place called Appalachia, where autumn is arguably the most spectacular season. Pumpkins and crisp apples replace melons and tomatoes at roadside farm stands, and the ever-present morning chill grows cooler as the calendar creeps forward. Venturing through all of Appalachia would take weeks, maybe even months, but an escape through Georgia’s Rabun County and into Highlands and Cashiers, North Carolina, makes for a spectacular old-fashioned weekend road trip where rich history, charm, and rustic elegance merge.

A cultural region stretching through parts of 13 states (including the entirety of West Virginia) from southern New York to northeast Mississippi, Appalachia lies on the central and southern portions of the far-flung Appalachian Mountains. The peaks and valleys of this subset of the Appalachians are the Blue Ridge Mountains, where an abundance of waterfall-peppered hiking trails and fishable rivers is balanced by small towns lined with luxe shops and restaurants. But snaking through the highways and byways of this corner of the world, there’s also a lot to learn about Appalachia’s rich culture.

A stone’s throw away from the state line, Georgia’s Rabun County draws adventurers to outdoor attractions from Tallulah Gorge State Park