Eliijay GA RT 76 from I-75?

[Joe Hogan]

Planning a trip this November to visit Talona Ridge RV Resort. We will be returning from the North, heading down I-75. How reasonable is travel on Rt 76 traveling East bound from I-75 to Eliijay GA.?

Looks like a hilly area (in the East called Mountains). Thoughts?

 

[LMHS]

I used to run US Hwy 76 from I-75 Exit 336 Rocky Face/US 41 to US411 to US76 to US 441 every month (Eastward then return Westward).

From I-75: Going thru Chatsworth is probably the worst as Main Street (US411) can get a little tight since cars park on both sides on the road. Don't take "OLD Hwy 411", you will want to wait until you get to Ramhurst to go East then South (at the gas stations and Dollar General) on US76/Old Hwy 411. Don't freak over the trestle, there's plenty of room. This is a main road for semi-trucks. Once you get on US76 (you will turn off of Old Hwy 411 after you go under the trestle) you will be on 2 lane road with 3rd lanes on most of the steeper uphill runs. It's like this all the way into Ellijay.

 

[FLSteve]

Planning a trip this November to visit Talona Ridge RV Resort. We will be returning from the North, heading down I-75. How reasonable is travel on Rt 76 traveling East bound from I-75 to Eliijay GA.?

Looks like a hilly area (in the East called Mountains). Thoughts?

@Joe Hogan @LMHS ... I will be going from Talona Ridge RV Resort north next week (just opposite of what you are doing). I will try and follow @LMHS suggestions in reverse.

FLSteve

 

[FLSteve]

I used to run US Hwy 76 from I-75 Exit 336 Rocky Face/US 41 to US411 to US76 to US 441 every month (Eastward then return Westward).

From I-75: Going thru Chatsworth is probably the worst as Main Street (US411) can get a little tight since cars park on both sides on the road. Don't take "OLD Hwy 411", you will want to wait until you get to Ramhurst to go East then South (at the gas stations and Dollar General) on US76/Old Hwy 411. Don't freak over the trestle, there's plenty of room. This is a main road for semi-trucks. Once you get on US76 (you will turn off of Old Hwy 411 after you go under the trestle) you will be on 2 lane road with 3rd lanes on most of the steeper uphill runs. It's like this all the way into Ellijay.

@LMHS ... so no problem with the trestle???? I sure get nervous when I see one.

FLSteve

 

[FLSteve]

@LMHS ... is this what you are saying here ...... "Don't take "OLD Hwy 411, you will want to wait until you get to Ramhurst to go East then South (at the gas stations and Dollar General) on US76/Old Hwy 411. Don't freak over the trestle, there's plenty of room. This is a main road for semi-trucks. Once you get on US76 (you will turn off of Old Hwy 411 after you go under the trestle) you will be on 2 lane road with 3rd lanes on most of the steeper uphill runs"

 

[ARD]

OMGosh! My Garmin and I almost got a divorce when I went there a couple of years ago. It put me on the worst roads from Sevierville to Elijay. I was 30 minutes away and it took me an hour. I go back to Talona Ridge in September.

Have fun @Joe Hogan and @FLSteve.

 

[LMHS]

@LMHS ... is this what you are saying here ...... "Don't take "OLD Hwy 411, you will want to wait until you get to Ramhurst to go East then South (at the gas stations and Dollar General) on US76/Old Hwy 411. Don't freak over the trestle, there's plenty of room. This is a main road for semi-trucks. Once you get on US76 (you will turn off of Old Hwy 411 after you go under the trestle) you will be on 2 lane road with 3rd lanes on most of the steeper uphill runs"


View attachment 24379

So why does your map show Symrna Ramhurst Rd as the route? "OLD" Hwy 411 splits off US411 to the east shortly after the wide spot that they use for portable weight scales (only seen it used for that one time in all the years I ran the route). Go thru Chatsworth on US411 until you come to the traffic light and the gas stations and Dollar General. Get in the dedicated left turn lane and turn left (East) onto Symrna Ramhurst Rd then turn right (South) onto US76, in about 2-1/2 miles you will turn left to stay on US76. Don't worry about the trestle. It is plenty wide and plenty high (13'7" according to the signage).

 

[FLSteve]

@LMHS ... ok, I think I understand it now. At first I thought you were saying don't go thru Chatsworth as Main Street (US411) can get a little tight since cars park on both sides on the road ... but now I realize that was just a heads-up to be careful. Here is take #2. Thanks for the help.

FLSteve

 

[LMHS]

That looks right. The only other thing I will say is that there are a lot of semi-truck traffic in the Dalton area due to the carpet mills and sup[port industries. They know where they are going so you will rarely get sudden turns and sudden stops. Also, unless things have changed a lot since leaving the area (which I doubt), I-75 north of Exit 336 Rocky Face runs faster than the posted speed limit (I typically cruised at 90 to 100 in my Jeep along with everyone else). South of Exit 336, the traffic typically ran the speed limit because the county would have someone on an overpass with a speed gun and chase vehicles on the interstate. Whitfield County made a lot of money off those speeding tickets. They are probably still milking that cash cow.

Also, if you need to stop at a restaurant, you can take Exit 333 (lots of restaurants) and still run that road (Hwy 52) straight thru Dalton and pick up US76 at the US41/US76/Hwy52 intersection. I've run it before and it's typical crowded in-town traffic. We always stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Tiftonia (I-24) since it was on the way for us (used to live in that area).

 

[FLSteve]

Also, unless things have changed a lot since leaving the area (which I doubt), I-75 north of Exit 336 Rocky Face runs faster than the posted speed limit (I typically cruised at 90 to 100 in my Jeep along with everyone else).

WOW ... I think I will just stick to my normal driving speed of 62 mph.

Thanks again for the local input.

FLSteve