Brasstown Bald Visitor Center

The GA-180 Spur that climbs to the parking area is steep and winding, and the Georgia DOT can close it in inclement weather — worth checking conditions before you commit to the detour. Once you park, the summit is a half-mile paved trail that gains elevation quickly, or you can ride the shuttle. Either way, what waits at the top is a full 360-degree sweep across Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and on clear days the observation deck signage helps you pick out distant ridgelines and, in the right conditions, the Atlanta skyline.

The USFS Visitor Center at the summit houses around 8,000 square feet of interpretive exhibits covering the Southern Appalachian ecosystem — geology, ecology, climate, and cultural history — along with a mountaintop theater showing films on the mountain's dramatic weather and seasonal changes. There's also a general store carrying locally made products. The high elevation means the mountain can generate its own weather fast; fog, mist, and storms can move in without much warning and cut the view entirely, so the live webcams on the Forest Service site are worth a look before you roll out.