Is Helen, Georgia worth the hype?
Overall, yes. Helen offers the American-version of German Bavaria while sprinkling in its own southern charm as it sits along the Chattahoochee River and within the Blue Ridge Mountains. You certainly won’t find many places like Alpine Helen, Georgia any where else in the United States. The town was inspired by the Bavarian region of Germany, where you’ll find traditional wooden buildings with “gingerbread” carpentry, small villages, traditional festivals like Oktoberfest and delicious beers.
Of course, it doesn’t hold a flame next to the real deal: the region of Bavarian is found in southeast Germany, which really is the stuff of fairy tales, especially during Christmas.
How many days do you need to visit Helen, GA?
One to two days. You only need one day to walk the small town, grab a meal at a German-inspired restaurant, ride the Alpine slide a few times, and then visit a winery like The Cottage Vineyard and Winery. If you plan to go tubing on the Suwannee river that runs through the town, then you should spend an extra day floating around the town.
Take a look at the free two day travel itinerary that I made to help you have a relaxed time in beautiful Alpine Helen, Georgia.
Two day family-friendly travel itinerary to Helen, Georgia
If I could create my ideal itinerary to Helen, Georgia, this would be it.
Snag this free travel itinerary to two relaxing days of things to do in Helen with little ones. It includes hanging around downtown, tubing and a wine tasting. That’s a winner in my book.
One day of things to do in Helen, Georgia
This German-inspired town isn’t very big and offers just enough fun things to do for a young family on an afternoon.
- Activities like the Alpine slide & tubing
- Dining in town
- Shopping
- RV camping nearby
How do I spend a day in Helen, GA?
We spent one day in Helen. We traveled here in June 2021, so many places were still closed due to COVID-19 and likely just going out of business since it’s a tourism-dependent area.
Ride the Alpine Slide
Our first stop was to the Alpine Slide just outside of town. We rode that with our son (4 years) at least twice since it’s half off the second ride. Our daughters didn’t meet the height and weight requirements to be able to go with mom or dad.
Affordably Park in Downtown Helen
Next, we parked in town at a public lot (815 River St, Helen, GA 30545, United States) for about $20. I believe we were able to get that parking slip validated if we dined in town.
Lunch at The Troll Tavern
We were hungry and immediately went to the Troll Tavern. We picked it because of its name and its location on the Suwannee River. The food was good (brats and french fries) and the river was filled with people on tubes. My husband also picked up a boot-shaped beer glass here for like $15 with the purchase of a beer. Location: Troll Tavern, 8590 N Main St, Helen, GA 30545, United States
Stroll around Downtown Helen
After that, we strolled through town taking a look at the shops. Many shops and restaurants were still closed due to the pandemic at that time (June 2021).
Take a Guided Tour
Sometimes it’s more fun to see a new destination through the lens of a local. You can find guided tour operators in Helen like:
- Alpine Carriage Company (Horse drawn carriage tour)
- Helen & Back Food Tours
- North Georgia Wine Tours
Additionally, the Helen Visitors Bureau offers an app that you can download to find activities in the area.
Dinner at the Hofbrauhaus
For an early dinner, we ate at the Hofbrauhaus. This building, though newer construction, definitely had German vibes with lots of woodwork, small dining rooms and stained glass windows overlooking the river.
Location: Hofbrauhaus, 9001 N Main St, Helen, GA 30545, United States
Book a Wine Tasting at The Cottage Vineyard & Winery
Our first impression of the property was “wow, this is Georgia?” The rolling hills of northern Georgia really stand out at this winery, perched at the top of a valley and surrounded by grape vines.
Vineyards line the property as you drive up. At the top of the hill, you are greeted by a military memorial, then you come around a bend to the most charming little winery tasting room with outdoor seating.
The tasting room is a great room concept filled with windows to capture the surrounding views of trees, mountains and vines. It also has central AC, which is a necessity in the heat of the summer! There is plenty of outdoor seating (some covered) if you want to venture outside.
They offer an assortment of in-house and locally-sourced wines, paid flights and frozen wine slushies to beat the heat.
Our favorite wines at The Cottage Vineyard and Winery
- Eric: The Cottage’s cabernet sauvignon
- Ingrid: muscadine wine from a nearby vineyard.
Ingrid was blown away with the vintner that produced the muscadine wine served at The Cottage Vineyard and Winery – it was flavorful and smooth, but she didn’t get the name of that winery (of course!).
RV Campground Recommendations Near Helen, Georgia
We camped in our skoolie for a total of four days at two campgrounds just outside of Helen:
- The Cottage Vineyard & Winery
- Jenny’s Creek Family Campground
Camping at The Cottage Vineyard and Winery in Helen, Georgia
We camped in our RV overnight on the top of the hill by the memorial. We found The Cottage Vineyard & Winery through Harvest Hosts and it allows for a free overnight stay from its hosts who own or manage farms, wineries, breweries, etc.
We were really happy with the:
- free and private campsite,
- skoolie-friendly parking,
- space to safely explore with young kids,
- ability to use our generators to power our AC, and
- great wine and wine slushies.
How is The Cottage Vineyard & Winery rated?
