Amicalola Falls State Park - Dawsonville, Georgia

Amicalola Falls

One of the most spectacular sights in the nation, the tallest waterfall in the eastern United States plunges down a mountainside at Amicalola Falls State Park near Dawsonville, Georgia.

From top to bottom, the waterfall measures 729 feet and is more than four times the height of Niagra Falls. The name "Amicalola" is thought to be a corruption of the Cherokee word for "tumbling waters." This is appropriate as the fall on Little Amicalola Creek was known to the Cherokee and their ancestors for hundreds if not thousands of years before the first European explorers pushed into their lands.

Amicalola Falls

The earliest known written description of the waterfall was penned by a Georgia surveyor in 1832 who wrote of its stunning beauty, but also noted - as have many modern visitors - that he was "completely exhausted by the time I reached half-way." He saw it before the Cherokee were forcefully removed from the area and marched west at bayonet point on the Trail of Tears in 1838. Their departure opened the area around Amicalola Falls to settlement and by the Civil War there was a small settlement there that included a water-powered mill and a Methodist campground.

The Crane family, owners of the mill, held the land surrounding the waterfall until 1940 when they sold it to the State of Georgia. It is now the centerpiece of Amicalola Falls State Park, a stunning park area that features hiking trails, overlooks, cabins, campgrounds a 56-room lodge and the southern jumping-off point for the Appalachian Trail.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/amicalolafalls.

Tallulah Gorge & Waterfalls - Tallulah Falls, Georgia

Tallulah Gorge from the North Rim

One of the most spectacular and historic sites in Georgia is the beautiful Tallulah Gorge in the mountains north of Atlanta.
Up to 1,000 feet deep in places, the gorge is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. Roughly two miles long, it has seven waterfalls at the bottom, several of which can be seen from the overlooks along the rim. Trails lead to the bottom from the visitor center at Tallulah Gorge State Park, the entrance to which is off U.S. 441 in Tallulah Falls.

An interesting footnote is that the trail system is named for Helen Dortch Longstreet, wife of Confederate General James Longstreet. She was a pioneer in the effort to preserve the canyon.

One of the more interesting legends surrounding the canyon is that it is haunted by the ghost of a Cherokee warrior. As early as 1876, stories of the apparition appeared in newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Herald:

Waterfall at Tallulah Gorge

...Suddenly I saw a man rise to his feet with a very serious look, presenting his deadly rifle at me. As I turned I shouted, 'take care of yourself, Joe!' I struck a bee line for the hotel. The sharp report of a pistol followed my good legs. I cried, I felt the ball hit; I felt the blood run down my back; but I had no time to tarry. I met Mr. Young in the yard, and after a hearty laugh he told me it was the ghost of the Indian that Bailey had killed, and I was not the first one that flown from there.

Other legends surround the canyon as well and it has a rich history, both natural and cultural. The area was one of the great resorts of the late 19th century, when trains brought visitors up from Atlanta.

If you would like to learn more about Tallulah Gorge, its waterfalls and its history, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/tallulah.