Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Big fun at Big Canoe

By NANCY ZAK
Special to The Citizen

Summertime at Big Canoe brings great family outdoor opportunities, including delightful swim facilities and a host of other enticing options. Encompassing over 8,000 acres of beautiful north Georgia mountain terrain, Big Canoe includes eight mountains, three lakes, miles of hiking trails, several dramatic waterfalls and abundant recreational amenities within its boundaries.

Begun as a master-planned community in the early 1970s, Big Canoe was designed to integrate the natural beauty of the land with those elements most desired in a resort and residential community. Today the amenities of Big Canoe are nestled within a beautifully preserved natural woodland mountain environment. These amenities include 27 holes of championship golf, one of the finest pro-staffed tennis centers in the Atlanta area, swimming pools, beaches, a rock slide, a restaurant, a marina and a recently-completed 16,000 square foot Fitness Center. All owners and guests of Big Canoe can enjoy these facilities (some of which require payment of an annual or daily fee) as well as hiking, fishing and boating.

Within Big Canoe, more than 30 percent of the land area has been set aside for green belt and recreation areas. The 110-acre Lake Petit is stocked with trout and is considered to be one of the best fishing lakes in north Georgia. You can stroll along the paths of a 34-acre wildflower park, or play with your family and friends on a variety of ballfields. As the community continues to grow, the amenities are also expanding, including miles of bicycle and hiking trails recently opened in Big Canoe’s newest neighborhood, the 700-acre “Wildcat,” which also features trout streams and vast wildflower meadows.

Being the closest mountain community to the Atlanta metropolitan Area, Big Canoe has enjoyed many years of popularity for those seeking permanent residences, vacations and second homes. Big Canoe is easily reached from either Ga. 400 or I-575 and is less than a one hour’s drive north of Atlanta. Often, visitors have come to Big Canoe to enjoy one of the private homes offered for vacation rental, only to fall in love with this unique mountain paradise and realize they could call it home. With new homes ranging in price from the high $200s to $1 million plus, it’s easy to find just the right home.

Big Canoe has also been a favored choice for Southern Living followers, being the site of an Idea House, several Plans of the Month and a Cooking Light Fit House. Recently, new neighborhoods of beautiful and unique mountain homes have been released, including the exclusive Hillside at Cox Mountain offering of a limited number of craftsman-style homes starting in the mid-$300’s. And you will want to mark the spring of 2005 on your schedule for a visit to the upcoming Street of Dreams in the stunning Wildcat neighborhood.

Best of all, life at Big Canoe has the feel of an old-fashioned community, with year-round clubs and community activities available, a vibrant interdenominational chapel on-site, the central Village with its charming General Store, café and gift shop, and numerous essential services located just outside the gates. Twenty-four-hour manned and roving security further enhances the peace-of-mind that is a hallmark of life at Big Canoe.

Directions and information on reservations and real estate at Big Canoe can be obtained at www.bigcanoe.com, or by calling Big Canoe Realty at 1-866-BIG-CANOE or 770-893-2733.