| Tallulah Gorge, Georgia |
 Trail Name:Sliding Rock-Hurricane Falls Summary: |
| Trail Description |
| Over thousands of years, the Tallulah River has cut a gorge 1,000 ft deep in places and over 2 miles long. Access to the trails leading into the gorge is via the easy North and South Rim Trails, which have ten numbered overlooks offering good vantage points over each side of the gorge. Don’t expect pristine surroundings at the rim. There are lovely views into the gorge, but all around are manmade intrusions: a very busy main road, a dam and power lines. But once you are inside the gorge you can forget all that; there you are surrounded by the sound of rushing water, the rock, trees, river and waterfalls.
It is just a short walk from the back of the Interpretive Center to the North Rim Trail. Turn left for the 0.25 mile walk along an easy, wide track through the trees to the first overlook. This is considered the best southern view into the gorge, with Oceana Falls just below you and Bridal Veil Falls at the far end of the gorge. Retrace your steps, passing the turn-off to the Interpretive Center, and continue on to overlooks 2 and 3, with views of two more waterfalls, L’Eau d’Or and Tempesta. From here it is a gentle climb towards the dam, which you can see from overlook 4. Traffic noise increases as you approach overlook 5. Continue on the tarmac road; just before you pass under the US 441 road-bridge, head right up the dirt steps to follow the sidewalk across the bridge and join the paved South Rim Trail (rebuilt in 1998 after the original trail was destroyed by a tornado four years earlier). Continue along the trail to overlooks 6 and 7, with views of Hawthorne Pool and Tempesta Falls, and pass the stepped Hurricane Falls Trail, your route out of the canyon. Just after this, the South Rim Trail forks left to overlooks 8, 9 and 10; forking right is the service road, heading under power lines, that you need to take to access the Sliding Rock Trail. It is worth going to the end of South Rim Trail (it is not far) to take in the final three overlook, with views of 96-foot Hurricane Falls (the highest in the gorge) and rock bluffs. Continue to the end of the service road and through a private parking area to Sliding Rock Trail (sometimes called South Wallenda Trail). From the edge of the gorge, this steep, 45-degree angled trail descends to the bottom of the gorge. Cross the Tallulah River above Bridal Veil Falls and boulder-hop your way back along the gorge floor with the river to your left, a distance of about 1 mile but time-consuming as there is no trail. You will need to re-cross the river to ascend out of the gorge, but do not do this by Oceana Falls. Instead, cross just below Hurricane Falls, where there is a six-foot jump between the boulders. If you don’t think you can make it, take your shoes off to wade through the water – the quartzite rocks are extremely slippery to negotiate if your boots are wet. Ascend the gorge via the 600 steps of Hurricane Falls Trail. It is now simply a case of re-tracing your steps along the South and North Rim Trails back to the Interpretive Center. |
| FACT FILE |
| Location: Tallulah Gorge State Park, north-east Georgia. On the outskirts of the town of Tallulah Falls. Daily parking fee of $4, or $25 annual ParkPass (valid for all Georgia State Parks).
Directions: From I-85, take US 441 north into Tallulah Falls. Pass the lake (formed by the damming of Tallulah River) and the Park entrance is signed right on Jane Hurt Yarn Road. Continue along this road to the car park at the Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center. Trailhead: Behind the Interpretive Center. Length: 5.5 miles / 8.8 km Trail Type: Out and back Elevation Change: N/A Duration: 3.5 hours Trail Condition: Easy, well-maintained trail around the rim. Steep into the gorge. No trail along the gorge floor, just a rugged route over boulders and through the river. Features: Gorge, waterfalls and river. Climate: Pleasant temperatures spring to autumn. Year-round trail, but gorge floor permits not issued in icy conditions. Accommodation: Tent and RV sites inside the Park. Lodging to the north in Clayton or south in Toccoa. Trail Notes: Only 100 hikers are allowed each day into the gorge – obtain a free permit from the Interpretive Center, along with a trail map. The gorge floor is closed to hikers on most weekends in April, May, September and November, and selected dates in October, when water is released for aesthetic purposes and whitewater kayakers. |
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