In 1968 a bunch of local businessmen huddled up to make Helen, Georgia more attractive to tourists. An artist suggested gingerbread trim, architectural details, color schemes, and murals be added to existing buildings to give them a Bavarian Alps look. Helen was transformed into a German gem in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Chattahoochee River.
On our beautiful drive from Chattanooga, TN to Helen, GA we stopped at Amicalola Falls State Park. The approach to the start of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain begins here.
The .6-mile hike along Little Amicalola Creek to the falls’ base is all uphill. It’s paved and makes for a leisurely stroll. The 175 steps to the lower viewing platform are heart-taxing. The 425 steps from there to the top will test your stamina.
Amicalola Falls are touted as one of Georgia’s “Seven Natural Wonders.” The steep, main falls are 429 feet that tumble into a 279- foot run down a gradual, rock-strewn slope.
We stayed in Helen after our daily waterfall excursions in Georgia. When tourists tire of shopping and eating, the main activity in town is tubing down the mellow Chattahoochee river. Helen is very much a family-oriented destination.
Helen is a little cornball and most things are tourist-pricey, except the German beer, which is cold and plentiful.
We arrived at Unicoi State Park early, before the gate opened. Another paved trail along boulder packed Smith Creek led us uphill to double falls.
Anna Ruby’s falls were resplendent in the early morning light. It’s best to visit easy to access wonders before crowds arrive.
The trail to Helton Creek Falls split. We chose the upper falls trail first.
The trail to lower Helton Creek Falls was shorter and much steeper. The falls were shorter and not as steep as Upper Helton.
We took a break from hiking and veered into beautiful Vogel State Park to take advantage of their clean restrooms with running water. It was such a lovely location we hiked around Lake Trahlyta to view Trahlyta Falls below the dam. The picturesque setting and cool cabins for rent here would make VSP a great place to stay.
The last falls we visited, before returning to Helen exhausted and hungry, was DeSoto Falls on Frogtown Creek. DeSoto is three falls with the upper falling 200 feet, the middle plunges 90 feet and the lower plummets 35 feet.
On Thursday (7-24-19) we checked out of Helen. We spent most of the day exploring two-mile long, 1,000-feet deep, 2,739-acre Tallulah Gorge.
There were 310 steps down from the North Rim to a suspension bridge 80-feet above the Talulah River and 347 steps up the other side. It was GORGEeous!
There are six Tallulah Falls that cause a 500-foot drop in the river from the dam on the west end. This is Hurricane Falls viewed from the South Rim.
The canyon is amazing, but it was very hard to take a picture that truly displays its grandeur. We may have to go back and try again.
We had just enough daylight left to check out Minnehaha Falls before we spent our last night on the road in Greenville, SC. The jet-black pancake rocks on this 100-foot beauty made it one of our favorites on this trip.
There are so many wonderful waterfalls and beautiful hiking trails in Northeast Georgia that we barley scratched the surface. Our summer vacation was a fast-paced adventure that left us in awe of Nature’s handiwork in this area.