One Of Georgia's Most Popular Hikes Offers Panoramic Mountain Views With Vineyards Nearby

Georgia's Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest is well known for encompassing both the largest cascading waterfall in the Southeast and the southern terminus of the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail, where every year about 3,000 northbound thru-hikers begin their long trek from the trailhead on Springer Mountain. If a day hike is more your style, there's another mountain within the same National Forest that will grant you panoramic views of the rivers, small towns, and rolling hills of northern Georgia — and you'll only have to walk 4 miles to see them.

Yonah Mountain Trail is considered one of the most popular hikes in Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains, thanks in part to the views it offers, as well as the large, exposed rock outcroppings at its summit. "The rock faces at the top are a perfect place to rest and have a lunch before hiking back down," one hiker wrote on AllTrails.

Though it's a relatively short distance from the trailhead to the summit — about 2 miles — Yonah Mountain is considered a challenging climb and not beginner-friendly. Hikers hoping to reach the top must conquer a steep uphill that takes you 1,400 feet higher in elevation. When you do complete the climb, the remaining 2 miles take you back down the mountain. Then, you might consider rewarding yourself with a stop at one of several nearby vineyards.

The rolling terrain that hikers can see from the top of Yonah Mountain is part of what makes north Georgia an ideal place for growing wine grapes, in addition to its sandy soil and humid, subtropical climate. Winemakers has been producing in the area for over 100 years. 

The land around Yonah Mountain is no exception. The mountain is located about 5 miles north of Cleveland, Georgia, one of two towns that are considered the heart of Georgia wine country. The other town, Dahlonega, is a charming town you'd never believe was in the U.S. – and one that makes for an underrated, picture-perfect wine vacation. Cleveland is home to Limoges Cellars, CeNita Vineyards and Winery, Chateau Yonah, and Serenity Cellars, just to name a few. The list also includes Yonah Mountain Cellars, a 200-acre family winery that picked up 13 medals in 2024 at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Its owners strive to make wine that stands up to any created in the country's more renowned wine regions.

The tasting room at Yonah Mountain Cellers offers $35 wine flights, which includes a Riedel glass to take home. For a more exclusive experience, visitors can splurge on a $100 tour of the winery and wine caves, followed by a tasting of wines that aren't available to the public.