8 Waterfalls Near Helen, Georgia

Three good waterfalls sit within 20 minutes of downtown Helen, and five more are an hour or less away. They range from a short paved walk to a full-day hike, and fall is a great time for all of them. Here are eight to put on your list, with fees, distances and what to expect at each.

The short answer

Start with Anna Ruby Falls (about 20 minutes away, $6 for ages 16 and up, a short paved trail). Add Dukes Creek Falls ($4 per vehicle, 2.2 miles round trip) if you want a moderate hike, and Raven Cliff Falls (2.6 miles each way) for a long one. For the biggest drop, Amicalola Falls is 729 feet and about 70 minutes away.

Waterfalls at a glance

3

falls within 20 minutes

Anna Ruby, Dukes Creek, Raven Cliff

729 ft

Amicalola Falls

the tallest on this list

186 ft

Toccoa Falls

100-yard graveled path

Free

Helton Creek Falls

0.2-mile trail

The waterfalls at a glance

If you want a ready-made plan, our Helen waterfalls day itinerary strings several of these together, and the complete waterfalls reference lists more. The North Georgia waterfalls overview covers the ones farther afield.

Anna Ruby Falls

Anna Ruby Falls is the easy win: two creeks falling side by side, reached by a paved trail. Curtis Creek drops about 153 feet and York Creek about 50 feet, and they join to form Smith Creek. The trail is about 0.4 mile each way and has some steep pitches, so take it slowly. The operator says the inclines are too much for wheelchairs and points wheelchair users to the paved 0.1-mile Lion's Eye Trail at the same site.

Admission is $6 for ages 16 and up, free for 15 and under, with parking included. It's a Forest Service site, so the Georgia ParkPass isn't accepted. The site is open 9 AM to 6 PM (last ticket 5 PM) and closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Restrooms and the gift shop close at 5:30. FIND Outdoors says leashed dogs are permitted. See our Anna Ruby Falls guide and trail page for more.

Dukes Creek Falls

Dukes Creek Falls is a Forest Service day-use area on GA-348 (the Richard Russell Highway), separate from Smithgall Woods even though they share the creek. The trail is 2.2 miles round trip, with views toward Mount Yonah along the way. The walk down is easy; the climb back out is the workout. Parking is $4 per vehicle (card, Recreation.gov scan-and-pay, or an America the Beautiful pass), and the area is open sunrise to sunset. The Forest Service posts a waterfall-danger caution, so stay on the trail and viewing areas. More in the trail guide and nature guide.

Raven Cliff Falls

If Anna Ruby is the crowd-pleaser, Raven Cliff Falls is the longer commitment. The trail runs 2.6 miles each way into the Raven Cliffs Wilderness, and a creek crossing can run calf-deep. Parking is $5 per vehicle, and only Senior, Access and Golden passes are accepted. The gravel lot holds about 30 cars and has a vault toilet, so on a fall Saturday the early start matters. See the trail guide and the attraction page.

DeSoto Falls

About 17 miles from Helen on US-19/129 toward Blairsville, the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area has two waterfalls you can see along its trails. Day use is $5 per vehicle, dogs must be leashed, and the Forest Service posts a waterfall-danger alert. There's a campground with required reservations through Recreation.gov. Potable water is shut off from November through March. See our DeSoto Falls guide.

Helton Creek Falls

This one is free and short. The Forest Service trail is an easy 0.2 mile, though there are abrupt changes in grade. From US-19/129, turn onto Helton Creek Road just past the Vogel State Park entrance and go 2.2 miles to a small parking pullout. There are no restrooms or drinking water. The Forest Service asks visitors to stay on the trail and observation deck. Pair it with a stop at Vogel State Park, where the lake is drained for dam repairs this fall.

Toccoa Falls

Toccoa Falls drops 186 feet on the campus of the University of Toccoa Falls, at the end of a 100-yard graveled path. Admission is $2, paid at the Gate Cottage Gift Shop at 107 Kincaid Drive. The university's visiting page lists hours of Monday through Friday 10 AM to 4 PM and Saturday and Sunday noon to 4 PM, and says hours change around holidays, campus breaks and events (including a fall break in mid-October), so check before you drive. The falls are also remembered for the 1977 failure of the Kelly Barnes Dam above them, which killed 39 people on campus.

Tallulah Gorge

Tallulah Gorge State Park is a gorge about 2 miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep, with 20 miles of trails and the Hurricane Falls suspension bridge hanging 80 feet above the rocks. Parking is $10 per vehicle. Gorge-floor permits are free, limited to 100 a day, same day only, and aren't issued on water-release days. This fall, the south-side staircase is closed. The dam releases below are when the river runs. Our Tallulah Gorge guide has the details.

Amicalola Falls

At 729 feet, Amicalola Falls is the big one. The lodge calls it the third-highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. The park is at 418 Amicalola Falls Lodge Drive in Dawsonville, about 70 minutes from Helen; parking is $10 per vehicle. The park's Approach Trail runs 8 miles to Springer Mountain, the southern end of the Appalachian Trail. This fall the East Ridge Trail is closed for maintenance, and the park's Fall Fest is Saturday, October 31, noon to 4 PM. Check the lodge's site for current conditions.

Photography tips

A few habits make waterfall photos look better. Spring and the days after a good rain usually bring the most water, and fall color frames the falls in late October and early November (see our fall color guide). Winter can bring ice along the edges.

Safety and pacing

Rocks near waterfalls are slippery, and the Forest Service posts waterfall-danger alerts at several of these sites. Stay on marked trails and viewing decks. If you're doing more than one in a day, pair an easy stop with a hard one: Anna Ruby first, then Dukes Creek, then Raven Cliff if you still have the legs. Our trail index lists more hikes by difficulty.