This trip was pure nostalgia for me and I enjoyed hiking up the falls this time as I'm on a huge health journey ! The hike up Amicalola Falls is a 1 to 2-mile round trip depending on your exact route, requiring 1 to 1.5 hours. The trail is famous for its steep incline and roughly 425 to 600 metal and wooden stairs that climb alongside the 729-foot waterfall which was absolutely beautiful! I met some really cool people along the hike and even a new friend & we ended going for lunch and beer after our hike at the overlook. If you've never visited Amicalola falls, start planning now. Your soul will be at such peace and joy afterward ! read more

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This amazing state park has it all. Love to visit when I'm in the area. It's $5 to park all day and if you're feeling energetic, taking the hike from the base of the falls to the top is a great workout and the view from the top is work the sweat. Main scenic trail up starts with a walking path with an incline. You'll have a total of about 650 steps throughout your hike with plenty to landing spots with seats to rest. Every turn is a beautiful scene. Love the sounds of the relaxing water fall with every step! There's also hiking trails you can take and if hiking is not your thing, you can also drive to the top and enjoy the view without breaking a sweat. There are nice pavilions as well if you want to host a party and cabins too if you wanna spend the evening. Beautiful water fall and lovely state park with many trails for you to enjoy the amazing outdoors! read more

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This park is beautiful The visitors center is very spacious, parking lot big enough, clean bathrooms. There are different trails all over the park, from easy/short hikes to more challenging long ones. I did the Appalachian approach trail and it took me 1hr to get to the top of the waterfall. The view there is gorgeous. Definitely worth every step. read more

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We had a wonderful time at this park 4 days ago. My sister in law, and my son came along to climb the 605 stairs to the top of the 700 plus ft waterfall. The stairs are strenuous and steeper than any we had ever seen. The view of the falls was worth it, and at the top the park view was rewarding with the colors of fall appearing in pockets. Entrance for the day was just 5 dollars The gift shop has a deli and part branded gifts. Definitely a place to visit. read more

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What a beautiful place! The unofficial start to the Appalachian trail! Super cool. The visitor center is large with a cafe, live animals on display, and history of the trail along with a board full of buttons to listen to various animal calls. There are restrooms right next to the visitor center. There are two playgrounds on the other side of the visitor center with loads of picnic tables to sit at! Parks are in full shade. The official archway for the trail is directly behind the visitor center so be sure to catch your picture there! The big stocked pond was nice! Loads of dead fish floating and garbage which wasn't the best but not overwhelmingly horrible just could use some clean up. The trail leading up to the base of the falls is steep but well paved and maintained with a couple of seating areas along the way to catch your breath. We somewhat cheated and skipped the steps after we saw the base we turned around, drove up the street across from the visitor center and stopped midway up the falls to see another view half way up the falls on a bridge (check in the woods when you walk to this bridge there is a truck stuck in the woods and a tree is literally growing around it!) then we got back in the car and drove to the top! We may have skipped the stairs but we felt we truly got to enjoy the experience with the 3 little ones 5 and under haha. The top most viewing platform, not the bridge over top, was closed for construction when we went mid April. The lodge at the stop is strikingly beautiful! read more

Amicalola Falls State Park better be on your list of places to visit and things to do when you are visiting Georgia. It begins with the drive to the Amicalola Falls State Park where there are beautiful trees on either side of the winding road and playing your playlist adds a nice touch to BGM when you look outside the window. This park has a beautiful waterfall that will take your breath away and wash away all your stress just by admiring it. When we visited, the weather was kind of hot and cloudy but there are so many trees that cast shades it's not as hot as you'd think. Climbing up the 604 stairs from the very bottom sounded challenging at first but every so often you will find a bench to rest on your way to the top. The view of the waterfall can be seen from the bottom but as you make your way to the top the view gets better and better. Once you are at the top, the faraway view of the nature and the mountains will tug at your heart strings with its beautiful scenery. My pictures won't do any justice. I can't recommend this park enough to everyone to at least try climbing up the stairs with your friend or a loved one for the experience of it. There are multiple parking areas for those who have disabilities or just don't feel up to climbing the stairs. I recommend you try visiting early on weekdays because it gets pretty packed and crowded on weekends. Hope this bit of info helped! Please enjoy the trail and wear hiking appropriate shoes to avoid injuring your ankles! PS Insect repellent is a great idea read more

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It's a beautiful place to go hiking and a nice State Park Lodge to have a meal with a beautiful view. They do have great food.

