Hiking Waterfalls & Seeing Rainbows

While we have a variety of water activities in and around Helen during the summer months, the waterfalls are accessible year-round. I recommend that our guests hike at least one trail, easy or strenuous, to one of the beautiful waterfalls in the area. Did you know we have over 100 waterfalls in the Northeast Georgia Mountains? You are so close to abundant waterfalls and rainbows at Georgia Mountain Rentals! The closest waterfall to Alpine Helen is Anna Ruby Falls. These twin falls can be reached by hiking a half-mile paved trail to two viewing decks. If you are feeling more adventurous and want to challenge yourself to a more strenuous hike, take the 4.6-mile Smith Creek Trail and connect to the base of Anna Ruby Falls from Unicoi State Park. Another interesting trail that begins at the Anna Ruby Falls visitors center is the Lion's Eye Trail. This trail takes you along Smith Creek and is designed to provide the visually impaired an opportunity to visit the creek and learn about the local flora and fauna. This trail has both handrails and braille signs.

I like the 2-mile round-trip hike to Dukes Creek Falls. After a series of three switchbacks, the trail takes you down to the falls on Davis Creek at its union with Dukes Creek. While the trail is remarkably level, it descends more than 400 feet during the one-mile walk. The sound of the waterfall can only be heard in the middle of each switchback and then fades as each new turn approaches.

Don't miss Raven Cliff Falls. Located just North and West of Alpine Helen, this unusual waterfall flows through a split in the face of a solid rock outcropping 100 feet to the ground below. The water drops approximately 60 feet behind the split, rushes through the rock face, and drops another 20 feet into a deep pool. The water then cascades 20 more feet to Dodd Creek.

Any Georgia Mountain Rentals vacation rental property is within a short distance from at least one waterfall in Northeast Georgia. If you want to know which one is closest to your cabin, give us a call. 

And what about Rainbows? The same kind of light paths that create rainbows in the sky can produce a rainbow in the spray of a waterfall. With the sun behind you, look closely. There may be a suprise rainbow of colors waiting for you!

Recommended Reading:
Waterfall Hikes of North Georgia by Jim Parham
Waterfalls and Wildflowers in the Southern Appalachians by Timothy Spira
Waterfalls of Northeast Georgia & Upstate South Carolin by Outdoor Paths Publishing