Hiking Tallulah Gorge State Park

At the end of May, 2024, my wife and I decided to go hike Tallulah Gorge in north Georgia. That was the site of one of our very first dates and while we had visited there over the years, we had not hiked down to the gorge floor since quite some time. Tallulah Gorge State Park is a 2,689 acre park about 1.5 hours north of Atlanta. Tallulah Falls is a Victorian-era resort town in Georgia and the gateway to Tallulah Gorge which contains several falls all near the county line between Rabun and Habersham counties. The gorge is a 1000 foot deep gorge with the Tallulah River running along the floor.

You need arrive at the park early to obtain a limited permit (limited to about 100 per day) to hike to the gorge floor. No groups larger than 30 are allowed to hike to the floor. But even without that, you can still view several waterfalls that make it worth the visit. There is a $5.00 per vehicle parking fee regardless of stay. There are nearby tent, Trailer and RV campsites, picnic shelters, visitor center, gift shop and more.

We hiked down the many stairs to the gorge floor where you then have to traverse a set of boulders to cross the stream. Here is where you will get a look at the bottom of Hurricane Falls.

Further upstream is Tempesta Falls and further downstream is Oceana Falls. There are multiple overlooks from the gorge rim trail and are numbered Overlook 2 through Overlook 10. There is one suspension bridge used to cross the gorge and offers quite a view of water below.

There are actual stairs to walk down to the gorge floor. It is about 2 miles around trip and has a total of 1,099 stairs so you should be in good condition to attempt this hike down. If not, then just walk around the gorge rim which is much easier and still offers beautiful view of the waterfalls below.

We hope you enjoy this amazing park. While there, check the many other parks, hikes and amazing small cities to visit in north Georgia. This is a beautiful place to explore.