Amicalola Falls is the beginning to the Appalachian Trail in NE Georgia. The leaves are in peak color. read more

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We had an amazing time! Thank you to Ben and Blaze for making this a memorable adventure. read more

Amicalola Falls State Park - Platform - Parks Near Me - Dawsonville, Georgia

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We loved this! If you are in the area and looking for a great activity with beautiful views, this is a must! And to top it off, it's dog friendly, which is even better! We came here for a little getaway and some fitness. We didn't really know what to expect, but decided to give it a whirl with our two dogs. We paid the entry fee to get in and stopped at the visitor's center. I was a little confused because there was no brochures or park maps that I could take with me so we were confused as where to go. We just decided to keep pulling over and drove to the top of the waterfall. We decided to take the steps down to the bottom and see it that way. The way up is challenge, but there are places to stop as well. We did a little of the walking path and it was so peaceful listening to the falls nearby. There's even an old damaged care in the forest that you can seek. We truly had an incredible experience doing this together. After, we even went up to the lodge and had a quick snack as well with great views! Highly recommend! read more

I visited Amocalola in a particularly rainy Monday and despite that I really enjoyed my time. Parking for the day is $5. I was instructed to go to the visitor center to pay for my parking pass because I was paying by card. Not sure if that was a temporary thing or standard practice. Nonetheless getting my pass was quick and easy plus it gave me a chance to go to the bathroom before starting my hike. The facilities are clean and the staff members are very friendly. There are several different trails at the park. I did the one that takes you from the Visitor Center to the Top of the Falls. It took me about 2 hrs but I was walking very leisurely and stopping to take photos. The first 1/3 of the hike was muddy and rocky terrain and then the rest was either paved or stairs. I'd say it's a moderately difficult hike depending on your views on stairs. The falls are one of the tallest east of the Mississippi so there is a decent amount of ascending that needs to be done to get to the top. There are different parking areas along the trail if you just want to see the falls without working for it. Overall a very nice park and I can imagine it gets packed on warmer and drier days. read more

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Beautiful Park! The Waterfall is gorgeous. Just be ready to hike up some very steep stairs. read more

Amicalola Falls State Park - Waterfall - Parks Near Me - Dawsonville, Georgia

I can't even count how many times I've visited this park anymore, it's truly one of my favorite state parks to visit towards North GA and it's right within the Chattahoochee National Forest. Such an easy drive up to Northeast Dawsonville, and well worth it. Plus, it's only 8 miles from the Appalachian Trail if you're looking for a longer trek on the AT post waterfall viewing. The 729-foot waterfall is absolutely breathtaking (fun fact: it's the third highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River), but I highly recommend taking a walk along some of the other trails around the park too as they are just as beautiful and peaceful. If you're looking to spend the weekend here, you can book out one of their on-site lodges. For my most recent visit, the main trail up to the waterfall was closed, but I am kind of glad it was because it pushed me to go a new way and try out a new trail. I ended up taking the trail just behind the visitor's center all the way up to the very top of the falls (around the stairs). It was about 2-2.5 miles there and you had the option to take the stairs back down but with my husky, I decided it was better to just go back down the same way. Gorgeous weather and beautiful views - a perfect day trip with my furbaby! read more

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I'm not much of a hiker but my parents were insistent on hiking on their most recent visit to Georgia to see some fall foliage. And holy crap, I thought I'd seen fall foliage before, but nothing quite like mid-November 2021 at Amicalola Falls. It's a dog friendly hike, but there were parts that had stairs that scared my pup due to all the holes so we had to carry her for that portion of the walk. Luckily she's a little one but just an FYI. I'm pretty sure you can walk the entire trail but there are also drivable portions where you can kind of skip a lot of the walking, if I'm not mistaken. STORYTIME: I remember walking past the falls and realized how familiar it looked, even though I had never been here before. And lo and behold, after some light googling, I found that Vampire Diaries scenes were filmed here. DUH! So definitely kind of cool to see the scenes in person too. Definitely recommend checking out North Georgia and Amicalola Falls during the spring or fall! read more

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I love this water falls. You can choose to hike to the top or just go straight to the parking lot to see it from above. Beautiful and nice scenery, especially during Fall. read more

