Hidden Mysteries of Cherokee County, Georgia
Haunted Tales, Lost Gold, and the Legends Beneath Our Feet
Cherokee County, Georgia — known today for its charming downtowns, beautiful parks, and strong sense of community — hides another side beneath the surface.
A side filled with mystery.
Some stories are spooky.
Some are strange.
And some? Still completely unsolved.
From haunted courthouses and eerie cemeteries to lost gold and ghostly lights on the Etowah River, these are the hidden mysteries that have fascinated locals for generations.
The Legend of Sixes Mine
One of the oldest communities in Cherokee County, Sixes is steeped in gold rush history — and mystery.
According to legend, Cherokee tribes buried gold here before their forced removal in the 1830s. Some believe it still lies hidden beneath the red Georgia clay.
But Sixes Mine isn’t just folklore — it was real. Part of Georgia’s first gold rush (decades before California’s), prospectors once dug along the Etowah River and Blankets Creek, leaving behind mining shafts and rusted tools you can still find if you know where to look.
Locals have long reported strange lights flickering in the woods at night, said to be the spirits of miners forever chasing their final strike.
The Haunted Canton Courthouse
Right in the heart of Downtown Canton, the old Cherokee County Courthouse stands as one of the city’s most iconic — and reportedly haunted — landmarks.
Former employees and night staff have described cold spots, whispering voices, and shadowy figures in the hallways. Some chalk it up to old architecture… others aren’t so sure.
Another eerie site nearby is Hell’s Church, rumored to carry unsettling energy after dark. And according to Enjoy Cherokee Magazine, some locals even claim to have seen the ghost of “Ted” wandering downtown Canton storefronts.
The Tunnels of Ball Ground and Waleska
In Ball Ground and Waleska, stories have circulated for years about sealed-off brick tunnels and forgotten basements discovered beneath old buildings.
Some say they were Civil War escape routes.
Others insist they were used by moonshiners during Prohibition.
No one knows for sure — but if you’ve ever walked into an old basement in these towns and felt a chill, you might just be standing above history that’s still buried.
Ghost Lights on the Etowah River
On quiet nights along the Etowah River, hikers have reported seeing glowing orbs drifting just above the water — flickering, then vanishing without a trace.
Scientists might explain it as swamp gas or light refraction.
Locals? They have other theories — whispers of spirits still tied to the land.
And over by Lake Allatoona, tales continue about a restless figure known as the “Phantom of Lake Allatoona”, believed to haunt the waters where entire communities once stood before the lake was filled.
The “REMEMBERED” Grave in Hickory Flat
Deep in Hickory Flat Cemetery lies one of Cherokee County’s most curious gravestones.
It bears no name, no dates — only a single word: “REMEMBERED.”
No one knows who’s buried there, or why their identity was left a mystery. Visitors say they’ve heard soft singing near the grave at night, even when the cemetery is empty. Whoever rests there, someone wanted their memory — or their secret — to never be forgotten.
The Vanishing Cabin of Lake Arrowhead
Hikers near Lake Arrowhead have told a story that’s hard to explain. Deep in the woods, they say, they’ve stumbled upon an old log cabin — complete with a stone chimney and moss-covered timbers.
But when they return later… it’s gone.
No path. No foundation. No sign it ever existed.
Was it an illusion? A collapsed hunter’s shack?
Or something stranger — a cabin that only appears to those meant to see it?
The Kennesaw House — Marietta’s Haunted Past
Just south of Cherokee County, the Kennesaw House (now the Marietta History Center) is one of North Georgia’s most haunted buildings.
Built in 1845 as a cotton warehouse, it later became the Fletcher House Hotel — and during the Civil War, it served as a hospital for both Confederate and Union soldiers.
Visitors and museum staff have reported ghostly apparitions, voices in the basement, and the feeling of being watched when alone in the halls. Many believe the spirits of soldiers still linger there, forever caught between the past and the present.
Every Corner Has a Story
From lost gold and haunted courthouses to vanishing cabins and whispering rivers, Cherokee County is full of legends that blur the line between history and mystery.
Next time you’re out exploring — hiking along the Etowah, wandering downtown Canton, or driving through Hickory Flat — take a look around. You never know what stories might be waiting just out of sight.
Have a local legend or ghost story we missed? Drop it in the comments below — we’d love to hear it.
To watch our entire video on this, check it out on YouTube here. North Georgia's Secret Tunnels | Cherokee County's Mysteries
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