Helen is a small mountain town on the Chattahoochee River, about 50 miles (roughly 49–54, depending on route), which most route planners put at roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter from Blue Ridge. It's busier and more festive than Blue Ridge: think Bavarian-style storefronts, river tubing in summer and the long-running Oktoberfest in fall. The real treats, though, are just outside town: a twin waterfall, a state park lake and the wineries of the Nacoochee Valley.
Jump to: The Alpine village · Downtown Helen · Tubing · Anna Ruby Falls · Unicoi State Park · Wineries · Oktoberfest · Our Helen tips
The Alpine village: how a lumber town went Bavarian
According to the City of Helen, Helen was a struggling former lumber town in January 1969 when three local businessmen got together to look for a way to spruce up Main Street and get travelers to stop on their way into the mountains. They brought in Clarkesville artist John Kollock, who had served in Germany and sketched Bavarian-style facades for the town. By the fall of 1969 many buildings had their new fronts, and the leaf season brought new visitors. The city now calls itself "Georgia's Alpine Village." Local history sources name the three businessmen as Pete Hodkinson, Jim Wilkins and Bob Fowler.
Want the whole story? The City of Helen credits its history to Chris Brooks and David Grear, co-authors of the Arcadia book Images of America: Helen (2012).
Downtown Helen
Downtown is compact and walkable, with Main Street (Highway 75) running through the middle and the Chattahoochee alongside it. Park once and explore on foot. Here are a few long-standing places with official links (we're not ranking them, and this isn't a full list).
Helen Welcome Center (Alpine Helen/White County CVB)
726 Bruckenstrasse (behind the post office) · 706-878-2181 or 800-858-8027 · helenga.org
Start here for maps, event calendars and a free printed travel guide. The CVB's contact page says the Welcome Center is open seven days a week, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Its online dining directory and shopping listings are the most complete lists of local businesses.
Bodensee Restaurant
64 Munich Strasse · 706-878-1026 · bodenseerestaurant.com
A German restaurant in downtown Helen. When we checked, its site showed 11 a.m.–8 p.m. for the day and said it wasn't taking reservations.
Troll Tavern
8590 N Main St (on the river) · 706-878-3117 · trolltavern.com
A riverside tavern with German and American food. Its posted hours were Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. and Friday–Sunday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., and they can change with the seasons.
Hofbrauhaus Restaurant
9001 N Main St
A longtime German restaurant on the north end of Main Street. We couldn't find a current official website, so call ahead or check the CVB dining directory for hours.
Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen
8651 N Main St and 8078 S Main St · 706-878-2443 · hanselgretelcandy.com
A Helen candy shop with two locations on Main Street, known for fudge and candy made in-house. A good stop if you have kids along.
Helen Festhalle
1074 Edelweiss Strasse · Oktoberfest info (Helen Chamber)
The hall where Oktoberfest happens, and a venue for other events throughout the year.
Just south of town: Nora Mill Granary (7107 S Main St, Sautee-Nacoochee Valley; noramill.com), a water-powered gristmill built in 1876 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with a store selling its stone-ground grits and flours.
Tubing the Chattahoochee
Floating the Chattahoochee through town on a big inner tube is Helen's classic summer activity. Two long-running outfitters:
Cool River Tubing
590 Edelweiss Strasse (plus a Headwaters Outpost at 112 Poplar Stump Rd) · 706-878-2665 · coolrivertubing.com
Offers a short ride (about 1–1.5 hours) and a long ride (about 2–2.5 hours). The main season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with some weekends in April, May and September.
Helen Tubing & Waterpark
9917 Hwy 75 N · 706-878-7465 · helentubing.com
Lists a season from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with a trip of about 2–2.5 hours. Tubes and life vests are included.
What to bring: water shoes or old sneakers you can get wet, sunscreen, a waterproof phone pouch (or just leave your phone in the car), and a dry change of clothes. Rules for glass, coolers and minimum ages vary by outfitter, so read each one's FAQ.
Anna Ruby Falls
Anna Ruby Falls is a pair of side-by-side waterfalls in the Chattahoochee National Forest, just north of Helen (3455 Anna Ruby Falls Rd; you drive through Unicoi State Park to reach it). Curtis Creek drops about 153 feet and York Creek about 50 feet; the two join below the falls to form Smith Creek. The site is run by the nonprofit FIND Outdoors in partnership with the USDA Forest Service.
- The walk: a paved trail of about 0.4 mile each way (about 0.8 mile round trip). It climbs steadily with some steep sections and isn't considered wheelchair-accessible. The separate Lion's Eye Trail near the visitor center is an accessible loop by the creek.
- Admission: $6 for ages 16 and up; 15 and under free (per FIND Outdoors' admissions page, October 2026). The Georgia State Parks ParkPass does not cover Anna Ruby Falls. The Forest Service says America the Beautiful interagency passes are accepted.
- Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Unicoi State Park & Lodge
Unicoi State Park & Lodge (1788 Highway 356) sits about two miles from Helen and covers the lake and forest between town and Anna Ruby Falls. Highlights from the park's own pages and trail map:
- Lake Trail: an easy 2.5-mile loop around Unicoi Lake.
- Unicoi/Helen Trail: about 3 miles one way (about 6 miles round trip) between the park and town.
- Smith Creek Trail: about 4.8 miles one way to Anna Ruby Falls. It's rated strenuous and there's no shuttle back, so plan for the return or a car at each end.
- Summer on the lake: a swimming beach in season, plus kayak and paddleboard rentals.
- Stay: the park has a lodge, cabins and campsites that book through the park.
Wineries near Helen
The countryside south of Helen around Sautee Nacoochee and Cleveland is one of Georgia's wine areas. Pick a designated driver; these are winding country roads.
Habersham Vineyards & Winery
7025 S Main St, Helen (about half a mile south of town in Nacoochee Village) · 706-878-9463 · habershamwinery.com
A tasting room just outside town. Its site says reservations aren't required but are recommended for groups of 10 or more, and under-21s are allowed in the tasting room with adults. Its sister tasting room, Creekstone Winery (295 Hardman Farm Rd, Sautee Nacoochee), lists live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Yonah Mountain Vineyards Our pick
1717 Hwy 255 S, Cleveland · roughly 10–15 minutes' drive south of Helen · 706-878-5522 · yonahmountainvineyards.com
A family-owned winery at the base of Yonah Mountain. The family bought the land in 2005 and planted the first vines that year. It offers several tasting formats and a calendar of live music and events.
From our own visit: we went, and it was awesome, a great place for an afternoon. Check hours, tastings and reservations on their site before you go.
Oktoberfest timing
Helen's Oktoberfest is held at the Festhalle (1074 Edelweiss Strasse) and is a big draw. The Helen Chamber lists 2026 as the 56th annual event, running weekends (Thursday–Sunday) in September and then every day from October 1 through November 1, 2026, with a parade in mid-September. Expect heavy traffic and full lodging on fall weekends.
Planning tips: if you're coming from Blue Ridge, a weekday in October is usually easier than a Saturday. Book stays early, and check the Chamber page for the year's dates, hours, admission and age rules.
Full details are in our Helen Oktoberfest 2026 guide.
Book the fun stuff
Tours, stays & activities around Helen
Tours & activities: Expedia things to do · Viator (lists Helen walking and ghost tours) · GetYourGuide
Cabins & vacation rentals: Vrbo · Hotels & inns: Expedia
Search "Helen, Georgia" on each site. Tubing, Anna Ruby Falls tickets and Oktoberfest admission are sold direct by the operators (not affiliate links).
Our Helen tips
- It's an easy side trip. Helen is about an hour from Blue Ridge (roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter), so it works as a day trip from a Blue Ridge cabin. On fall and Oktoberfest weekends, leave early.
- Save an afternoon for Yonah Mountain Vineyards. We went and it was awesome, a great place for an afternoon. It's roughly 10–15 minutes south of Helen near Cleveland. Check their hours, tastings and reservations first, and bring a designated driver.
- Bringing the dog? We travel with our corgi, Charlotte, so we always read the pet rules first. "Pet-friendly" listings can limit the number or size of dogs and add fees.
- Go by the season. Tubing is mostly a summer thing, and Oktoberfest runs from September into early November. Confirm hours and dates with each business before you go, because they change.
- Book October stays early. Leaf season and Oktoberfest fill Helen up.
Making a weekend of it? See Blue Ridge + Helen: A 3-Day North Georgia Mountains Itinerary, or head back to the Helen side-trip hub.
Sources
City of Helen, About and History (cityofhelen.org); Helen Arts & Heritage Center; Alpine Helen/White County CVB, Contact and Dining (helenga.org); Helen Chamber of Commerce, Oktoberfest (helenchamber.com); FIND Outdoors, Anna Ruby Falls and Admissions (gofindoutdoors.org); USDA Forest Service, Anna Ruby Falls Recreation Area; Unicoi State Park & Lodge, Adventures and Trail Map (unicoilodge.com); Georgia State Parks, ParkPass; Cool River Tubing; Helen Tubing & Waterpark; Habersham Vineyards & Winery; Yonah Mountain Vineyards (home, contact and "Things to Do Near Helen" pages); Pinnacle Cabin Rentals area guide (Yonah drive time); Nora Mill Granary; Bodensee Restaurant; Troll Tavern; Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen; Travelmath, Trippy and Wanderlog for drive times. Reviewed October 2026.