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Beautiful park with beautiful falls. The stairs aren't too bad but definitely a bit of a workout. The paved path is handicap accessible. read more

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2nd time here but first time taking the stairs to the very top! It's about 700 steps. We love the nature trails and the beautiful sceneries. We arrived at about 8AM and in my opinion it was the best time to go because there was so many people and hardly any parking around noon. read more

Amicalola Falls State Park - Parks Near Me - Dawsonville, Georgia

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Such a beautiful place to visit. They have beautiful a visitor center with bathrooms, plenty of hiking trails and of course the falls. You can climb the falls via the steel steps from the bottom all the way to the top or you can take your car to the top and take a short walk to the falls itself. read more

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You, your camper and the mountains.... Great place just to sit and be within nature. The campground is very steep to get to so be prepared. I love that we were within the park so we were able to see the Falls and hike without having to go far. It gets pitch black at night. There is a laundry room that's very convenient for anyone who needs it, they are pretty clean. Make sure to take enough food as any restaurants are pretty far away from the campground. The host has firewood available for purchase. The playground by the visitors center was nice for our toddler. The views from the falls are worth every step from the bottom. Campsites are very spacious and private from the rest. I'd stay here again without a question. We didn't see or encounter any wildlife while we were here but there were signs everywhere to be aware. read more

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What a beautiful site to behold! If you're counting steps this is the place to be. There is a long path to get to the first stage, a set of over 140 stairs to the next and then over 200 to get to the top. But it is beautiful the whole way! Pictures are worth 1000 words... take a look. My boys didn't want to come, but after we were here they didn't want to leave. One disappointment.... People!! People have left all sorts of trash behind! Plastic bottles, food wrappers, a crock, articles of clothing... it's isn't covered up with garbage but you can see it. Have some respect people!! Seriously!!! This is our planet! Our kids planet! We need to leave it better then we found it! To leave your teach behind if this beautiful place... just heart breaking... I loved it here and we will come back again. read more

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I went to the falls in December 2022 with my mom. It was when it was freezing and the falls created tunnels of ice and layers of snow. Today I went again as spring is starting to come around and it's a whole new view. Not only that but I tired the zip lining here as well and it was very fun. Highly recommend! read more

Amicalola Falls State Park - Waterfall, baren trees, overcast skies - Parks Near Me - Dawsonville, Georgia

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Tony Noel and I visited Amicalola Falls State Park in June to go hiking. It is a lovely park and the weather was beautiful. We enjoyed hiking and seeing the lovely waterfalls. It was not very crowded and we were traveling right before the weekend, maybe that was the reason. We definitely will go back again when in the area and highly recommend to all. read more

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A true gem here! The tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi! It's a long hike up and down, but so worth it! There's also a road via vehicle up to the top too read more

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Very well laid out state park. Tons of picnic areas, good trails (nice and wide) but you still need to watch your steps for the roots and rocks on some trails. Staircases to the top of Amicalola Falls with tons of resting spots, which you will definitely need! We enjoyed a nice shady picnic after we got back to our parking area. There are several, one saves you part of the all uphill walk to the stairs! read more

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Calling all campers and hikers!!! If you're in Blueridge Mountain, Georgia... head on over to Amicalola Falls!! It's a strenuous hike, but so worth the beautiful views. This area is known as Bear Country so please read and follow the park rules and stay on the marked paths. This park is a great place to go camping and the waterfall is so beautiful to look at. Hubby and I hiked here and it took us about 30 minutes from start to finish. When we got about halfway up, I did get a little flushed. There are signs up along the way that lets you know the difficulty of the hike and how many steps it takes to get to the top of the waterfall. Keep in mind, this is a strenuous hike. With that being said, I recommend bringing water, dressing in layers, and your hiking gear. If you've got bad knees like myself, expect to feel some strain on your joints. Also, don't forget your camera. You're gonna wanna snap some amazing pictures. And if you're a health fanatic, get your smart watches and keep track of your steps and outdoor workouts. There are other paths you can hike here as well. So it just depends on what you want to do. You can hike just to see the waterfall or you can hike several miles to the cabins on site. Either way, you will enjoy your time here. Amicalola Falls is truly a gem. read more

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The waterfall is the reason you come here! The breeze is so nice and the view is spectacular! Since it is the middle of the summer, the heat and humidity can get the best of you so be prepared to drink lots of water and take necessary breaks. There were a handful of people who had to stop while going up the stairs due to this! The bathroom at the very top of the waterfall was absolutely disgusting! No toilet paper, paper all over the floor, the door didn't have a lock, and paper was used to cover the hole! read more

