Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge is an 829-acre Georgia state park located between Ellijay and Dahlonega in Dawsonville, Georgia. The park's name is derived from a Cherokee language word meaning "tumbling waters". The park is home to Amicalola Falls, a 729-foot waterfall that is the highest in Georgia.
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Absolutely gorgeous waterfall! If you enjoy getting out in nature and seeing the spectacular things nature can offer, this is a MUST SEE trip for anyone within a couple hour drive. Only 90 minutes from Atlanta, this is an easy drive up 400 to Dawsonville and then about 20 minutes west into the North Georgia Mountains. This waterfall is so much bigger than anything else I've seen in the southern USA. You can't see the falls from a vehicle, but there is a gradual 5 minute walk to it from a parking lot with handicapped parking about halfway up the road to the top of the falls. But be advised, the path to the falls is a gradual downhill slope for about the first 1/3 of it, and then it evens out for most of the remainder of the walk. So getting back to the car for anyone with mobility problems can be difficult on that last stretch of path back up that slope. So if you have someone with mobility or breathing problems, pay attention to the slope going in to make sure everyone can get back out safely. There is one little bench about halfway that helps break it up, so you can take it slow. We rested there and enjoyed the view for about 5 minutes and then made the final push up the slope to the car. Once you've made it back, get in the car and continue on up the road to the top of the falls. There are handicapped parking spaces, restrooms, and a beautiful area to relax and enjoy the view from the top of the falls.
If you are fit, you can hike up to the falls from the very bottom parking lot at the Visitor's Center. Then you can continue from the falls area up the 425 stairs to the source at the very top.
It always bends my brain every time I see it, how such a small stream can create such a magnificent waterfall!
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Pretty nice state park that is a short drive from almost anywhere in northern Georgia, and not a bad drive from Atlanta either. Would suggest going on a weekday if you can, because it is pretty crazy busy on weekends unless you can go during a UGA game on Saturday. Also if it hasn't been raining much, don't expect much of a show with the falls, they were pretty weak this past weekend as we haven't had hardly any rain so far in October. About a week left in the month and the leaves haven't really started changing over yet, but I can imagine that it is incredibly beautiful once peak Fall color sets in.
There is a nice visitor's center at the bottom of the mountain, and the lodge is located at the top. We drove to the top and then went to check out the lodge, but it was extremely crowded(about 1 PM on a Saturday) to the point the bathroom had a line 20+ people long on both Men's and Women's bathrooms and they ran out of toilet paper and paper towels. The restaurant was also too crowded to try on this visit, which is unfortunate because I was hoping to try the food. Alexa in the gift shop was incredibly helpful and said if we wanted to hike we should take the fitness trail/lodge loop trail(has another nice mountain overlook) and then head down the East Ridge trail to the Visitor's Center. You can stay at the lodge overnight, and there are also cabin rentals available inside the park if you want to make it a weekend trip. There are picnic areas, but it does get very crowded so plan accordingly. They also do not have trail maps available because too many guests were just throwing them into the woods and leaving them on the trail, so if you want a trail map you will need to print if from the website or take a photo of it on your phone. They do have one available in the gift shop you can photograph and take with you.
This park is actually the southern most trailhead for the Appalachian Trail, so keep that in mind so you know the type of terrain you are dealing with. The hiking is not easy in the area and the trail going up to the top of the falls has a pretty good incline. If you decide to go up the other way it is nothing but very steep stairs all the way up. There are a few spots with some benches to rest, but on a crowded weekend there is little room to stop. Some great views from up on top of the mountain if you manage to make it all the way up the stairs, but you can also take your car and park at the lodge and walk around up there for some nice views. They have an awesome sun deck on the back where you can eat, enjoy a drink, or just sit on your laptop and relax while you enjoy the view. Hopefully can make it back up for another trip so I can try the food. Gift shop is pretty nice, but pricey, they have a variety of souvenirs and clothing, and they also have premade walking sticks available if you need one...
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My family spent a few days before Christmas. The park is beautiful. The staff was cordial and the grounds were well kept. I would say the hike is moderate to strenuous. Definitely strenuous going uphill and stepping over tree roots, wood steps, etc. But, it was worth it to see the waterfall. The wayerfall and view js breathtaking. Our guide, WT was personable, knew when to give us a break and provided info and history of the park. We took the stairs 1/2 way back down and hiked the rest of the way down. They have onsite activities to learn about the park, raptors and reptiles which we enjoyed. And, there's a small museum inside the Visitor's Center.We stayed in Cabin 10. It had a circle driveway which was good for us. It has a living area, kitchen, table and chairs in kitchen, king master bedroom and 2 full beds in the 2ndary bedroom. Couch is a sofa bed. My husband dropped something in couch and put his hand in and pulled out a sock that wasn't ours. So not sure how often they check it or change the linens. Saw some spiderwebs in the livining room ceiling but didn't see any spiders. Both bedrooms could use new pillows. Some were almost flat and very soft. Only saw one extra blanket, but didn't need it. Had enough towels for the 4 of us.Heat and A/C worked well. Both bathrooms are a good size with a shower, no tub. We took breakfast food and cooked breakfast, but ate out for other meals. Stove and oven worked well. Kitchen is equipped well. It could use a good cleaning. It had all the utensils, dishes, pots and pans we needed with a full-size refrigerator. There was splatter on the side of the fridge, which was odd because the fridge isn't right next to the sink or stove. Overall, it met our needs and we had enough room to enjoy each other and spread out to have...
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