A Trail of Many Waterfalls
A wonderful hike, multiple waterfalls, including Raven Cliff Falls, and a llama. Just another day in North Georgia?
Today’s hike is Raven Cliff Falls, this time in Georgia. This is the third time I’ve been on this hike, and it is another favorite of mine. It is about 2.5 miles one-way and moderate, with a couple of major elevation changes, the highest right at the end. The trail follows Dodd Creek all the way to twin cliffs with a waterfall that flows between them. The trail itself is in the North Georgia mountains, near Helen, off of the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway.
The trail to the falls is quite scenic, with the creek on the left, including waterfalls and rapids of various sizes. Recent rain fall caused the creek to flow swiftly and heavily, and the cascades were both impressive and beautiful. And because of the proximity of the trail to the creek, one can easily get down to most of the falls for a closer look. On the right, there are periodic rock outcroppings that offer intricate textures and complex patterns of stone. The trail itself goes across bridges both large and small, with a few points at which one must navigate rock to rock to cross a branch of the creek.
It is a rather popular trail, and during the main part of the day, one will meet many different hikers, of all ages going to and from the falls. I was lucky to even find a parking space by the time I got there, just after the lunch hour. On my previous trip on this trail, I had gone fairly early, and had the trail mostly to myself, but not this time. Many people even brought their pets on the trip. For the most part, this meant dogs, but a couple of hikers brought a llama, which had its own saddlebags. When I passed them, the llama was standing in the creek with one of the hikers. Not something you see everyday on the trail, to be sure.
As you approach the cliffs, the trail starts to get a bit more strenuous, but still not overly so. Once you can see the cliffs, you can either observe the waterfall near the base of the cliffs, which is nice. Or, you can climb the steep part of the trail which offers a view of where the waterfall flows between the cliffs in two parts: a plume of water that sprays across the gap between the cliffs, and a smaller waterflow that flows near where the cliffs meet. I recommend the climb, if you have the energy, not only because of the falls, but also because of the view of the surrounding mountains.
A great day hike, and if you want to meet people, go during the main part of the day, but if you want more solitude, definitely start out early. If you go early, you’ll mostly meet the campers that are waking up along the sites provided along the trail.
