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Waterfalls of North Georgia
From roaring waterfalls to gurgling cascades, the mountains of North Georgia offer some of the best falls in the United States. Starting in the northeast corner of the state, 7 miles north of Clayton (Rabun County) are Ada-hi Falls, in rugged Black Rock Mountain State Park. Highest in elevation of all Georgia waterfalls, these high mountain falls have a relative low flow except after a rain, when they come to life. (Waterfalls map link at bottom of page)
Throughout the Chattahoochee National Forest many smaller waterfalls make a pleasant end to a hike. Alpine Helen boasts of a number of area waterfalls. Duke's Creek Falls (actually the waterfall is on Davis Creek, a tributary) offer a long cascade down a near vertical wall. Gold has been taken from this creek for almost 500 years. Rediscovered in 1828, this led to America's first Gold Rush in 1829. Nearby is Raven Cliffs, arguably one of the most unusual waterfalls in the world. Water appears to come from a crack in a rock at an unbelievable volume.
Further east and south lies DeSoto Falls, named for Hernando deSoto, the Spanish Conquistador who visited the area in 1540. This hike features two separate falls, both easily accessible. The area was raked by a number of storms in the early 1990's, making the trail to a third falls impassible. When we last checked with the Forest Service, there was no intention to reopen the trail. Our route now makes a beeline to Georgia's Amicalola Falls. Located in Dawson County, these falls were called "tumbling waters" by the Cherokee. Tallest of all waterfalls east of the Mississippi, Amicalola is at the end of the Southern Terminus Access Trail for the Appalachian Trail, a 2,100 mile hike along a backbone of mountains that span the eastern United States.
Cloudland Canyon offers a challenging hike to the bottom of Sutton Gulch and two spectacular falls that over millions of years have carved Georgia's best kept secret. No mention of waterfalls in Georgia would be complete without a mention of the most famous underground waterfalls in the world. Although not actually in the state, Ruby Falls is a scant two miles north of the border in Chattanooga, Tennessee. These full, rich falls are at the end of paved, level path through Lookout Mountain Caverns. Over the past 70 years these falls have consistantly been one of the top attractions in the world. Our journey is complete. We have traveled more than 300 miles across North Georgia to visit beautiful waterfalls, falls that are related to our history or falls at the end of a challenging hike. The great thing, though, is we haven't told you about all of them. There are many others to explore. In fact, there's a path right up the road, just around the corner... Maps to mentioned waterfalls
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