The Ultimate Georgia Waterfall Guide: Best Waterfalls for Families

There are dozens of impressive waterfalls in the state of Georgia within a couple hours’ drive from Atlanta. The best part about visiting waterfalls in Georgia is that so many are so easily accessible. All of the Georgia waterfalls on this list can be reached within a two-mile hike or less, and most are on easy to moderate terrain, making waterfall-chasing a perfect day-trip activity for families or nature lovers looking for a pleasant day out.

Amicalola Falls

At 729 feet, Amicalola Falls is the tallest waterfall in Georgia and the third tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. The easiest way to access Amicalola Falls is the Amicalola Falls Loop Trail. The approximately two-mile path is paved but moderately steep. To reach the upper observation platform, you’ll climb a total of 604 stairs, and the trail can sometimes be crowded, as the state park in which the falls is located is one of most popular in Georgia. But the awe-inspiring view of Amicalola’s imposing cliff is worth it.

Amicalola Falls State Park offers other activities on site, such as archery, zip-lining, and animal meet-and-greets. Just 25 minutes from Ellijay, Georgia, it’s also close to other popular family destinations, such as Fausett Sunflower Farm, Burt’s Pumpkin Patch, and Hillcrest Orchards.

Admission to the park is $5 per vehicle or free with an annual Georgia State Parks pass.

Angel Falls and Panther Falls

The Angel Falls Trailhead in Rabun County features two beautiful waterfalls, Angel Falls and Panther Falls. Both are 50-foot cascading falls, located along Joe Creek on an out-and-back hiking trail. It’s an easy to moderate hike totaling 1.7 miles round trip. You’ll reach Panther Falls at a little more than half a mile up the trail and Angel Falls at just under a mile. Both tumble over a series of stairstep rocks.

The trailhead is located in the Lake Rabun Beach Campground within the Chattahoochee National Forest. Parking is $5 a vehicle.

Note that this Panther Falls differs from Panther Creek Falls located nearby, a challenging, almost seven-mile hike. Other more accessible waterfalls in the area include Hemlock Falls, Minnehaha Falls, and the waterfalls of Tallulah Gorge State Park.

Anna Ruby Falls

The Anna Ruby Falls Recreation Area is also part of the Chattahoochee National Forest. It includes a visitor center and a paved .8-mile roundtrip path to see breathtaking twin waterfalls. Located at the junction of two creeks, the tallest plunges more than 150 feet.

The paved path follows the scenic creek up a moderate, well-maintained trail. At the top are several large viewing platforms offering different vantage points.

Admission is $3 per person for those 16 years and older. The latest admission time is either 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. depending on the season. Check the website for hours of operation.

Anna Ruby Falls is six miles from downtown Helen, a Bavarian-themed tourist town with riverside restaurants and souvenir shops. And it’s only 10 miles from Dukes Creek Falls, making it easy to plan a full day of family fun. A longer, more difficult waterfall hike to Raven Cliff Falls is also nearby.

Cherokee Falls and Hemlock Falls of Cloudland Canyon State Park

Cloudland Canyon State Park in northwestern Georgia boasts not one, but two, stunning waterfalls. Both are located on the 2.1-mile Waterfalls Trail. The trail first takes you past canyon walls, then leads you down to Sitton’s Gulch Creek, where you’ll find Cherokee Falls. The falls is 60-feet-high and flows over an immense wall of rock into a shallow pool surrounded by mossy boulders. Later, you’ll descend through a lush forest to reach Hemlock Falls, which drops 90 feet over the canyon. The hike to the canyon floor is jaw-dropping, but be prepared to climb hundreds of stairs.

Located in Rising Fawn, Cloudland Canyon is just 27 miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee, which offers numerous family friendly activities, such as the Tennessee Aquarium and the Chattanooga Riverwalk. It’s also only 17 miles from Rock City, which features one of the three manmade waterfalls on this list.

DeSoto Falls

Two falls are viewable via easy hikes at the Desoto Falls Recreation Area. The upper falls is .75 miles from the trailhead and features four picturesque tiers that tumble a total of 200 feet over Frogtown Creek. The lower falls, which cascade 30 feet over two tiers, are just .3 miles from the trailhead in the other direction. Wooden platforms are located at the base of both falls for up-close viewing.

The falls are named for Hernando de Soto who passed through Georgia in the mid-1500s. The story has it that a plate of armor was found at the base of the falls in the late 1800s.

In addition to the waterfall hikes, the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area allows for camping and picnicking. A day use pass is $5 per vehicle.

Dukes Creek Falls

Dukes Creeks Falls is located within the Chattahoochee National Forest just off the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway. The 1.25-mile trail is an easy, wide gravel path with a gentle slope that follows the creek. As you descend along several switchbacks, you’ll catch a glimpse of the waterfall through the trees. At the end of the trail, upper and lower platforms provide multiple vantage points to view the convergence of Dukes Creek and Davis Creek. Along Dukes Creek, and viewable from the upper platform, are a series of smaller waterfalls flowing over large boulders. From the lower platform, you can see the full 150-foot drop where Davis Creek plunges into Dukes Creek below.

