Tallulah Gorge (Habersham County, Georgia)

Since the big family get together for Thanksgiving isn't until Saturday, I thought I would take the morning and afternoon to do some more exploring of the areas around my new home. In talking to a lot of my new acquaintances, a state park called Tallulah Gorge seems to be a favorite spot for hiking and adventure. I figured I would start the day there. 

About an hour north, I arrived at the park entrance and as I had hoped, the holiday is seeing most people staying at home, leaving the park and trails to me and just a few others. I recently purchased a Georgia State Parks Pass, which gives me free access to all of this state's treasures. I'm pretty confident it will pay for itself.

The trails start just behind the visitor center and overlook a tall, thousand foot gorge cut by the Tallulah River and extending approximately two miles through the dense quartzite stone. As the river traverses that distance it drops nearly five hundred feet over six waterfalls. These waterfalls are the real source of the attraction of this place. For the most part, the trail itself is carpeted with that recycled tire material making it a party on my feet. It actually feels really good to walk on this bouncy stuff. 

As I hike the overlook trail, I'm granted nice views of three of the falls. I want a bit more though and so, I climb down a series of 300+ steps to the a suspension bridge that crosses the gorge and then another 200+ steps to arrive at the river. A popular adventure has visitors rock hopping and wading through the shallow river and making their way down the gorge. I think I would enjoy doing this, but perhaps when the water is a bit warmer . . . not late November. Also, it requires a permit, which are issued in limited numbers on a daily basis and they aren't issuing them today, likely due to the slippery conditions caused by the rains that passed through yesterday.

After spending a bit of time admiring Hurricane Falls, the largest of the six, from the bottom of the gorge, I decide to climb back up. I'm in pretty good shape, but 500+ steps uphill do get me a little winded. After arriving back a the top, I finish out the overlook trail, which takes me to a view of the Tallulah Dam upstream from the falls. I understand and support the need for hydroelectric power, but it's always a shame to see such things spoil the natural wonders. 

Having finished this adventure for the day, I head back to my jeep and set off for my next stop. I got in right at 1.7 miles here at Tallulah Gorge, but with all of the steps, my legs think is was much more.