Follow the river – by rhododendron-lined walking trails or at the end of a fishing line – at Riverwalk on the Toccoa.

Riverwalk on the Toccoa, in Fannin County, Ga., has sold out Phase I’s 22 lots, with eight left in Phase II as of this writing, Riverwalk will open Phase III later in 2004 on 150 acres of land. One-half mile of rhododendron and mountain laurel-lined walk stretches along the Toccoa River, only part of the three to five miles of nature trails built and planned in the neighborhood, plus a family pavilion and lots covering up to more than two acres. “Quality rustic,” realtor Pat Trainor terms the homes built here: luxurious cabins in a close-to-the-earth mountain retreat. 1-877-632-3368, www.toccoariverwalk.com

Alabama’s Limestone Springs is a high-end community built on 800 ridge and valley acres, embracing a top-100 Jerry Pate golf course in the foothills. Executives will find a corporate haven here, with high-tech connections and low-tech diversions; residents from career to retirement can take advantage of four miles of mountaintop hiking, swimming, tennis and non-motorized boating and canoeing on the lake. Home prices go up to more than $1 million. As of this writing, 152 lots were developed in Phase I; Phase II will add another 173 lots. 205/274-4443, www.limestonesprings.com

Limestone Springs combines shady woods, golfside living and elegant architecture.

This new community in Tennessee will include 40 arts and crafts homes with double stone fireplaces and hardwood floors.

Mountain City, Tenn.’s Ridge View Estates, a 50-acre gated community, broke ground earlier in 2004. There will be a total of 40 arts and crafts homes when the community is finished, ranging from $495,000 to around $1 million on the ridgetop. Local builder Steve Owens has created home designs that incorporate double-sided stone fireplaces in the same breath as high-speed Internet access. The luxurious/artistic stone and cedar homes include Jacuzzis, hardwood floors and granite countertops. (423) 727-0289

Sunset Bay offers options from one to the other. It’s a community built on Tennessee’s Norris Lake across from 25,000 acres of state park, and protected forest with miles of shoreline. Lakefront lots average at 150 feet of water frontage, with access to boating, water skiing, swimming and fishing. Lots range from mountaintop to lakefront properties, with lakeview lots starting at $29,900 in 2004. Lakeview lots include access to clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis courts. Sunset Bay’s land covers rolling meadows and mature hardwood forest. 1-800-704-3154, www.lakefrontbargain.com

Norris Lake is an oasis in the Tennessee mountains, home to Sunset Bay, a community tucked into meadows and hardwood forest.

At the juncture of Lookout and Pigeon mountains, Mountain Cove Farms is a new community of 50-acre mini-estates.

Mountain Cove Farms, a unique community, totals 11,000 acres tucked away in northwest Georgia where Lookout Mountain and Pigeon Mountain join. More than 40 mini-farms averaging 50 acres each have been purchased. The farms are contiguous to the 16,400-acre Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management area, with beautiful vistas, wooded building sites, pasture and a native trout stream. Phase II, Quail Preserve, includes an undivided interest in an 850-acre quality hunting area including bobwhite quail, deer, turkey, dove and ducks in a wild environment. A 6,000-square-foot rustic hunting lodge will offer six private suites, a dining hall and kitchen on an 18-acre fishing lake. Future plans for Phase II include 11- to 100-acre tracts. Architectural guidelines capture the farmhouse style with the comforts of modern living. 1-877-MTN-COVE www.mountaincoverealestate.com

Bear Creek’s 190 acres are located in
Nelson County, Va., conveniently close to Wintergreen Resort.