The Dukes Creek Falls Recreation Area includes several picnic tables and grills, as well as paved parking. Downtown Helen and the lengthier Raven Cliffs Falls Trail are nearby. Parking at Dukes Creek is $4.

Helton Creek Falls

Two waterfalls are located along the Helton Creek Falls Trail. The easy-to-moderate out-and-back trail is just over a half a mile long. The first waterfall slides over a broad, smooth rock near the start of the trail. It may be tempting to walk out on the rock because there are no guardrails, but be careful because the rocks are slippery with algae. On the winter day we visited, a young boy slipped and fell down the falls, unharmed but soaked.

You’ll find the second, upper falls at the end of the trail, where a viewing platform sits. The falls flow over a smooth rock face, a 100-feet-tall. The trailhead is accessible via a dirt road, and admission is free.

High Falls of High Falls State Park

High Falls State Park features manmade falls created by a spillway dam and natural falls that run along the Towaliga River. The spillway dam is visible from a broad grassy picnic area, while the natural falls are accessible via the Falls Trail. The 1.2-mile roundtrip loop descends a sandy path through the forest and crosses a series of wooden platforms. About a half-mile into the hike, you’ll see the falls flowing over a series of low, wide boulders.

The park is also a great place for fishing and allows for the launch of private boats and the rental of kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. Park admission is $5 per vehicle.

High Falls of Lookout Mountain

High Falls is a manmade waterfall set within the natural granite outcroppings and cliffs of Lookout Mountain. It’s part of Rock City, a botanical garden and tourist attraction just six miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Rock City began as the private garden of Frieda and Garnet Carter, who invented the first miniature golf course, and was opened to the public in 1932. Today, you can wander the half-mile trail, which includes water features, a swinging bridge, and rock formations.

Admission to Rock City is $21.95 for adults and $12.95 for kids ages three to 12.

Minnehaha Falls

Located near Lake Rabun, Minnehaha Falls is one of Georgia’s most stunning waterfalls at the end of a very short hike. The path to access the waterfall is only two-tenths of a mile in either direction.

Although the hike is easy, the drive to Minnehaha Falls can be difficult. Be prepared for a bumpy ride down a dirt road, with some possible shallow water crossings, to reach the trailhead. Parking is also limited along the side of the road.

Because of the short nature of this waterfall trip, consider combining a visit to the Angel Falls Trail or to one of the many other waterfall trails in Rabun County. During our trip, we also visited the 20-foot-tall Becky Branch Falls at Warwoman Dell.

Tallulah Gorge State Park Falls

For sheer number of falls, Tallulah Gorge State Park is the hands-down winner for waterfall-chasing in Georgia. The park has six waterfalls within its borders—Caledonia Cascade, Hurricane Falls, L’Eau d’Or Falls, Oceana Falls, Tempesta Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.

Tallulah Gorge State Park also offers arguably the most dynamic way to view a waterfall—from the top of an 80-foot-high suspension bridge spanning the gorge. To view all six waterfalls, take the North and South Rim Trails, which make a three-mile loop around the top of the gorge, and the two-mile Hurricane Falls Loop, which descends to the gorge floor.

The park is open from 8 a.m. until dark and requires a $5 per vehicle parking fee. More waterfalls are located nearby the park, including Minnehaha Falls, Angel Falls, and Panther Falls.

Toccoa Falls

Toccoa Falls is a 186-foot, free-falling waterfall located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. It has been closed for the past year due to the pandemic, but is normally open to the public for a small fee.  

Trahlyta Falls

Trahlyta Falls is located in picturesque Vogel State Park. The falls cascade 50 feet and can be viewed from a wooden platform at the end of the short Trahlyta Lake Spur Trail. The spur trail connects to a one-mile loop around beautiful Lake Trahlyta.

While Trahlyta Falls is on the smaller side of the Georgia waterfalls on this list, its location offers plenty to do, with several outstanding back country trails within the park. Waterfalls like Helton Creek Falls and DeSoto Falls are also within a short drive.

Vogel State Park is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and charges a $5 parking fee.

Vickery Creek Falls

Located in historic Roswell, Vickery Creek Falls is the third manmade waterfall on this list. It’s part of the spillway dam that was used to power the mills of the former Roswell Manufacturing Company. There are two ways to reach the waterfall, by walking along the paved and gravel path on the west side of the creek, or by taking the hiking trails just across the covered pedestrian bridge. Read more about the trails to Vickery Creek Falls here.

Need more information on things to do in and around Georgia? Check out my articles on best family hikes and great outdoor activities near Atlanta!