Incorporated in 1859, Dawsonville is the county seat of Dawson County and was named after William C. Dawson, a compiler of the laws of Georgia and commander of a brigade in the Creek Indian War of 1836. Dawsonville is home to the Southern Terminus of the 2,146-mile Appalachian Trail. It’s also home to Amicalola Falls State Park which has a waterfall that drops 729 feet into a reflection pool. Living up to its reputation as “The Moonshine Capital of the World” is the Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery, a legal moonshine distillery under the same roof as City Hall and the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. Traditional moonshine recipes more than 150 years old are fermented today to approximate the free spirited moonshiners of the Appalachians.
Other historical structures still standing in Dawsonville include the old log courthouse and a wooden reinforced jail. Both are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The original jail was destroyed by fire soon after it was completed during a failed escape attempt. The county was without a jail until 1881, when the historic jail was completed. During the period when no jail was available, county officials relied on jails in surrounding counties to house prisoners. The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Museum houses a large display of racing memorabilia but Dawsonville also offers access to a plethora of racetrack action, from Atlanta Motorsports Park (which offers an Xtreme Xperience package that can fulfill your special need for speed) and Velocity Motorsports which guarantees you seat time in a variety of fantastic cars.
If you enjoy the changing of the foliage in fall, mark autumn at Uncle Shuck's and Buck's Corn Mazes, at Burt's Farm and at Bradley's Pumpkin Patch. For picturesque hiking, set out Dawson Forest but if you want to view the forests from the water, the Etowah and the Amicalola Rivers offer two great river adventures.After pulling out all the stops in this Appalachian town, you’ll have a convenient location to rest and recharge when you stay at one of our Choice Hotels in Dawsonville, GA. Book a room online now!