When it comes to hiking stores in North Georgia, there are countless to choose from. One in particular though, seems to serve a purpose much more than hiking.
Wander North Georgia, co-owned and created by husband and wife Alex and Josh Browning, started simply. The couple, who had been living in Athens, Georgia for a few years, found that their weekend trips up to Rabun County were becoming more and more frequent. Alex even stated that they were up there, “every weekend.”
As both of the pair were working remotely at that time, they chose to make the jump and move to Clayton, Georgia, where their camping and hiking trips could be continuous. The only problem, at the time, was that they wanted to truly have a purpose for doing so.
“It was just a little blog when we moved up to the mountains,” Josh said. “Basically so our parents didn’t think we were crazy.”
What started out as a small blog quickly began to spiral to something much more. After a year of blogging, the couple had garnered a few requests for stickers. They printed 25, sold out, then printed more. Stickers turned into t-shirts which eventually turned into a small brick and mortar store.
Now, Wander North Georgia has two locations, and they serve both locals and tourists. Both owners, though, hope that the shops serve as something more than just a place to get hiking gear.
“I think a lot of people have stereotypes about north Georgia,” Josh said. “…I think it’s a very welcoming place. I think it’s a very inclusive place. And I think, for us, Wander is just trying to celebrate those good things.”
This story was produced by Frankie Hennessy as part of the 2025 Woodall Weekend Workshop.
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