Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

Stressed out? This may sound wacky, but negative ions can help. Studies have shown that negative ions have a calming effect: They can lift your mood, help you sleep better, and improve your appetite. How do you get some? Well, you can buy an expensive negative ion generator. Or you can go low-tech and hang out around falling water. Falling water generates negative ions. Think about your mood after a rainstorm. Or the strange tranquility of a waterfall.

Georgia's national forests have many wonderful waterfalls. The most spectacular and popular is Anna Ruby Falls. In the Chattooga District, the 300-foot Dukes Creek Falls plummets into a scenic gorge. At the 650-acre DeSoto Falls Area, you can hike to see several beautiful waterfalls. In the Brasstown District, the 170-acre High Shoals Scenic Area features two waterfalls nestled among luxuriant banks of rhododendron and laurel and sparkling mountain streams. Hikers can visit these waterfalls by taking a one-mile trail from Forest Road 283. If you want a more solitary, tranquil experience, seek out one of the hidden waterfalls in the Tallulah Ranger District. Plus several of the Georgia forests' hiking trails make their way to waterfalls.

Ommmm...

Anna Ruby Falls

Spectacular Anna Ruby Falls lies in the heart of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The quiet coolness of the area is broken only by the thundering rush of water flowing over the rugged cliff face.

Anna Ruby Falls marks the junction of Curtis and York Creeks. Both creeks begin on Tray Mountain and are fed by underground springs, rain, and snow. Curtis Creek drops 153 feet and York Creek 50 feet to form the twin waterfalls known as Anna Ruby Falls. From the falls, Smith Creek tumbles downhill to Unicoi Lake and then to the Chattahoochee River. Its journey continues south, eventually joining the Appalachicola River in Florida and ending its 550-mile journey in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hiking: A paved 0.4-mile footpath leads from the parking lot to the base of the falls. Walking is easy to moderate and will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Benches are provided along the way. Walking shoes are recommended since the trail can be wet and slippery. The Lion's Eye Trail gives people who are blind or have visual impairments the opportunity to experience the environment along Smith Creek. Braille signs interpret various features of the area. Ambitious hikers will find the 4.6-mile Smith Creek Trail a challenge. This longer trail leads from the base of Anna Ruby Falls to Unicoi State Park.

Picnicking: Enjoy a picnic along Smith Creek. The area offers 11 picnic sites with tables and grills. A footbridge from the lower end of the parking lot provides an exciting view of the creek.

Natural History

Anna Ruby Falls Scenic Area hosts a variety of plant and animal species common to the Appalachian Mountains. Colorful flowers and shrubs, like mountain laurel and rhododendron, are abundant. Straight, sturdy poplar and majestic white pine are common. You will find oaks on all slopes, and the drooping branches of hemlocks shade the cool water of the mountain streams.

Wildflowers bloom primarily in the early spring and include the birdsfoot violet, nodding and sessile trilliums, and foamflowers. Ferns and mosses are abundant. Bear, deer, squirrel, and turkey also make their home here.

The clean, clear water found in the streams supports several species of fish, including the brook trout. Unlike the rainbow and brown, the brook trout is Georgia's only native trout.

Cultural History

Once Cherokee Indian territory, many of the local rivers, valleys, and mountains bear names that reflect the Indians' appreciation of nature. Chattahoochee means place of marked or flowered rocks. Tray Mountain, on which Anna Ruby Falls is located, was once named Trail Mountain. The Cherokee built many trails up the mountain to watch for enemy campfires.

After the Civil War, the land surrounding and including Anna Ruby Falls was purchased by Colonel John H. "Captain" Nichols. Colonel Nichols adored his only daughter, Anna Ruby, as she was all he had left after the death of his two infant sons and his wife. He named the twin waterfalls "Anna Ruby" in her honor.

Around the turn of the century, Byrd-Matthews Lumber Company purchased and logged the land surrounding Anna Ruby Falls. Mules pulled the felled trees along tarred log slides to the top of the falls. There the logs were loaded onto a flume that looped around the face of the falls and ended on the opposite side of Smith Creek.

A narrow-gauge railroad transported the logs from the falls to a mill in Helen.

The U.S. Government purchased the land in 1925 to become part of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Protected as part of the National Forest system, the area gradually regained its natural beauty. Today, this area is known as the 1,600-acre Anna Ruby Falls Scenic Area.

Visitor Center

In cooperation with the Forest Service, the nonprofit Chattahoochee/Oconee Heritage Association operates the visitor center at Anna Ruby Falls. They offer original paintings, fine pottery, and crafts made by the Appalachian Mountain folks—with emphasis on local artists and crafts workers. Earnings from these sales support interpretive programs and conservation of the forest.

From the viewing deck of the visitor center, you can look down into Smith Creek and feed brook, rainbow, and brown trout. Other facilities include snack and drink machines, restrooms, and public phones. Anna Ruby Falls Recreation Area is open from 9 a.m. to dusk, year-round.

Directions

Take Georgia 75 north from Helen for one mile. Turn right on Georgia 356 for 1.5 miles, then left at the sign to Anna Ruby Falls. Follow this road for 3.6 miles to the parking area. There is a $2 parking fee for cars/RVs and a $10 parking fee for buses.

Waterfalls in the Tallulah Ranger District

Ammons Creek Falls/Holcomb Creek Falls
Located on the Holcomb Creek Trail, these picturesque waterfalls along with Holcomb Creek Falls drop and shoal for about 150 feet. Take Warwoman Road east from Clayton for ten miles. Turn left on Forest Service Road 7 (Hale Ridge Road) for nine miles. The loop trail begins at the intersection of Hale Ridge Road (FS 7) and Overflow Road (FS 86) passing the waterfalls back to Hale Ridge Road.

Angel Falls/Panther
These falls are approximately 50 feet high. Another set of falls are located approximately 0.5 miles above on the same branch. A foot trail leaves Area 2 at Rabun Beach Campground and parallels Joe Branch for a distance of approximately one mile to the falls. Turn left at end of Bridge Creek Road, go 6.3 miles to the campground entrance, then 0.2 miles to parking area 0.5 mile up the trail to Angel Falls.

Becky Franch Falls/Martin Creek Falls
Drive east on Warwoman Road (County Road 5) 2.8 miles and park on the left side by branch. Walk up the right side of branch on the trail for about 200 yards to a bridge at the base of falls. (The Bartram Trail begins 100 feet below falls). You will find old stone steps leading up to cleared railroad bed (rails never laid but interesting to see). Warwoman Dell picnic area is across Warwoman Road from parking area for falls.

Dick's Creek Falls
This waterfall is approximately 60 feet high and makes an almost sheer drop into the Chattooga River. From Clayton, drive east on Warwoman Road. Turn right past the Antioch Church and take the next left across the creek. Continue on the road keeping left until the second ford. Cross the ford, park on the left. Go north along the trail to Dick's Creek. Follow Dick's Creek for 200 yards. This trail also provides picturesque views of the Chattooga River.

Minnehaha Falls
This waterfall is approximately 100 feet high in a combination of falling and shoaling. It is located south of Lake Rabun in Rabun County. To reach the falls go south from Clayton on Old Highway 441 and follow Lake Rabun Road to the west around the north side of the lake. Turn left one mile past the Rabun Beach Recreation Area. Cross the bridge at the Flat Creek Community sign and follow Bear Gap Road around the lake for 1.6 miles. Fall Branch trail (0.5 mile) on the right leads to the trail.