Cascading down mossy rock formations and splashing into refreshing pools, waterfalls are whimsical and alluring. There’s just something satisfying about turning a corner on an old path and seeing lively water play behind the trees, spill over stones, and free fall into forever. It’s no surprise that a favorite outdoor activity of Blue Ridge locals and vacationers is hiking to gorgeous North Georgia waterfalls.
If you’re looking for an outdoor adventure that leads to a beautiful and mesmerizing work of nature, hiking to a North Georgia waterfall is for YOU. There are plenty of beautiful waterfalls near Blue Ridge, GA, in Helen, Ellijay, and the Chattahoochee National Forest. Some are easy to find, and others require a bit more effort to reach.
Which North Georgia waterfalls should you explore? Noting trail information, length, and difficulty level of the hiking trails, we’ve rounded up our top 11 waterfalls in the North Georgia mountains to make planning your fun outdoor excursion with friends and family easier.
10. Long Creek Falls
Following Noontootla Creek, crossing through a beautiful valley, and passing small falls along the way, Long Creek Falls is a moderate North Georgia waterfall hike that’s about 2 miles roundtrip. This gorgeous 50-foot waterfall appears through towering hemlocks and rhododendron trees and falls down jagged rocks and into a colorful creek bed.
Long Creek Falls is nestled in the Chattahoochee National Forest near Three Forks that meets the Appalachian Trail, Benton MacKaye Trail, and Duncan Ridge Trail. To reach the Appalachian trailhead, you’ll follow Forest Service Road 58 in Blue Ridge that features pull-offs for picnics and catch-and-release trout fishing. After walking for a bit, you’ll come across the blue-blazed side trail that leads to the best views of the falls.
Trailhead: Three Forks, Appalachian Trail in Blue Ridge, GA
Length: 2 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: moderate
9. Sea Creek Falls
Splashing into a shallow pool from 30 feet high, Sea Creek Falls is another North Georgia waterfall worth checking out. The hike to this beautiful double-cascading waterfall surrounded by lush trees and stone is less than half a mile roundtrip and relatively easy (mostly flat). Feel free to dip your feet and let your doggies splash their paws in the pool to cool off and relax for a bit before heading back.
Sea Creek Falls is tucked away in the Chattahoochee National Forest inside the Coopers Creek Wildlife Management Area in Suches, GA, about 45 minutes from Blue Ridge. Travel along Forest Service Road 4 to reach the trailhead that’s accessible year-round. Do note the trail can be muddy at times, so be sure to wear waterproof hiking boots when you go.
Trailhead: Sea Creek Trail in Suches, GA
Length: ½ mile roundtrip
Difficulty: easy
8. Fall Branch Falls
Hike through rich Appalachian wilderness filled with wild ferns and rhododendron trees to reach the scenic Fall Branch Falls. Along the way to this spectacular North Georgia waterfall, you’ll follow Fall Branch Creek uphill passing several smaller waterfalls and green mossy areas. The hike is moderate at best and is less than 1 mile roundtrip.
Fall Branch Falls is about 20 minutes from Blue Ridge in Cherry Log, GA, on the Benton MacKaye Trail. Drive along Stanley Creek Road to find the trailhead. Once you reach Fall Branch Falls, there’s a wooden platform and plenty of space below the waterfall to spread out and take in the misty scenery.
Trailhead: Benton MacKaye Trail in Cherry Log, GA
Length: ½+ mile roundtrip
Difficulty: moderate
7. Amicalola Falls
One of the more impressive waterfalls in North Georgia has to be Amicalola Falls. With a Cherokee name for tumbling waters, you can expect 7 stunning cascades when you reach this 729-foot waterfall — the tallest waterfall in the state — after a relatively difficult (but so worth it) 1-mile climb.
Soul cleansing, to say the least, Amicalola Falls features mountain views along the trail and a bridge right in front of the falls so visitors can get an up-close view safely. At the end of the falls, you can trek to find a reflective pool with gorgeous tree-studded scenery before heading through a picnic and playground area to end your journey.
This North Georgia waterfall is so popular that it even has a state park with its name — Amicalola Falls State Park. At 829 acres in Chattahoochee National Forest, Amicalola Falls State Park is in Dawsonville, GA, roughly 45 minutes from Blue Ridge.
