Best Waterfall Hikes Near Atlanta: Georgia Trails Worth Getting Your Feet Wet For

There are approximately 400 million “best waterfall hikes in Georgia” lists on the internet, so I wasn’t particularly interested in making another one based on trails somebody else said were pretty. These are waterfall hikes we’ve actually hiked.

Long before our family vacations started leaning heavily toward the beach, Heath and I were hikers. We’re talking thousands of miles on trails, weekends planned around where we could hike next and several Colorado 14ers under our boots. When Coop came along, we didn’t stop. We strapped him into a carrier when he was barely four months old and kept going. Now he’s nine, carries himself and occasionally even carries his own stuff. We’ve come a long way.

And while I love a good mountain view, give me a trail that follows a river or ends at a waterfall and I’m especially happy. This time of year, when Georgia is technically approaching fall but the temperature outside says otherwise, those are the trails I want.

These aren’t ranked by which waterfall somebody on the internet thinks is the prettiest. They’re simply some of the waterfall and river hikes our family has actually done and loved, with options ranging from an easy walk in the woods to the kind of hike where your legs remind you about it the next morning.

Long Creek Falls

Long Creek Falls is exactly the kind of hike I love because the whole experience feels like you’re escaping into the North Georgia mountains without committing your entire day to it. It’s near Blue Ridge and the trail shares a section with the Appalachian Trail, so you get that beautiful North Georgia forest experience and a waterfall waiting for you at the end.

This is one I’d easily work into a Blue Ridge weekend. Hike in the morning before Georgia reaches its afternoon broil setting, grab lunch afterward and maybe stop at Mercier Orchards while you’re already up there. Or do what we tend to do and turn what was supposed to be a simple day trip into an entire weekend because somebody started looking at cabins. It happens.

High Shoals Falls and Blue Hole Falls

Two waterfalls for one hike is always a win, and this is a beautiful one. The trail takes you through the forest along High Shoals Creek, and Blue Hole Falls comes first. It drops into a gorgeous blue-green pool that looks particularly inviting when you’ve been hiking in Georgia heat. Keep going and you’ll eventually reach High Shoals Falls.

The thing to remember about this hike is that you’re heading downhill on the way to the waterfalls, which means you’re climbing back out when you’re tired. This isn’t one where I’d look only at the mileage and assume it’s going to be a leisurely little walk in the woods. The climb back will get your attention, especially when it’s hot.

Bring plenty of water, take your time and enjoy the fact that so much of the hike is centered around the creek and falls. That’s exactly what I’m looking for when it’s still 85 degrees outside and the calendar is trying to convince me fall has arrived.

Hemlock Falls

Hemlock Falls near Moccasin Creek State Park is a great option when you want an actual hike but don’t necessarily want your Saturday to turn into an endurance event. The trail follows Moccasin Creek through a beautiful shaded forest before reaching the falls. Georgia State Parks currently lists the Hemlock Falls Trail at about three miles round trip.

This is one I’d consider for families because there’s enough happening along the trail to keep everyone interested. Having the creek beside you helps tremendously when you’re hiking with a child who would otherwise like an ETA approximately every seven minutes.

It also just feels good in there. Trees, creek, shade and a waterfall. Sometimes that’s all I need.

Dukes Creek Falls

Dukes Creek Falls is another one we’ve hiked and would absolutely recommend, especially if you’re already planning a day around Helen. The recreation area sits along the Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Highway, and there are some beautiful views toward Mount Yonah before you make your way down toward the falls.

This is also a great way to do Helen without spending your entire day in Helen. Wander around town, eat the German food and then escape into the woods for a while. Or hike first and eat afterward, which is generally my preferred order because miles walked give me completely imaginary permission to order whatever I want for dinner. That’s science.

Minnehaha Falls

If you want maximum waterfall with minimum effort, Minnehaha Falls is one of my favorites. Located near Lake Rabun, it’s one of those waterfalls where the payoff seems completely disproportionate to the amount of work required to see it.

And sometimes that’s exactly what I want. Not every outdoor adventure has to involve eight miles, 2,000 feet of elevation gain and questioning every life decision that brought you to this moment.

The falls cascade over several rock ledges and are absolutely beautiful. It’s a great option when you want to get outside, spend some time in the woods and see something gorgeous without using up your entire day. It also makes this list more useful for families because hiking ability varies wildly. We’ve done plenty of long hikes with Coop, but there are also days when nobody wants an epic adventure. Sometimes we just want the waterfall.

