Scenic hiking trails, river rafting, wildlife camping, food, live music, art festival, I mean there is so much to experience and relish in this peach state of Georgia. Though there is a never-ending list of what the state offers, Going on a hike to explore waterfalls in the woods is one the most significant ones. Did you know Georgia is the land of Waterfalls, in fact, some study states there are around 50 waterfalls in Georgia state? So why waste time visiting same old tourist spots, go out with your kids, family, and friends exploring beautiful waterfalls.
7 Magnificent waterfalls in Georgia worth a visit.
1. Tallulah Falls:
Tallulah Falls is located in a Victorian-era town called Tallulah Falls City, Georgia. This waterfalls nestled in the North East corner of the Georgia Mountains is around 2 miles long, 1000 feet deep and is formed by Tallulah river.
You can access waterfalls either via north rim trail or south rim trail. However, If you are visiting with kids then I suggest you enter the trail through the north rim, which is via the visitor museum. Why? Because this 3-floor visitor museum building which is also known as Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center presents an outstanding display of various wildlife creatures, flora, and fauna. Not just the improvised display, you get to watch an educational film about the ecosystem specially designed for kids. As you reach the end of the Visitor Museum, there is a walkway leading you towards the trail.
Hike trail offers five viewpoints/spots to enjoy the scenic view of the waterfalls. Personally, I loved Suspension Bridge viewpoint, located halfway down towards the falls. You need to take the stairs and climb down over 310 steps to get there. If you or anybody in your group has motion sickness or scared of height then please skip getting or walking on the bridge because though the bridge is safe, it is very shaky. There is no time frame so you can stand over or walk across the bridge enjoying the spectacular view of the Tallulah waterfalls surrounded by the bushes as long as you wish.
I enjoyed watching the magnificent waterfalls from all five viewpoints. Only thing I did not like is the way back, climbing up more than 500 stairs was sure a nightmare, thankfully there was no crowd so I was able to take breaks and sit on the stairs for a while I hiked back towards parking.
Parking/Entry Fee: 5$
Timings: 9 am-5 pm.
2. DeSota Falls:
DeSota Falls, Part of Chattahoochee National Forest is located in Lumpkin County, Georgia. As you reach DeSota Falls by the roads in the midst of the forest, grab an envelope(parking envelope located near notification board) fill in your vehicle details along with a deposit of 3$ and drop it in the box. As you follow the hiking path, midst of the groves witnessing the beautiful sight of the flowing creek to your left and campsite on the right you will enter a wooden bridge where you get to decide whether you want to continue your hike towards DeSota lower falls located 0.25 miles downstream to your left or you want to continue towards DeSota upper falls located 0.75 miles upstream to your right and no matter what you choose, well-marked, easy to moderate trails will lead you to gorgeous falls. Besides hiking, you can also experience various activities like camping, river and stream fishing, picnicking with your kids, family, and friends.
Parking: 3$(Honor Parking).
Timings: 24 Hours a day.
3. Anna Ruby Falls:
Anna Ruby Falls located in Helen, Georgia lies in the heart of the Chattahoochee National Forest. This twin waterfall is created at the junction of two streams. This can clearly be noticed once you reach waterfalls, the fall which is 47 m tall is farmed by Curtis Creek and the shorter fall of 15m is farmed by York Creek. The 0.5-mile hike to reach spectacular twin falls is manageable. Though the hike is short, the inclined paved pathway can make you tired. Take a break and rest a while on stone benches located throughout the hike if you feel weak or tired. This place offers two observation points to enjoy the magnificent view of the falls and capture stunning pictures.
Parking/Entry Fee: 3$.
Timings: 9 am-5 pm.
4. Toccoa Falls:
Toccoa Falls is Located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa City. This 186 foot high waterfalls is accessed through the gift shop or visitor center exit. You need to walk through the small trail of around 100 meters to reach amazing Toccoa Falls. You will relate to the fact of being 19 feet higher than Niagara Falls as you reach the end of the trail and witness the free fall of water from the top. We reached around 12 pm and there was no one around except a couple who was busy posing for professional couple photo shoot and maybe for this strange reason I felt like we own this spectacular place. Jokes apart, The sound of flowing water, chirping of birds, bright flowers, butterflies, I just fell in love with Toccoa Falls. This waterfall has no hassle, no long walks, no hiking, and absolutely no restrictions. I mean you can jump around the rocks, walk towards the falls, lie down and feel the drizzle of the waterfalls, stand under the falls and get drenched.
Parking/Entry Fee: 2$
Timings: 9 am-5 pm.
5. Henderson Falls:
Henderson Falls located in Toccoa, Georgia. 25 acres of Henderson Park provides several scenic views, amphitheater, tennis court, play area, waterfall and nature trail. After you park the car, Walk through the pathway into the woods, within a few meters you will locate the falls to your left. You can either take the stairs to go down and witness 20-foot waterfalls or go over the bridge to enjoy the scenic river flow as well as waterfalls view. We were on our way back to Atlanta from Toccoa Falls and it started raining heavily so we took a detour and stopped at this park and that's when we randomly found Henderson Falls. Now that you know this cute little fall is located quite near to Toccoa Falls, plan accordingly and visit both of these falls on the same day. Parking/Entry Fee: Free.
Timings: 7 am-8 pm.
6. Amicalola Falls:
Amicalola Falls located in Dawsonville, Georgia is one of the tallest waterfalls located in the state. To get to see this beautiful fall, you need to go through a mile of the hike. Hiking can be challenging, because of the steep incline and hundreds(604) of stairs you need to take to view the fall. Climbing up 604 stairs was crazy, I had to take a couple of breaks to renew my energy and get going. No matter how hard the hike was, As soon as I reached the top and witnessed the magical view of the Amicalola Falls I felt refreshed and was proud of myself for getting this far. We stayed at the top for a while and had some food before we made our way back to the parking. If you are not into hiking or if you feel climbing stairs is tiresome then you can drive to top or opt alternate trails to view parts of the falls.
Parking/Entry Fee: 5$.
Timings: 7 am-10 pm.
7. Dukes Creek Falls:
Dukes Creek Falls located in Helen, Georgia lies in the core of the Chattahoochee National Forest. You need to take a 1.2-mile hike to view the beauty of this 150-foot waterfalls. The first half of the trail is downhill and the rest of it is uphill. As you walk along the paved path, you will realize some parts of the trail is narrow and not just that you may notice some fallen wood logs on your way towards the waterfalls which can make your hike bit tired other than that it is a great hike, you get to enjoy panoramic views of creek, lush and the waterfalls. You can get on the observation decks located at the waterfalls to capture some great photographs of you and your family. Parking/Entry Fee: 4$(Honor Parking).
Timings: 7 am-till dawn.
Insider Tips: 1. Please carry exact change to pay or drop at the parking, because most of these places follow honor parking. 2. Most of the hike is slippery so, I suggest you guys wear comfortable shoes and clothes.