Trailhead: Amicalola Falls State Park Visitors Center in Dawsonville, GA
Length: 2 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: difficult
6. Helton Creek Falls
Welcoming families, friends, and pets to splash in a refreshing pool, Helton Creek Falls is especially enjoyable in summer yet equally impressive in cooler months. This stunning pair of North Georgia waterfalls showers river rocks and fallen hemlock trees as it plunges into a splashy pool.
Helton Creek Falls is about 30 minutes from Blue Ridge near Blairsville in the Chattahoochee National Forest just south of Vogel State Park. After finding the trailhead along Helton Creek Road, you can reach the falls with a relatively easy walk through the woods in just under half a mile.
Trailhead: Helton Creek Falls Trail in Blairsville, GA
Length: ½+ mile roundtrip
Difficulty: easy
5. Raven Cliff Falls
Super popular and well worth the 2½-mile trek, Raven Cliff Falls delivers a wow factor for all who meet its gaze. Follow Dodd Creek, cross a wooden bridge, hike through a hardwood forest, and pass many smaller cascades to reach the striking 40-foot-tall split cliff bearing the captivating falls. On your shaded hike, feel free to take a side trail over to a nearby swimming hole for a summer splash with your kiddos and doggies.
Raven Cliff Falls is located in the Chattahoochee National Forest along the Raven Cliff Trail in Helen, GA, about an hour from Blue Ridge. You can reach the trailhead off Richard B Russell Scenic Highway. While the trail is beautiful in any season, visiting in spring offers an opportunity to see blooming wildflowers along the way.
Trailhead: Raven Cliff Trail in Helen, GA
Length: 5 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: moderate
4. Trahlyta Falls
Diving from 110 feet, Trahlyta Falls cascades down a stair-like hillside of stone covered in vibrant moss. This North Georgia waterfall is one of those spots in nature that pulls you in and makes you want to stay awhile. Along this waterfall hike expect to cross a wooden boardwalk, reach an earthen dam, circle the emerald Trahlyta Lake — with a reflection of Blood Mountain on nice days — and trek down to a viewing platform that offers incredibly close views of the falls.
Scenic, pet-friendly, and easy to hike, the Trahlyta Lake Trail is tucked away in Chattahoochee National Forest’s Vogel State Park — the second oldest state park in Georgia — in Blairsville, GA, about 45 minutes from Blue Ridge. The pet-friendly trailhead starts near the Vogel State Park Visitors Center and is just over a mile roundtrip.
Trailhead: Trahlyta Lake Trail in Blairsville, GA
Length: 1 mile roundtrip
Difficulty: easy
3. Emery Creek Falls
Another gorgeous North Georgia waterfall hike, Emery Creek Falls Trail leads to a pair of waterfalls spilling over stepped granite. Lush trees and plant life surround Emery Creek Falls as it makes its way down to a serene pool. Along the way, you’ll cross the rushing creek 20+ times and pass antique trucks hidden in the forest, making it a unique outdoor experience.
Emery Creek Falls is ideal for experienced hikers and rests about 3 miles from the trailhead off Old CCC Camp Road in Chatsworth, GA, near Ellijay and about 45 minutes from Blue Ridge. Remember to wear waterproof hiking gear because you’re bound to get wet on this splashy hike!
Trailhead: Emery Creek Falls Trail in Chatsworth, GA
Length: 6 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: difficult
2. Dukes Creek Falls
Where Dukes and Davis Creek meet you’ll find Dukes Creek Falls that features several viewing decks — the first is ADA accessible — to take in the 150-foot trio of falls as they tumble over jagged rocks and descend into the creek bed. Before heading out, you can even spot Yonah Mountain on this outdoor excursion in North Georgia.
Just north of downtown Helen, GA, about an hour from Blue Ridge, you’ll find the Dukes Creek trailhead to start your 2-mile waterfall adventure off Richard B Russell
Scenic Highway (about 5 miles from the Raven Cliff Falls Trail). Our recommendation: pack a snack and a bottle of water so you can spend time at the falls and breathe in the misty mountain air.
Trailhead: Dukes Creek Falls Trail in Helen, GA
Length: 2 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: moderate
1. Anna Ruby Falls
Curtis Creek drops 153 feet and York Creek spills over at 50 feet to form Anna Ruby Falls, side-by-side waterfalls in North Georgia. Towering trees and mossy rocks surround the falls, and on nice days, the bright blue sky makes the water sparkle.
