Amicalola Falls State Park, Hiking Georgia

Since Florida doesn’t have mountains or even hills for that matter, there doesn’t seem to be waterfalls either.  On my way with Sarah and her family to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia over Christmas break, Sarah discovered a couple areas with waterfalls.  One of them being Amicalola Falls in Dawsonville, Georgia.  Amicalola being the Cherokee Indian word for “tumbling waters”.

You can either hike from the bottom of the falls up quite a distance, drive to the top of the falls, or drive to the top of the mountain to the lodge.  Either route you choose, the entire length has a lot of beautiful views.  We chose to park at the top of the falls and hike up to the lodge, then later hike from the bottom of the falls up to see the best view of it.

This area boasts many topics of interest:

1. Amicalola Falls are a height of 729 feet – the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi river.
2. An 8.5 mile trail leads from the park to Spring Mountain which is the southern end of the 2,135 mile Appalachian Trail.
3. A welcoming lodge on the top of the mountain has a large breakfast buffet (although not very vegan friendly :-P) and gives a beautiful view of the entire area.
4. For hikers that want the true experience of being off the beaten path, there’s a 5 mile trail to Len Foote Hike Inn, which is an Inn that is only accessible by hikers.

While at the visitor’s center, there are displays including one that tries to capture just how long and beautiful the Appalachian Trail is.  To give perspective on the trail, when we walked up to the visitor’s center, there was what looked like a substantial internal frame backpack loaded with gear and supplies leaning up against the wall.  Inside, there were kids with parents looking among the exhibits and also a scruffy almost homeless-looking hiker who said over the past 165 days he had hiked the entire 2,135 mile length of the Appalachian Trail.  Now that’s adventure!  (Although he did smell quite a bit, but I guess if you’re hiking alone then who’s going to complain but you?)

If you’re traveling in northern Georgia then Amicalola falls should definitely be on your list of “must see” areas.  The natural beauty of the entire area brings you back to nature and is a breath of fresh air with views to please.

Tags: Amicalola Falls State Park, Appalachian Trail, hiking