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Amicolola Falls State Park
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(Left-t-right) Larry Clifton, Mason Robinson, Bill Robinson and Collin Robinson
Amicalola Falls is one of those places that I would drive for many hours or even several days to see. Fortunately, it is only a twenty minute drive across the mountains into Dawson County from my Pickens County home, and the entire Florida branch of my family has been there. It was the first place that we took our “children” and grandchildren after my wife and I relocated to the Burnt Mountain area last year, and the first place that our neighbors, Tim and Lydia, took us to see after we were settled in last winter.
The cold water of Amicalola Falls tumbles 729 feet into a pond where children are allowed to fish while parents and grandparents bask in the sun or sit at picnic tables and pavilions in the cool woods. The tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River, Amicalola is a Cherokee word meaning “tumbling waters.”
About a hundred yards from the pond at the base of the water fall is a visitor center with live exhibits and a gift shop. The center offers a trove of educational exhibits and guides about the Georgia Appalachians and its wildlife.
On the first trip, the guys in our group climbed the countless wood stairs that lead 750 feet up to the beautiful lodge at the summit of the mountain, but the gals took the H3 up a back road. Weary, chest heaving like a bellow, Captain Cholesterol made it to the top only to have my judgment questioned for enduring such a challenge “at my age.” In an effort to be nonchalant as opposed to winded, I shallowed my breathing, but that made me dizzy.
After having a buffet lunch, everyone was ready to walk, so we toured the immediate grounds. Below the falls is a trailhead that begins an 8.5 mile approach from the park to Springer Mountain, which is the southern end of the famous 2,135-mile Appalachian Trail. There are many shorter trails available for less venturous hikers, like my crew.
One such trail is a 5-mile hike to more remote accommodations at the Len Foote Hike Inn. However, if your group is used to the finer comforts and wishes to be pampered, the beautiful lodge overlooking Amicalola Falls has relatively luxurious rooms, a large restaurant, and all of the typical finer hotel-comforts.
Amicalola is all about tuning in to nature. There are scenic trails that wind through the forests and mountains with varying degrees of difficulty. For the less assertive visitors – take the road up to the lodge restaurant and have a beer or perhaps tea and dessert. Rent a cabin, stay a while; you’ll be glad you did.
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Reservations (800) 864-7275
Lodge Reservations (800) 573-9656
Park (706) 265-4703
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FACILITIES:
- 829 Acres
- 24 Tent, Trailer, RV Campsites ($25)
- 14 Cottages ($80-$160)
- Cottage #5 (Bottom of Falls) and Cottage #6 (Top of Falls) are dog friendly cottages ($40 fee per dog, max 2)
- 4 Picnic Shelters ($40)
- Group Shelter (seats 50, $75)
- 56-Room Lodge & Conference Center ($75-$190)
- Restaurant
- 20-Room Hike Inn
- Visitor Center
- Ropes Course
- Gift Shop
ACTIVITIES:
Hiking - 12 miles of trails
- Picnicking
- Trout Fishing
- Interpretive Programs
- Photography
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