Anna Ruby Falls flows into Smith Creek and eventually pours into Unicoi Lake and the Chattahoochee River that barrels into Florida’s Apalachicola River and travels to the Gulf of Mexico — a 550-mile journey!
Nestled about 75 minutes from Blue Ridge in Helen, GA, Anna Ruby Falls is an easy ½-mile hike that starts just outside Unicoi State Park at the Anna Ruby Falls Visitor Center. The stroller-friendly path is paved from the parking area to the base of the falls, with benches along the way, and there are viewing platforms at the top.
Trailhead: Anna Ruby Falls Visitor Center in Helen, GA
Length: 1 mile roundtrip
Difficulty: easy
Waterfall Safety
- Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet” rings true for waterfall hikes in North Georgia, so watch your footing!
- Be aware of water depth when crossing creeks and splashing in pools…it’s not always easy to tell.
- Observe all posted signs — they are there to help YOU stay safe.
- Stay on marked trails and don’t wander astray.
- Don’t get close to the edge, jump, or dive off a waterfall…just don’t.
- Never climb rocks above your waist.
- Playing in the water above a waterfall is dangerous — they’re not called “falls” for nothing.
- Wear gripping shoes/hiking boots — no flip flops, please!
- Pack extra shoes, socks, and towels so you don’t have to drive with wet feet…ew.
- Secure your footing before you snap a photo because even the perfect shot isn’t worth a trip to the hospital.
- Watch out for ice in winter.
- Always bring a buddy to hike with — safety in numbers counts here!
- Watch children and pets carefully.
- Don’t forget your cell phone!
Bonus North Georgia Trails
Desoto Falls is located along Frogtown Creek, about 1 hour from Blue Ridge. It includes upper falls, middle falls, and lower falls, along with a 650-acre recreation area. Hikers will enjoy 5 waterfalls in all along the 3-mile route, and it’s pet friendly! Tallulah Gorge State Park is about 1 ½ hours from Blue Ridge and is an incredible canyon that features a suspension bridge with gorgeous river and waterfall views of Tallulah Falls and Hurricane Falls (a popular hike). A 2-mile hike will take you the length of the gorge, but be sure to book permits ahead of time! If you don’t want to hike the gorgeous, enjoy views from the observation deck above.
Minnehaha Falls is another favorite, about 2 hours from Atlanta and 1 ½ hours from Blue Ridge. A fun and easy hike along Lake Rabun in Rabun County will lead guests to beautiful falls views! While you’re there take the hike to Angel Falls, another treat along Lake Rabun. Hemlock Falls in Moccasin Creek State Park offers a lovely hike from Lake Burton, alongside Moccasin Creek. At Dicks Creek Falls in the Chattahoochee National Forest, enjoy a nice hike gorgeous views, and wading in the shallow waters in summertime. High Shoals Falls and Blue Hole Falls are located in historic Helen, Georgia, and offer 2 gorgeous waterfalls in one fun hike! And don’t forget to visit Georgia’s Cohutta Wilderness for two more bonus hikes: Beech Bottom Trail and Jacks River Trail leading to Jacks River Falls. Hikers will have plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure here, with 37,000 acres of wilderness to explore! Enjoy an easy half mile hike, a moderate round-trip hike, or a more challenging journey for a day of hiking fun.
Where to Stay
Hiking to North Georgia waterfalls, splashing in the water pools, and picnicking under the sun can leave you tired and achy. After a long, fun day exploring waterfalls near Blue Ridge, GA, relax and recharge with Georgia Cabins for YOU — offering comfortable and cozy cabins in the scenic Appalachian foothills. On your Georgia getaway, enjoy…
Cabin Amenities
- Hot tubs
- Gorgeous views
- Game tables
- Big screen TVs
- Fireplaces
- Fully equipped kitchen
- Gas/charcoal grill
- Firepit
- Spacious decks
- Rockers
- King, queen, twin & full beds
Can’t get enough of the sparkling mountain waters? Opt for our luxury cabin on the river — Toccoa River Mist! Need help planning your cabin vacation in Blue Ridge? Reach out to our Vacation Specialists anytime at 1.800.580.5524.
Now YOU’re ready to embark on a waterfall hike in North Georgia! Start planning your Blue Ridge vacation today.
