Tranquil Trail at High Falls (Monroe County, Georgia)

 

On the long drive home from my paddling weekend, I was looking for a place to stop for lunch and stretch my legs a bit. I still had some pasta salad left from yesterday. Near Macon, GA, I saw the sign for High Falls State Park. I've visited the park before, but it seemed like a fine place for my purposes today and so, I decided to stop.

I found a nice picnic table in the shade and refueled myself. It's still so very hot, but I still want to check out the waterfalls while I'm here. After finishing my lunch, I head down the Tranquil Trail, which follows the Towaliga River below the dam and past several cascading waterfalls. The hike requires a little bit of rock hopping over uneven ground, but is overall very easy.

The river is flowing pretty well and makes for a spectacular scene as it plummets over the largest of the cascades. Further down the river, I find a little section where elephant ear plants have choked off a little side channel and made for a . . . well, tranquil little area. Perhaps that's where the trails name comes from. 

Anyway, after hiking a mile or so downstream, I turn back and return to the car. I didn't track the hike as it was a bit impromptu, but it was still enjoyable. Now, I'm just anxious to get home and out of these heat.