Amicalola Falls State Park - Parks Near Me - Dawsonville, Georgia

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I hiked the trails to the water fall and then did the 175 stairs until I got to the bridge/walkway of the waterfall. Overall, it wasn't as bad. If you're a newbie like me, pace yourself, take breaks and take your Gatorade. I did not see a bear on this trip but a few hikers saw one and informed the others. The hike is a pretty popular trail so you won't be alone but always be safe. read more

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We hiked up from the welcome center up to the falls on the east ridge trail! Definitely worth it! We took the stairs down to get more angels of the falls. Also if you take the stairs it takes you to a bridge that crosses over the falls. Well worth it! Heads up they only take cash at the booth for parking. So you have to pay for parking with a card at the welcome center. It was $6 when we went. read more

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Excellent State Park. The waterfalls are awesome. The trail/path up is definitely strenuous, but well worth it. My recommendation is to definitely start at the bottom and go up first. We then found a different way down - taking us all the way back the lower parking lot (by the welcome center) where our car was. Several trails up and around the top. From the top, its another 9+ miles to the start of the Appalachian Trail (or southern terminus-whichever way you choose to look at it). read more

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This place was such a gem! The entrance fee is only $5 and we came right as it opened. It was rainy and we were basically the only ones there so that was nice. We just parked at the first parking lot we saw, which overlooked a little lake and that led to a path. The pavement was quite steep but the view was beautiful along the way. Then we got to some stairs and got to the second level where we could see the waterfall straight on. There is also a third level but we didn't go up since it was closed for construction I think I would definitely stop by if you want to see a waterfall but keep in mind the trail to the stairs is a little steep and strenuous but definitely worth it ! read more

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The falls are exquisite without a doubt but the new management that has taken over the lodge is ridiculous having turned it into a zipline circus and trash dump where nobody picks up their trash dirty diapers and it's a fiasco going up there it's no longer as beautiful as it was because nobody cares! read more

Really beautiful and tiring experience. The steps are a lot. About 600 total and 200 if you go from one of the overlooks. Even getting to the steps was an uphill climb. Take your time, pace yourself, and enjoy the views. The lodge was unexpected and lovely. We had drinks on the terrace, and it was gorgeous. There's a restaurant, gift shop, hotel, and meeting rooms. *shoutout to Kerri and Miranda who helped us in the restaurant area The falls were gorgeous from every angle. We did saw them from the bottom, top, and midway point. It just puts things into perspective. If able, we parked one car at the top and one at the bottom. You'll thank me later. Drive up and down to see the falls at different points. My bootay hurts but it was worth it! read more

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Make the time during your visit to North Georgia to see a wonderment of water falling from high above bouncing on stratified boulders. This is Amicalola Falls, and it is a state park that requires an entry fee. The roads inside the park are well marked. You can decide to skip the visitor center where you will learn more. We went driving to the very top of the mountain to visit the Lodge. It is a great place for a view. We want to see the wild falls up close, and it is a 1250-foot walkabout from the ADA parking to the viewing bridge. Undaunted, we went hopping down the rubberized pathway. A misty view and behold a white watery shower comes loudly crashing down from the top of the falls to the bridge you are standing on. It is a cooling moment as you rest and now must hike back up the path. Look closely, and you'll see an old rusty vehicle that has rolled down the hill many years ago. Amicalola Falls gave us a feeling of how nature was and still is able to carve its path no matter the obstacle. read more

