Gordon County is the home of New Echota, which was once the capital of the Cherokee Nation. It was the birthplace of the written Cherokee language and the newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix.

The county has numerous outdoor recreation opportunities. The Chattahoochee National Forest makes up a large part of the western part of the county. The Coosawattee and Conasauga rivers join to form the Oostanaula River, and there is also the Salacoa Creek Park, a 343-acre park with a 126-acre lake.