The Waterfalls Around Helen, Georgia

The mountains around Helen drop a lot of water over a lot of rock. Some falls are a short paved walk, and some take most of a day on a wilderness trail. This guide lays out the ones within about an hour of town, with the fees and trail lengths that matter when you're choosing between them. All of them sit in or near the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

Start with the table, then read the entries for the falls you like the sound of.

Drive times are from downtown Helen without traffic. Fees checked with the Forest Service, FIND Outdoors and Georgia State Parks in October 2026.

Anna Ruby Falls is the classic. Two creeks arrive at the same rock face: Curtis Creek drops about 153 feet and York Creek about 50, and below them they join to form Smith Creek. The paved trail is 0.4 mile each way, steep in places, with benches. Admission is $6 for ages 16 and up, with children 15 and under free, and the gate is open 9 AM to 6 PM daily (last ticket 5 PM). It's closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. See our Anna Ruby Falls guide.

Dukes Creek Falls is a moderate 2.2-mile round trip, with views toward Mount Yonah. It's a day-use site at 1699 Richard Russell Highway, open sunrise to sunset, and it costs $4 per vehicle. There's no overnight parking or camping. The Forest Service posts a waterfall-danger caution here, so stay off wet rock. Details are on our Dukes Creek Falls page.

Raven Cliff Falls is the wilderness hike: 2.6 miles each way into the Raven Cliffs Wilderness along a creek, ending at falls that squeeze through the cliff. The trailhead at 3000 Richard Russell Highway has a 30-car gravel lot and a vault toilet, and parking is $5 per vehicle per day (only senior and access passes are accepted). A creek crossing can run calf-deep after rain. See our Raven Cliff Falls page.

DeSoto Falls is on US-129 about 17 miles south of Blairsville, roughly 35 minutes from Helen. Day use is $5 per vehicle, and the campground charges by season. Frogtown Creek runs through a canyon with more than one cascade. See our DeSoto Falls guide for camping rates and details.

Helton Creek Falls is a free, 0.2-mile walk with abrupt grade changes. From US-19/129 south of Blairsville, turn onto Helton Creek Road just past Vogel State Park and drive 2.2 miles to a small pullout.

Panther Creek's trail is open to intermediate and advanced hikers only, and the picnic area, parking and restrooms are closed after Hurricane Helene damage. Call the Chattooga River Ranger District at 706-754-6221 before you plan around it.

Amicalola Falls is the big one: a 729-foot cascade at Amicalola Falls State Park, about 70 minutes from Helen. The lodge calls it the third-highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi. A ParkPass is $10 per vehicle, and the East Ridge Trail is closed for maintenance. See our Amicalola Falls guide.

For a one-day plan, see our waterfall day trip and the North Georgia waterfalls guide.