Scenic Attractions
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Yonah Dam
Yonah Dam, completed in 1925, is the lowest step in the staircase of six power developments down which the waters of the Tallulah, Chattooga and Tugalo rivers are led in their plunge from the Blue Ridge Mountain heights toward the Atlantic Coastal plain. Yonah's storage lake (approximately 320 acres of surface area and 150,000,000 cubic feet capacity) is impounded by a cyclopean dam 900 feet long and 75 feet high with a direct plunge from surface to waterwheel of 75 feet. It has three 12,500 horsepower waterwheels. Power is developed at a voltage of 6,600 and is stepped up to 110,000 volts for transmission to the 81 cities and towns in the company's territory.
Lake Yonah, near Toccoa, Georgia, has more than nine miles of shoreline. Covering 325 acres, Lake Yonah offers such varied outdoor activities as boating, fishing, picnicking and camping. Tugalo Park, a primitive camping area, features camping along the lake, with a boat launch area for small to medium boats. Located at the upper end of Lake Yonah, Tugalo Park is just a short drive from Toccoa.
Yonah Dam Road is a great place to ride a bicycle. The road is relatively flat and it's an easy ride next to the Tugalo River. The temperature drops 10 degrees because of the proximity to the flowing river that is fed by Lake Yonah, which in turn is fed by colder mountain lakes and streams. Riding from the picnic area near the dam to Prather Bridge Road, you pass several historic houses.
Directions
From downtown Toccoa, go east on Tugalo Street and turn left onto Prather Bridge Road. Follow Prather Bridge Road (Highway 184) until it becomes Yonah Dam Road and follow it out to the dam.
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