Russell–Brasstown National Scenic Byway Drive Guide

This is the best pure driving road in Georgia — a 41-mile loop through the Chattahoochee National Forest that switchbacks over the Blue Ridge and past the base of Brasstown Bald, at 4,784 feet the highest point in the state. It’s the only National Scenic Byway Georgia has, and it earns the title: hairpin after hairpin, laurel tunnels, cold trout streams, and long views that open without warning. Spur off to the Brasstown Bald parking area, hike (or shuttle) the last half-mile to the observation tower, and on a clear day you can see four states. In late October the whole route goes up like a struck match.