Amicalola Falls

Amicalola is probably one of the most recognizable waterfalls in Georgia, but there’s a reason people keep going back. We’ve hiked this one with Coop, and I love that you can make your Amicalola experience as easy or as painful as you’d like.

Amicalola Falls is 729 feet tall and is the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeast. If you want the full hiking experience, there are plenty of stairs involved. There are also easier ways to get beautiful waterfall views if you aren’t interested in turning your visit into leg day.

That’s one of the reasons I like Amicalola for families. Everyone doesn’t have to be capable of doing the exact same hike to experience the park. If your kids are ready for the stairs, go for it. If Grandma came along and would prefer not to climb a small skyscraper in the Georgia mountains, she can still see the waterfall. Everybody wins.

Cloudland Canyon: Cherokee Falls and Hemlock Falls

Cloudland Canyon is one of those places that makes me wonder why we don’t talk about Georgia hiking more. The canyon itself is gorgeous, but if you’re there for waterfalls, the Waterfalls Trail takes you down to Cherokee Falls and then farther into the canyon to Hemlock Falls.

The important thing to know is that what goes down eventually has to come back up. Cloudland Canyon’s Waterfalls Trail is only about two miles round trip, but nobody should look at that number and think, “Oh, two miles. That’s nothing.” There are around 600 metal stairs involved in reaching Hemlock Falls, and Georgia State Parks rates the trail strenuous.

It is beautiful down there, though. The forest closes in around you, the canyon walls rise above you and the waterfalls tumble down into the canyon. This is one I’d give yourself plenty of time for, not necessarily because of the mileage, but because you’ll want time to stop and enjoy it.

One important note if you’re hiking with dogs: Georgia State Parks warns that the metal stairs can be difficult for them. Considering our dogs are not exactly purse-sized, this would be a leave-the-pups-home hike for us.

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A Quick Note About Hiking With Dogs

Our dogs are part of a lot of our outdoor adventures, and if you’re planning to take yours on trails with rivers, creeks and waterfalls, there is something worth discussing with your veterinarian before you go: the leptospirosis vaccine.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can spread through the urine of infected animals and contaminate water and soil. Dogs can be exposed through contaminated natural water sources, including rivers, lakes and streams. Obviously, talk to your own veterinarian about what’s appropriate for your dog, but because we spend a lot of time hiking around natural water, it’s something we’re mindful of.

Because if your dogs are anything like ours, telling them not to drink the questionable creek water is approximately as effective as asking a toddler not to touch something. I bring water for the dogs instead of relying on whatever we find along the trail, and I always check the rules for the specific park or trail before bringing them.

It’s also worth remembering that waterfalls, rivers and creek crossings can change dramatically after heavy rain. A swimming hole or crossing that was perfectly calm the last time you visited may look completely different after a storm. Pretty water doesn’t automatically mean safe water.

Georgia Hiking Doesn’t Get Enough Credit

Maybe I’m biased, but I don’t think Georgia gets nearly enough credit for its hiking. Heath and I were spoiled by Colorado. We spent years hiking in a place where you could pick a trail almost at random and end up standing somewhere that looked like it belonged on a postcard.

Georgia is different, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. You aren’t climbing above 14,000 feet or looking across endless Rocky Mountain peaks. Instead, you walk through forests so green they almost don’t look real. You follow creeks through the mountains. You climb down into canyons and find waterfalls tucked into places you’d never know existed from the road.

And we’ve gotten to experience so many of those places with Coop. He started on our backs, and now he walks beside us. That’s probably one of my favorite things about hiking as a family. The trails haven’t changed, but the way we experience them together has.

Our vacations may have shifted toward beaches over the last several years because Coop loves them, but the mountains have always felt like home to me. Lately, I’ve realized how much I’ve missed this version of us. The muddy shoes, tired legs, dogs passed out in the backseat before we’ve even left the parking lot and that feeling you get when you’ve spent an entire day outside and nobody has really looked at a screen.

And right now, while Georgia is still pretending September is July, you’ll find me looking for the trails with water. Give me a shaded forest, a creek running beside us, a waterfall at the end and a couple of tired dogs on the ride home.

That’s a pretty good Saturday.