20 | ACTIVITIES DIRECTIONSGA.COM
Next stop:
You Gotta “ Cross the Line”
per mining. Copper was discovered in
1843 by a gold prospector panning in
North Potato Creek. After that, copper
ore mining became the primary
industry through the late 1980s.
Although mining created a burst
of wealth, it came with an environmental
cost: Acid rain denuded the
surrounding forest for 50 square
miles. Following historic restoration
efforts, the Copper Basin has regained
much of its natural beauty. Today, it’s
a source of great pride as locals welcome
visitors to enjoy the restaurants,
retail and rivers of fun!
Finding New Life
Since 2018, both towns have
undergone a dramatic revitalization,
and seen an influx of new stores,
restaurants, entertainment — and
visitors! — as a result. The steel
bridge was powerwashed, and ongoing
updates include installing new
park benches and streetlights around
town, upgrading landscaping, and
adding copper mining artifacts and
signage to share the area’s history
with visitors. A 4-acre park with
exercise equipment, walking paths
and pavilions is also planned.
Small businesses are doing their
part to draw tourists and locals back
to the area as well. For example, an
entire city block of McCaysville has
McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill,
Tennessee, provide two
states’ worth of food, fun, shopping
and history — all in one adventure
packed corner of the mountains.
Whether you’re traveling by road, rail
or river, the Copper Basin is a great
place to spend the day exploring.
The historic steel truss bridge,
built in 1911, marks the spot where
the gentle-flowing Toccoa River
becomes the whitewater powerhouse
Ocoee River as it flows northward
from Georgia into Tenn essee. It also
joins the two cities of McCaysville
and Copperhill.
making History
The locals call this area the Copper
Basin due to its long history of cop-
A blue line divides GA & TN.
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