Hundreds of cars fill the Wilderness Outdoor Movie Theater near Trenton, Ga., on a recent Friday night.Outdoor activities and movies under the stars are among good reasons to visit nearby Trenton, the county seat of Dade County.
The small Northwest Georgia town is just southwest of downtown Chattanooga.
It has a population of 2,301, according to the 2010 Census.
"I just like the country life," longtime resident Hugh Blevins said, adding many people enjoy hang-gliding, horseback riding and other outdoor pursuits in the area. "It's sort of like going to Pigeon Forge without all the amusement parks."
Outdoor enthusiasts also can enjoy hiking, camping, picnicking and swimming at nearby Cloudland Canyon State Park.
During spring and late summer, moviegoers can watch two recently released feature movies for $5 at the Wilderness Outdoor Movie Theater, dubbed the "world's largest outdoor theater."
Settlers first came to Trenton in the 1830s and called the town Salem. When the city incorporated on Feb. 18, 1854, it was renamed Trenton.
Trenton's former courthouse, a 1926 brick building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands in the center of the town square.
A view of the bluffs at Cloudland Canyon State Park.AT A GLANCE
-- Population: 2,301, according to 2010 Census.
-- Best things to do/places to visit: Wilderness Outdoor Movie Theater, Cloudland Canyon State Park.
-- Biggest employers: Dade County Schools, Gill Industries, Accelent Cardiology, IWG High Performance Conductors.
-- Miles from downtown Chattanooga: 20.
-- Landmarks or geographic features: Lookout Mountain.
-- Date founded: Feb. 18, 1854.
-- Historic info: Early settlers called it Salem, renamed Trenton when incorporated for the industrial engineers from Trenton, N.J., who came there looking for coal and iron.
-- Most-famous residents: WNBA and University of Georgia basketball player Ashley Houts, members of the Forester Sisters singing group.
-- Odd/unique traditions: State of Dade Heritage Festival in the spring, New Salem Fair and Festival in October.