OVERVIEW
The views more than make up for the limited number of hiking trails at Amicalola Falls State Park, which is located in the north Georgia mountains roughly two hours north of Atlanta and features a 729-foot waterfall. I had the opportunity to visit the park and stay at the lodge during a recent work event, enjoying the cool mornings and beautiful weather throughout my first trip to the park. The state purchased the land to establish the park in 1940, and it is currently managed and operated by North Georgia Mountains Authority and a private hospitality company. The park has a lodge with two decks overlooking the valley, along with a restaurant and gift shop. In addition, you can reserve one of 14 cabins (five near the visitor’s center below the falls and nine near the lodge), or one of 24 RV / tent sites (near the lodge). For those considering reserving an RV site, you should note that the park road is windy and steep (up to a 25% grade). A park map is available here. Optional activities (requiring additional fees) include animal meet and greets, GPS scavenger hunts, zip lines, archery, guided hikes and a survivalist camp. For those interested in hiking, there are three main trails that run from the near the entrance to the top of the falls, along with a quarter-mile paved trail near the lodge entrance and a one-mile unpaved fitness trail that is near the lodge parking lot. In addition to these trails, there is a roughly eight-mile approach trail starting at the park visitor center and leading to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain, and a five-mile trail leading to Len Foote Hike Inn. A park trail map is available here. If you’re planning a longer stay, you could drive in to either Dawsonville (about 30 minutes) or Dahlonega (around 45 minutes) for many shopping or restaurant options.
FALLS
Viewing the falls via the trail that runs through the center of the park is the primary draw for most park visitors, so planning a trip during the week would be more enjoyable than on the weekend when the trail leading up to the falls is crowded. The hike up to the falls is part of the approach trail for the Appalachian Trail, and it is very steep. You’re heading up hill the entire way on this trail, but the first notable ascent begins when you reach a paved trail by the reflection pool. The trail then shifts to stairs that take you to a midpoint view of the falls and then to the top of the falls. There are 600 stairs total – 175 up to the midpoint and 425 from the midpoint to the top. If you prefer to avoid the stairs, there is a parking lot at the top of the falls, and there is another parking lot that involves a roughly quarter mile walk on the West Falls Access Trail to the midpoint falls viewing area.
TRAILS
The total distance of all the hiking trails within the park is less than 10 miles, but most of them are challenging due to the elevation gain over a short distance. They are very enjoyable, offering a pleasant walk through the woods with views of interesting and colorful trees (as pictured above), along with views of the valley. Below is a brief description, along with photos, of the trails in the park, as well as information about the AT approach trail.
West Ridge Falls Access – Spring Trail – Mountain Laurel Loop – Creek Trail
While the trail leading up to the falls is the most popular, the other trails offer nice (and less busy) options for those wishing to explore the park. The West Ridge Falls Access trail runs from the midpoint of the falls to a parking area, which is also the trailhead for the Spring Trail that combines with several other trails to allow hikers to travel from the visitor’s center up to the parking area and then to the midpoint falls viewing area. The Spring Trail, Mountain Laurel Trail and Creek Trail are all dirt trails under a tree canopy the entire time, providing a pleasant walk in the woods, while the West Ridge Falls Access has a rubber / synthetic material on the ground that provides easy access to the midpoint of the falls.
East Ridge Trail
This trail offers both scenic views of the valley and a walk through the tree canopy, running between the top of the falls and the visitor’s center. It was my favorite hike in the park, as it wasn’t crowded (like the falls trail) and provided a variety of views. This trail, like all the others, is easy when moving downhill and challenging when moving uphill. For those wishing to do a trail run, the trails running from the vistor’s center to the top of the falls would be runnable in short sections (or when moving downhill) but would require a lot of hiking when heading uphill (for all but the most well-trained athletes).
Lodge Loop – Fitness Trail
The loop is a good option for any fitness level, as it is fully paved and is very short. Pretty much anyone can stroll through the woods on this trail, which is located just past the covered porch at the front of the lodge. The fitness trail is unpaved and runs through the woods near the lodge parking lot, offering the best option for a trail run in which you could run the entire trail without having to hike any portions. There aren’t any overly steep sections on this trail, as the elevation gain is more gradual. I was able to repeat multiple sections of the trail to get in a 5k run one afternoon, with my only critique being that it was hard to complete the entire loop because there weren’t enough signs and there were a lot of well-worn offshoots.
Appalachian Trail Approach Trail
The AT approach trail begins at the visitor’s center and includes the stairs leading up to the top of the falls. There are three official AT shelters at the start of the trail where you could spend the night and get an early start the next day toward Springer Mountain, which is the southern terminus of the AT. Until 1958, the AT officially passed through the state park when the southern terminus was at Mt. Oglethorpe before the southernmost part of the trail was moved to Springer Mountain. The approach trail passes by the three shelters, crosses a road and meanders along a creek before reaching the reflection pool and the paved section where the steep ascent begins. After climbing the stairs leading to the top of the falls, you take a right, walk up another set up stairs, pass through a parking lot and then follow the signs pointing you to the trail’s continuation. It is around seven miles to Springer Mountain from this point, with the trail to Hike Inn splitting off to the right after around half a mile. I had time to hike about 1.75 miles (measured from the parking area at the top of the falls) up the AT approach trail with several colleagues one afternoon, which was an enjoyable walk through the woods that involved a mostly steady ascent the entire way. We passed two open-air camping areas with stone fire rings, but didn’t see any AT shelters on this section of the trail.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the park. It is a well-managed park in a beautiful part of the state, which offers activities that anyone could enjoy. I hope to come back with my family at some point, and I’d encourage anyone to make a day trip if you live within driving distance or to consider a vacation to the park. Despite the limited number of trails within the park, they are enjoyable to hike, and the elevation gain over a short distance makes them challenging. In addition, the access to the Appalachian Trail makes it a great destination for those who are interested in hiking part of the AT during their stay in the area.
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