The Cottage Vineyard and Winery in northern Georgia is ranked as a 4.6 out of 5 stars according to an average of hundreds of reviews we sourced from three independent websites. See the graph below. Based on this and our personal experience, this is a great place to visit if you’re in northern Georgia.
| Number of Stars | Total Submissions | |
| Average Review as of 8/26/2022 | 4.6 | 670 |
| 4.8 | 394 | |
| Yelp | 4.5 | 111 |
| TripAdvisor | 4.5 | 165 |
Jenny’s Creek Family Campground
We stayed 3 nights at a RV resort & campground down the street called Jenny’s Creek Family Campground. It came recommended to us by the ladies at the winery and for good reason.
Having stayed at only one other campground before this, we didn’t know what to expect. This campground is great for kids and families.
Amenities offered at Jenny’s Creek Family Campground in Cleveland, Georgia:
- RV hookups (water, sewer & electric)
- Free wifi
- Coin laundry
- camp store
- recreation room
- walking trails
- playground
- Flat parking with picnic table
- water features like a fountain and creek
Our campsite was next to a little brook and had plenty of open space to watch the kids play safely outside while mom made lunch inside.
How is Jenny’s Creek Family Campground rated?
Jenny’s Creek Family Campground has an average of 4.5 out of 5 star reviews based on an average of hundreds of reviews sourced from four independent sites as you see in the chart below. That’s a really high review for a campground with a high level of traffic from RVs and traditional campers, many years in operation and our personal experience camping there.
| Number of Stars | Total Submissions | |
| Average Review as of 8/26/2022 | 4.5 | 340 |
| 4.7 | 217 | |
| 4.8 | 58 | |
| TheDyrt | 4.4 | 7 |
| TripAdvisor | 4 | 58 |
What is Harvest Hosts?
Harvest Hosts is an website and app that connects hosts to the RV community for unique stays and experiences. Read more about the Harvest Hosts platform in this blog and save 15% off an annual membership with our link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you explore Helen, Georgia by walking?
Yes, you can. We traveled with three young kids between ages one to four) and two moderately active adults. The town is really small and the majority of the German-inspired shops and restaurants are along the Suwannee River.
What routes can you take to Helen, Georgia by RV?
We traveled north from Marietta, Georgia to Helen along route US-19. The distance is about 90 miles and took us just under two hours of non-stop driving in our skoolie RV. We prefer to avoid the interstates when driving in our RV, so we can see the area better.
However, another option from Marietta is to take I-985 north to US-23 then change to GA-384 followed by GA-75. That trip is a longer distance than the first at ~100 miles though about the same amount of travel time.
When does tubing season open in Helen, Georgia?
Tubing season runs from the end of May (Memorial Day) through the first week in September (Labor Day). Depending on the option you pick, you’ll be in the water between one to two hours.
There are two tubing tour operators in Helen, Georgia:
Tubing is an outside activity, so if the weather is bad then the tours won’t operate.
How much does it cost to go tubing in Helen, Georgia?
A few hours of tubing is going to run you between $14-$18, depending on days of the week. Weekends tend to be more expensive. Additionally, you may decide to pay for some upgrades like slides, etc. You may be able to get a group discount for a large group (20+). Typical things included in that price are:
- Transport to the launch site(s) and pick-up at the end
- Tube
- Life jacket
Can you carry an alcoholic beverage around Helen, Georgia?
Unfortunately, that is a big nope! According to city ordinances, you aren’t allowed to carry beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages around town or while tubing down the river. If you’re attending an event that is cordoned or fenced off like for Oktoberfest, then you may be allowed to drink in those designated areas.
How did the town of Helen, Georgia get its name?
Though Helen, Georgia is a unique Bavarian-inspired town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the name “Helen” doesn’t evoke thoughts of Germany as names like Gretchen, Ingrid or Helga would. So where does the name come from? The town is named after the daughter of a logging industrialist who platted and incorporated the town in 1912 and 1913, respectively.
What is the landscape like near Helen, Georgia?
Helen, Georgia and the surrounding towns like Cleveland are located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is a wonderful area to be if you love hiking, exploring, and generally mild weather. The mountains are relatively small compared to say the Rockies out west, but you can still get a good workout and find places to go rock-climbing if that is your jam.
You can quickly get into nature and feel completely secluded and find a number of campgrounds and cabins, though they fill up fast in the busy season.
Does it snow in Helen, Georgia?
The snowy season in Helen falls between November to April, with December having the most snowfall. It’s not much snow though. You’ll only see about 3 inches max of snowfall when it does.
Where is Helen, Georgia located?
Helen is located in northern Georgia, about two hours northeast of Marietta and Atlanta and one hour and fifteen minutes south of Franklin, North Carolina.
Do muscadine grapes make good wine?
If you’re not familiar with muscadine grapes, they are a native southern grape with distinct taste and smell. The grapes themselves have a thick dark purple skin, are round, and contain seeds. The wines made from muscadine grapes have unique flavor profile that differs from the commercially harvested grapes that you commonly see in stores. Vintners specializing in the production of wine from muscadine grapes are producing fantastic wines these days. This wine is definitely worth tasting, if you have never had it.
Conclusion
We spent one day visiting the city of Helen, Georgia and four nights camping in the surrounding area in our skoolie. Helen is definitely a place that is worth the day-trip and there is plenty of camping and things to do to keep families with little ones busy.
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Thanks for following our journey! – The HildeFam