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Absolutely gorgeous hike. This hike can either be a casual walk in the park or one of the most strenuous hikes in Northern Georgia. Luckily, the choice is yours to make. You can park at the bottom of the fall (entry fee is $5 and plenty of parking is available) and walk up about 500 steps worth of stairs to get to the top of the fall. Only takes about half an hour or so if you are healthy with two functional legs. This would definitely take a bit longer for the older folks. Once you get to the top of the fall, take some selfies for your instagram or Facebook, and now you are faced with a decision: either go back down to your car and just live another normal day OR continue on like a champ and carve this hike into your memory. If I drove an hour and a half to this place, I was going to make this hike worth my time. I picked the latter, but little did I expect it to be my most strenuous hike in Northern Georgia to date. If you decide to keep going, you will then hike through the Frosty Mountain via part of the Appalachian Trail. The trail is clearly marked (blue and green at first, then at the intersection follow the green trail). At the end of the hike, you will encounter the Len Foote Hike Inn, which welcomes all hikers with water, lemonade, pastries, and clean bathrooms. You don't have to book a night to access all these amenities, but donations are appreciated. Trust me, you will want to take advantage of all the things that this Inn offers because the whole hike is about 6.5 miles... one way. There are also some inclines, but overall more flat than steep. Round trip was about 13-14 miles in total. We walked about 33,000 steps that day..., definitely my personal record as far as hiking in Georgia is concerned. Overall, Amicalola Falls is a hike that everyone should do if they live in Georgia. But if you choose to be adventurous like me and decide to venture further, this is not a hike for the soft hearted souls. You WILL be worked, but definitely worth the toil if you are looking for a challenge like me. read more

Amicalola Falls State Park - View at the top of Amicalola Falls - Parks Near Me - Dawsonville, Georgia

Amicalola Falls State Park is a fun way to experience breathtaking scenery and get some exercise, all while socially distancing in North Georgia. My husband and I climbed the stairs to the top of the falls and hiked on several trails. The Appalachian Trail starts here, and that's pretty exciting. The park is very accessible. If you don't want to hike or aren't physically able, you can drive to the top of the falls and view from there. We saw people of all ages hiking, but you'll get a good workout so be prepared. Bring a bottle of water, wear shoes that have grippy soles, and stay on the marked trails. There's a restaurant and gift shop in the lodge at the top, along with a panoramic porch where you can sit and enjoy the scenery. Parking is a nominal $5 fee, and although we only purchased snacks in the shop, everything seemed reasonably priced. Amicalola Falls is a great family attraction. We hiked on a Wednesday, and it was rather busy, so go early to avoid crowds. We hope to hike more of the AT in the future, and this was a good introductory hike and climb. read more

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Had an exhilarating time doing Zipline at Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge. The instructors were funny and thorough. You have to do this the views are great. read more

A relatively short, beautiful hike with a great payoff! There are a lot of stairs to get to the very top, but you can enjoy the view of the falls without climbing all the way up. A nice family friendly hike! read more

Man, the appeal of falling water. It never really gets old, does it? Having made our way to Dawsonville from our rental cabin in Blue Ridge, we packed a picnic basket and saw the tallest waterfall in all of the blessed state of Georgia. Can't really recommend enough; it's a stunner of a park. Our experience was both on foot and (later) in the car. First, we explored the base of the park a bit. There appears to be a great variety of camping and group recreation activities in the complex. After digging into some nice snacks by the parking lot, we headed up the trail by the reflecting pond, around which a few relaxed folks were fishing a bit. The short trail to view the falls starts by that pond, and follows the water upstream through a series of switchbacks. It is completely tree-covered, so there is no problem with the beating sun. However, it is a little steep. For those who may have kids or vulnerable adults, make sure they can deal with the grade of the trail. There is a lower viewing deck that offers some nice benches to take it easy, before either heading back down or trying an additional step trail to get a higher view. We returned to the car. I know, wimps. We drove up the mountain and found the viewing areas to be super, just like those on the bottom. There is a particularly nice viewing bridge at the middle level, that's made of that metal grippy stuff. It's close enough to the falls to get some mist in your eyes. Above all of that, you can drive up to the hotel and lodge, which (check out the website) is super scenic. It's bear country, too - there are warning signs everywhere and I wondered whether I would see one. No such luck. I did see a derelict truck in the woods that apparently belonged to a moonshiner. There is an assortment of trails to get to the falls, but be aware - there really is no getting around the steep climb if you're doing it on foot. If you've got kids, might be better to drive up. read more

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Absolutely beautiful. The hikes the water fall the lodge.... I love it all. The views are breathtaking. read more

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Great place to hike if you are in the Atlanta area and want to get out of the city. Not a bad drive to the state park. The state park has RV and camping grounds. You can either hike up to the falls or drive up. Maps of grounds are located in the visitor center. Restrooms were decent. Plenty of parking spots in different areas of the park. There is a $5 entrance fee for a vehicle. Great photo ops on the steps with the waterfall. Trail path is easy to walk a bit of incline. Also steps weren't too bad if you take your time. Highly suggest this place for a nice hike! read more

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