Tallulah Gorge State Park

Tallulah Gorge State Park is 2689-acre state park that is jointly managed by the state and Georgia Power Company. The park is located in Rabun and Habersham Counties near the village of Tallulah Falls. The highlight of the park is the namesake gorge, which is nearly 1000 feet deep in places. The Tallulah River drops 500 feet in elevation over a one-mile course through the gorge with 5 waterfalls along the way. Hiking trails along the rim allow visitors to view the beauty of the gorge as well as a trail in the gorge that requires a permit.

Contact Information:

338 Jane Hurt Yarn Dr

Tallulah Falls, GA 30573

Phone: 706-754-7981

GPS: 34.73975,-83.39523

Directions:

The park is right off US-441 in Tallulah Falls. From Clayton, head south on US-441 for about 11 miles and turn left into the park at the Tallulah Falls Dam.

Map:

Waterfalls:

Caledonia Cascade:

Caleonia Cascade, also called Cascade Falls, is a 600-foot waterfall on a tributary to Tallulah River. Although it's one of the highest waterfalls in Georgia, the water flow is very low and so it's not much more than a trickle. The best viewing spot for the waterfall is from Overlooks 8 and 9 on the South Rim Trail. Looking across the gorge, the waterfall is located right next to Overlook 1. Hiking to Overlook 1, you'll actually cross right over it, but you can't see anything from that side of the gorge.

L'eau d'Or Falls:

L'eau d'Or (pronounced "Ladore") Falls is a 50-foot triple waterfall located in Tallulah Gorge. There's no way to get to the base of the falls, but you can get a good view from Overlook 2, near the intersection of North Rim Trail and Hurricane Falls Trail.

Hurricane Falls:

Hurricane Falls is a 100-foot waterfall in Tallulah Gorge. For the best views of the falls, you need to get a permit and hike down Hurricane Falls Trail and get on the Gorge Floor Trail. This trail starts right at the base of Hurricane Falls. The park wasn't issuing permits the day that we visited, so we had to settle for the viewing platform at the base of Hurricane Falls Trail. You can also see the top of the falls from the suspension bridge or a more distant view from Overlook 8.

Oceana Falls:

Oceana Falls is a waterslide waterfall located in Tallulah Gorge. The best way to view the falls is getting a permit and hiking the Gorge Floor Trail over the falls. Unfortunately, they weren't issuing permits the day that we visited, so we had to settle for viewing the waterfall from the rim. The views from Overlook 1 are awkward, because the overlook is almost directly above the waterfall. We got a better view from Inspiration Point. When the park has Whitewater Release days, kayakers and rafters can go over the falls.

Tempesta Falls:

Tempesta Falls is a 70-foot waterfall in Tallulah Gorge. There's no way to get to the base of the falls, but you can view the waterfall from Overlooks on the South Rim Trail. You can see the top of the falls from Overlook 6 or get a better view from Overlook 7.

Scenic Overlooks:

There are more than ten scenic overlooks to view the gorge from different perspectives. The overlooks are accessible from the North and South Rim Trails.

Inspiration Point:

Inspiration Point is the most southerly overlook and has nice views of the gorge from approximately 900 feet above the gorge floor. This is also the best spot for views of Oceana Falls from the rim. From the Visitor Center, follow the North Rim Trail to Overlook 1 and continue on Inspiration Loop Trail to the overlook.

Overlook 1:

Overlook 1 is located on the North Rim Trail, almost directly above Oceana Falls, although the views of the waterfall are awkward from this point. From the Visitor Center, follow North Rim Trail over Caledonia Cascade to the overlook. The collapsed North Wallenda Tower is located here.

Overlook 2:

Overlook 2 is located near the intersection of North Rim Trail and Hurricane Falls Trail, right behind the Visitor Center. This overlook has the best views of L'eau d'Or Falls and the northern section of the gorge.

Overlook 3:

Overlook 3 is located along the North Rim Trail very close to the Visitor Center. This overlook has good views of Hawthorne Pool, a pretty green pool at the base of L'eau d'Or Falls, although the waterfall is difficult to view from this point.

Overlook 4:

Overlook 4 is located along the North Rim Trail and has the best views of the Tallulah Falls Dam and the highway running across the upper end of the gorge.

Overlook 5:

Overlook 5 is located along the North Rim Trail near the terminus at the dam. This overlook has views of the upper gorge and Hawthorne Pool.

Overlook 6:

Overlook 6 is located along the South Rim Trail at the upper end of the gorge near the dam. The overlook provides views of the top of Tempesta Falls and suspension bridge across the gorge near Hurricane Falls.

Overlook 7:

Overlook 7 is located along the South Rim Trail, north of the Hurricane Falls Trail and stairs. This overlook has the best views of Tempesta Falls.

Overlook 8:

Overlook 8 is located along the South Rim Trail past the intersection with Hurricane Falls Trail. This overlook has views looking north into the gorge of Hurricane Falls and the Visitor Center across the gorge. Caledonia Cascade is also visible across the gorge near Overlook 1.

Overlook 9:

Overlook 9 is located on the South Rim Trail near the end of the trail. The overlook provides views across the gorge of Overlook 1 and Caledonia Cascade.

Overlook 10:

Overlook 10 is located at the southern terminus of the South Rim Trail.

Blog Entries:

27-Mar-2014: Tallulah Gorge

External Links:

GA State Parks website: http://gastateparks.org/TallulahGorge