Brasstown Valley Resort’s offerings also include golf, a spa and fine dining. Leonard M. and Laurie Adkins
There is a 6.5-mile loop, but the decision was to take the 3.5-mile jaunt on the property.
Laurie and I had come to Brasstown Valley Resort and Spa in northern Georgia to chill out, relax and treat ourselves to a bit of luxury for a couple of days. At least that was what we had imagined doing. Then we found out the resort has a trail system that is partly on resort property and partly on U.S. Forest Service land (and is open to everyone whether a guest or not).
Gone were thoughts of lazily drifting about in the indoor/outdoor swimming pool, soaking up the summer sun while stretching out on lounge chairs and getting couples’ Swedish massages. There were trails—and they needed to be walked! Yet, still wanting to take advantage of some of the indulgent amenities available, we opted to do a shorter 3.5-mile jaunt instead of the 6.5-mile loop to a view on Rocky Knob.
It’s a pretty auspicious beginning at the trailhead. A hand-laid stone platform is topped by stone pillars and a wooden arch with a carved plaque proclaiming this to be the “Miller Trek.” The outing is dedicated to Shirley and Zell Miller, the later of whom, as governor in the 1990s, was instrumental in privatizing services at a number of state-owned entities, including the lodge at Brasstown Valley Resort.
Without a view, this is a walk that concentrates on the things close at hand. The burbling of small brooks that are crossed on footbridges, the squirrel that hollered at us for invading her space, the large trunks of the poplar trees with their upper branches towering high above and providing welcomed shade.
A powerline right-of-way enabled wildflowers to soak up sunlight thanks to the break in the forest canopy. Butterfly weed was attracting its namesake pollinators, while bees were buzzing around the bee balm. Daisies and thistles also vied for a bit of growing space.
The uphill part of the walk came to an end at 1.5 miles as we turned onto a side trail, descending back toward the trailhead. The Keys Branch Trail loops around the resort’s driving range so we are not surprised to see a couple of golf balls in the middle of the trail, but did wonder how exciting it must be to be walking here when someone’s drive goes awry.
Although well-maintained, the narrowness of the trails seems to indicate that they are lightly-used and, in fact, we met only one other person on the walk. Escaping the heat of Charleston, South Carolina for a few days, she told us, “My husband is playing golf, so I thought I would check out the trails—and they’re lovely! I like that I’m able to get away from the busy-ness of the lodge, yet know that I’m only a few minutes away from all of that pampering.”
And, you know, she’s right. Those massages we had after the hike felt like even more of a reward knowing that we had talked ourselves into doing at least a part of “The Trek.”
And speaking of indulgences: No, we didn’t burn that many calories on the walk, but… hey, we’re in the south! We just could not pass up the deep-dish Georgia pecan pie with brown butter custard from The Dining Room’s dessert menu.
When You Go
The Walk: A moderately easy walk through the forest and grounds of Brasstown Valley Resort and Spa. (There are options for longer, more strenuous walks.)
Getting there: From the intersection of GA 66 and US 76 in Young Harris, follow US 76 northward for 1.1 miles, turn right onto Fairway Lane and park in large lot on the right in 0.4 mile.
More information: Obtain a trail map from the resort’s reception desk or download one at golakechatuge.com/pdf/miller-trek-00001.pdf.
Find out more about Leonard’s walking and hiking adventures at habitualhiker.com.
The story above first appeared in our November / December 2021 issue.
