Benton Falls Trailhead — Attraction in Etowah

This was about 4 miles round trip and about 2 hours round trip though we did get caught in a storm and so flooded trails probably slowed us significantly. The wet rocks were very slippery on the trail and at the waterfall, of course. The terrain otw to the falls are very uneven made up of alternating sand, dirt and boulders/rocks. Don't underestimate the decline down into the falls area, it is very tricky, uneven and steep. Due to it being wet, we did have to scramble to get down. The bugs in July were pretty thick but they were gone once we made it down. Might be worth bringing a mask unless you need to inject extra protein into your diet. There are large flat rocks to sit and picnic on or just take in the beauty of the scene. It's shady, wet and serene. It was worth everything to get down there. Going back up? Twice as hard. Contrary to many other commenters, unless you're an experienced hiker, this is NOT a beginner trail. Watch out for bears...

We have a second home in Mineral Bluff, the drive to Benton Falls was a very scenic drive as well as the look outs, our first attempt there unfortunately they were doing controlled burns so once we arrived up top they had the gate closed with a worker there letting people know the trail is closed for possibly a few days, would have been nice to know that by signage before driving up, a week or so later we made the attempt again and was open, luckily for us we are able to go during the week and off season so it was not crowded, the trail is well marked and easy but more difficult once you get to the steps but the falls are amazing, i would probably not suggest going there if it is raining and reall wet do to the trail being alot of clay and irregular so you dont slip alot, it was dry on our day and I had two knee surgeries, one replaced and one scoped and I...

Very poor drainage on the trail so if you go after recent rains, expect to tromp through mud and running water.. that’s the worst part of the trail in my opinion. Although the trail has a lot of markings, very few of the signs actually mention Benton Falls, which can get confusing, just make sure you’re still following the blue painted marks on the trees when you get to signs that don’t say anything about the falls. I found it a fairly easy walk, a lot of people were struggling on the way back I think due to the incline and stairs. None of it was very steep for walking but there are a lot of stairs leading down to the bottom of the falls. If going up a few flights of stairs leaves you winded just take your time and go slow on the way back, there’s no shame in stopping to look at 🌱 or whatever along the way so you enjoy the...