Georgia's Best Waterfalls

Georgia's waterfalls are concentrated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the north, where the Tallulah, Chattooga, and Etowah rivers cut through ancient quartzite ridges. The state has over 250 named waterfalls.

Amicalola Falls (729 ft)
The tallest cascading waterfall in the eastern United States, located in Amicalola Falls State Park near Dawsonville. The falls drop 729 feet in a series of cascades — a longer vertical drop than Niagara Falls, though much narrower. The paved trail system allows viewing from multiple angles. The falls are the starting point for the 8.5-mile Appalachian Trail approach trail to Springer Mountain.

Tallulah Falls
A series of five falls in rapid succession within Tallulah Gorge, including Tempesta Falls (76 ft) and Oceana Falls (52 ft). The gorge itself is the star — one of the deepest and most dramatic in the eastern US. In the early 1900s, Tallulah Falls was a major resort destination; in 1913, the river was dammed for hydropower and the falls ran dry. Today the dam releases water on designated "whitewater weekends."

Anna Ruby Falls (150 ft)
A double waterfall formed by Curtis Creek and York Creek merging, located in Unicoi State Park near Helen. The 0.4-mile paved trail from the parking area is one of the most-walked paths in the Georgia mountains. The falls are most impressive in late winter and spring when snowmelt amplifies the flow.

Helton Creek Falls
Two tiers of falls in the Chattahoochee National Forest north of Blairsville — the lower falls drop 30 feet into a clear plunge pool, the upper fall drops 50 feet in a narrow chute. Relatively uncrowded compared to Anna Ruby. The surrounding forest of hemlocks and rhododendrons is exceptional in bloom (late April–May).

DeSoto Falls (Lumpkin County)
Three tiers of falls on Frogtown Creek in the Chattahoochee National Forest — the upper fall (90 ft) is the most dramatic. The 2-mile roundtrip trail passes through old hemlock and mixed hardwood forest. The falls are named for the legend that a piece of armor from DeSoto's 1540 expedition was found nearby.