GA-197 · Clarkesville to Lake Burton

GA-197 from Clarkesville to Lake Burton, one way: the route rides north past Mark of the Potter, on the Soque River, crosses Batesville, runs along the east shore of Lake Burton by Moccasin Creek State Park and ends at US-76. It's 25 miles of curves and hills with the lake in view at the end. Watch for driveways and marina entrances in the curves and for boat trailers in summer, and plan for no services between Batesville and US-76.

GA-197 leaves Clarkesville to the north through farmland and hills. A few miles out the route passes Mark of the Potter, a pottery shop that has been working since 1969 in an old gristmill from the early 1930s, built over the Soque River; you can feed the trout below the falls. Then comes Batesville, a crossroads community at the junction with GA-255, and the road climbs toward the lakes.

The last stretch runs along the east shore of Lake Burton, the northernmost lake in the Tallulah River chain. Georgia Power finished its dam in 1919, and the lake flooded the old town of Powellsville. Moccasin Creek State Park sits right on the highway, on the shore, with a fishing pier over a trout creek; parking costs $10 per vehicle per day. The route ends at US-76. It's a one-way ride of 25 miles: watch for driveways and marina entrances in the curves and for boat trailers in summer, and there are no services between Batesville and US-76.