Benton Falls — Attraction in Etowah

I had been wanting to see Benton Falls for 20+ years and I finally did. I really enjoyed this hike. The trailhead is approx 7 miles off of US64 and the Ocoee Gorge. The road is paved the entire way and there are several excellent overlooks along the way.

The trail is very wide, well-marked/blazed, and, for the most part, is quite easy. I believe that it's 1.4 miles each way. Very little elevation change along the way. It's mostly uphill hiking out, but with the minimal elevation change, it isn't bad at all. Only a couple of spots where the pathway has eroded a bit.

When you get to the falls, you'll hear it. Do not take the crude path to the left which you come to first. Go to the sign and follow the trail. It's only another 50 feet or so. There are well-built steps leading down to the brink of the falls. From there to the base, the trail, while well-constructed, is much steeper and difficult. I probably would not recommend taking the very young or very old to the base. But if you're in decent shape, you don't want to miss it. Never having been to this waterfall, I had no way of judging the flow. But the area had had some decent rain the night before my visit. Except for some tree debris at the base, it is a very pretty waterfall. It reminds me of Minnehaha Falls in Rabun County, GA.

I recommend this...

Really one of the best times I’ve had in a long time. It was the perfect picnic area with a public restroom, granted no hand sanitizer or soap, but with a sandy, beachy lake that was shallow for very far out that you could definitely swim in clear water without fear of an alligator or snake. The walk (too short for a hike, lol) to Benton falls was only a mile and a half a mile to the waterfall which was amazing and a mile and a half back. There was a three dollar parking fee that you had to put inside of an envelope and then into a mailbox, so bring three dollars cash and one bottle of water. Absolutely perfect day! On the way were amazing overlooks that you could stop and take pictures, it looks like we were in Indonesia or Hawaii in the pictures we took. Also right nearby we stopped in Mccaysville Georgia which was the cutest town ever with gift shops and restaurants on the Toccoa River with geese underneath you could throw food to. It felt like Helen Georgia. Also there was white water rafting...

Amazing waterfall! One of the best in the area, especially for its accessibility. We would definitely do this hike again. The ride through the Cherokee National Forrest along the Ocoee River was fantastic as was the 7 mile paved road up to the trailhead with several beautiful overlooks. The trail is well marked and maintained, mostly flat and sandy with occasional flat rocks. It felt longer than the 1.5 miles each way, closer to 2 miles each way. Despite several other comments, we had no trouble finding or following the trail, 2 blue rectangle marks, pictured below. Anyone with concerns about descending to the falls should avoid the trail altogether, as the last part of the trail to the falls was gnarly, although my preteen, 2 Boston Terriers, and I had no issues. See our photos below, as I tried to get more shots of the last section of the trail. Again, amazing...