From Tampa to Holly Creek

Take I-75 north out of Tampa, through Gainesville and across the Georgia line, and stay on it into Atlanta. North of the city, I-575 branches off toward the mountains and becomes Highway 515, the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway, which carries you to Ellijay. From Ellijay the road runs west toward the Cohuttas and the last stretch turns to gravel. We send the final turns 24 hours before you arrive.

Atlanta is where the schedule slips. Clearing the city outside the morning and evening commutes saves more time than any other choice you make on this drive.

Aim to reach the gravel in daylight. The last miles are narrow and rocky, and cell service quits before you arrive. In winter the light goes by late afternoon, so start earlier than seems necessary.

Ellijay is your last town for groceries and gas. Buy everything there, firewood included, because the cabin is 25 minutes on and a forgotten item means a real drive back.

You leave the Gulf coast and finish at about 1,800 feet beside a creek that runs cold all summer. One Florida family who stayed in late June reported a high of 74. Pack a layer you would never bring in July.

Holly Creek runs past the porch, shallow enough for small children to wade, and the rocking chairs face it. Most children are in the water before the car is unpacked. The cabin sleeps five, with a king bed in the loft and a bunk room for three. Starlink picks up at the cabin, so you can send word that you made it.