Amicalola Falls Trail

The Amicalola Falls Trail climbs to the base and then the top of Amicalola Falls—at 729 feet total drop, the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River and the iconic gateway to the Appalachian Trail. The falls cascade in multiple tiers down a steep granite face, framed by eastern hemlocks and rhododendron. The name 'Amicalola' derives from the Cherokee word meaning 'tumbling water,' and the falls have been a landmark in the southern Blue Ridge for centuries.

The main overlook at the base provides the classic face-on view of the falls' primary 500-foot drop, while the stair system climbing 175 steps alongside the falls rewards the effort with progressively closer views of the white water and the mist-soaked rock face. At the summit, a bridge crosses the stream above the lip of the falls, looking down the full cascade to the valley below. The falls flow year-round, fed by Amicalola Creek draining the Blue Ridge north of Dahlonega, with peak flow from winter rains and spring snowmelt in February and March. The AT Approach Trail begins at the top of the falls, and the park visitor center serves as a traditional starting point for northbound thru-hikers beginning their journey to Maine.