Dahlonega & Dawsonville Real Estate Listings of Houses and Homes for Sale in Lumpkin County, Georgia


	Dahlonega and Dawsonville Houses for Sale

Dahlonega and Dawsonville

Benjamin Parks discovered gold here while deer hunting in 1828 and his find led to the first major gold rush in the United States. Dahlonega, a boomtown when Atlanta was a just a village, was built on top of these large, rich deposits of gold. In fact, the Cherokee word for this area was “Ta-lo-ne-ga,” meaning the color yellow.

The lore of the Gold Rush era is an important part of the history of Dahlonega and the state of Georgia. The Dahlonega Courthouse Gold Museum preserves this rich mining history. Even its bricks are traced with gold. There are several local attractions, such as Consolidated Mine, Gold Miner’s Camp and Crisson Gold Mine, which offer a glimpse of how it used to be through daily tours. Area waterfalls are another abundant source of natural beauty in and around Dahlonega. Cane Creek Falls, Etowah River Rapids, Black Falls on the Upper Etowah River, Upper and Lower DeSoto Falls, Upper Falls on Little Ridge Creek and Falls on Branch of Cow Rock Creek, are just a few of the beautiful natural waterfalls open to the public.

Annual festivals are also an integral part of Dahlonega’s rich culture heritage. Each year, the city hosts the Dahlonega Bluegrass Festival, the Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, the Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration and many more. Since Lumpkin County is known as the center of “Georgia Wine Country,” visitors can also tour several nearby wineries and vineyards or have a taste of local wines at the Dahlonega Tasting Room downtown. In addition, Dahlonega is home to North Georgia College & State University, one of six senior military colleges in the United States.

The North Georgia Mountains provide a wonderful landscape for a challenging golf course. The Nicklaus Golf Club at Birch River is a classic, semi-private course satisfactory to all skill levels from beginner to the most advanced golfer. The Gold Creek Golf Club course is also semi-private and is located only 12 miles outside of Dahlonega. In town, Dahlonega residents enjoy a rich musical heritage, which is continued at the Folkways Center of the Georgia Mountains, the Holly Theatre and the Crimson Moon, Dahlonega’s premier acoustic music venue.

An abundance of land and close proximity to the Atlanta metropolitan area has caused a recent explosion in residential development in and around Dawsonville, where the memory of fast cars, moonshine runners, and whirlwind races between whiskey trippers and revenuers is less than a generation old. Dawsonville residents celebrate their rich heritage through many annual events, such as the annual Mountain Moonshine Festival, Open Stock Dog Championships and the Antique and Appraisal Fair. District II of the Dawson County was named after former U.S. Senator William C. Dawson. The historic courthouse and jail are still located in downtown Dawsonville and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Originally settled by the Cherokee Indians around the time of the American Revolution, the Dawsonville area was dotted with farms, orchards and numerous modern log structures. Native Americans thrived here until gold was discovered and Georgia claimed the region as a new territory. The legacy of the Cherokee remains, however, in the names of the more prominent local attractions, such as Amicalola Falls, which means “tumbling waters” and Etowah, Toto Creek, which was named for the Cherokee Toter family. Dawson County was in the middle of the first American gold rush and numerous mines and mining operations were established within the city limits of Dawsonville. The County was divided during the Civil War, offering both Confederate and Union units. Dawson County was created by a legislative act in December 1857.

In addition to the Kangaroo Conservation Center, Amicalola Falls State Park, the North Georgia Premium Outlet Mall and the Dawsonville Pool Room, there are several exciting attractions in the Dawsonville area. Thunder Road USA, Georgia Racing Hall of Fame is the official motor sports hall of fame in Georgia. Burt’s Pumpkin Farm is a favorite for fall decorations and hayrides. Lake Sydney Lanier is a 38,000-acre lake run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers open for fishing, boating and recreation. Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, is located 8.5 miles north of Amicalola Falls.