Amicalola Falls State Park

Georgia's tallest waterfall, a 604-stair climb and the stone arch where the Appalachian Trail approach begins

By The Explore Helen Editorial Team Updated October 8, 2026 Fees and trails checked with Georgia State Parks and the park lodge

The short answer

Amicalola Falls is a 729-foot cascade at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, about 70 minutes from Helen. Parking costs $10 per vehicle per day. You can see the falls from the lower platform after 175 optional stairs or climb all 604 stairs to the top. The East Ridge Trail is closed for maintenance, and a ranger-led waterfall hike runs daily through October.

Amicalola Falls at a glance

729 ft

height of the falls

604

stairs to the top

175 to the lower platform

$10

parking per vehicle per day

~70 min

from Helen

The falls

Amicalola drops 729 feet, and the lodge calls it the third-highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. It isn't one clean plunge. The water tumbles in a long series of cascades down the rock face, which is why people stay and watch instead of snapping a photo and leaving. The name comes from Cherokee words for tumbling water, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, and the falls are one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia.

Water volume swings with the weather. Spring and the days after a good rain give you the loudest, fullest falls; a dry late summer thins them out.

Three ways to see the falls

Pick your effort level before you leave the parking lot. The trails start near the visitor center.

Ways to see Amicalola Falls and what each takes
Route	Effort	What to know
West Ridge Trail	Easiest	The park's gentler route to a viewpoint of the falls, no big stair climb. Ask at the visitor center about current conditions.
Base of the falls	Moderate to strenuous	About 1.5 hours round trip with the guided hike. Steep sections, plus 175 optional stairs to the lower platform. No strollers.
Top of the falls	Strenuous	All 604 stairs, a 604-foot climb, per the lodge. Your reward is the view from the crest and a long look down the gorge.

The guided waterfall hike starts at the stone archway, passes a reflection pool and ends at the falls. Reserve through the lodge at 706-344-1500; hikes can be canceled for high wind or lightning. If you're photographing, the lower platform gives you the full height of the cascade, and spring light is kind to the wet rock.

The Appalachian Trail connection

The stone archway behind the visitor center marks the unofficial start of the Appalachian Trail. From there the Approach Trail climbs about 8.5 miles to Springer Mountain, the southern end of the 2,190-plus mile trail to Katahdin in Maine. (The Georgia Encyclopedia rounds it to eight miles.) Park staff can help hikers register before they set off.

The Approach Trail follows Little Amicalola Creek through rhododendron and laurel and gains serious elevation, so treat it as a full day or an overnight. The Len Foote Hike Inn sits five miles along the trail and has 20 private rooms, hot showers and meals, if you'd rather not carry a tent. Most northbound thru-hikers start between late February and April, so the arch gets busiest in March.

Coming up at the park

Amicalola Falls events, fall and early winter 2026
Event	When	Details
Amicalola in Autumn: guided waterfall hike	Daily, October 1 to 31, 9:30 to 11 AM	A ranger-led 1.5-mile hike from the visitor center to the base of the falls. Moderate to strenuous; $12 per person, register online.
Fall Fest	October 31, noon to 4 PM; storytelling 6:30 PM	Field games, a cake walk, hayrides to the base of the falls and storytelling at the campground fire pit. Reserve a spot online.
IronHike	December 9 to 13, 2026	A multi-day stair-climbing challenge on the 604 stairs, per the lodge.

Dates come from the lodge and our events calendar. Call 706-344-1500 to confirm.

Before you go

What it costs

Parking is $10 per vehicle per day, good at every Georgia state park that day. The annual ParkPass is $70. Staying overnight at the lodge covers the daily fee once per stay.

What is closed

The East Ridge Trail is closed for maintenance. Check the Georgia State Parks page before a long drive, since trail closures change.

Other things to do

The lodge also runs a zip line canopy tour, archery and hatchet throwing, and a birds of prey show. Ask when you reserve what's running that day.

Where to stay

The lodge, cabins and campground are inside the park; the lodge says almost every room has a view. Reservations: 706-344-1500.

Pairing it with Helen

It's a 70-minute drive each way, so most visitors make a day of it and head back to Helen for dinner. See the Helen waterfalls day trip for closer falls.