It has changed hands and now called Highlands Road Market, the new owners has got new vendors now,…read moresell crafts, have a bakery, and more, no longer looks junky.

Awesome trail! Came here on a Saturday around 10:30AM, road leading up to it was a bit narrow but…read morenot too bad. Parking area had a few cars but still had space to park. Hike wasn't too steep, had a few river crossings but all manageable. Trail has snow in some parts but pretty packed, gets a bit slippery at the top but all fine with just good hiking shoes with grip (I forgot my hiking poles and don't have crampons / spikes). Waterfall was super pretty, lots of water. Great hike, would recommend!

The trailhead is difficult to find and off the beaten path. Come early, parking area only holds…read moreabout 8-10 cars. This one is for hikers seeking a trail that doesn't see much traffic. It's very secluded. Trail is well marked. The trail starts rather easy, then gets progressively more difficult. It's a strenuous 8+ miles round trip. Not good for anyone out of shape, not safe for young kids. Must wear hiking boots. Uneven terrain, some climbing required. Make sure you have about 8 hours of daylight left before starting the hike. Very beautiful path, lots of very old, very large trees. You'll hear nothing but the trees and the creek. Incredibly peaceful environment. The falls at the end of the path are beautiful. Dare to put your toes into the cold mountain water. Be sure to bring lots of water, rations, and rain gear. Bring basic First Aid.

Newfound Gap is a natural gap between the east and west sides of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Gap…read morewas important to early settlers on the region traveling across the mountains. From the Newfound overlook, we could see Gatlinburg, TN to the northwest and Cherokee, NC to the east. A sign at the site marks the line between Tennessee and North Carolina and is a fun photo stop. The Overlook is a MUST visit in the Park. Parking is inadequate, we circled the lot several times before finding a spot. Parking passes are required for parking in the National Park and can be purchased from kiosks at the Overlook. Plaques along the walkways are somewhat faded and difficult to read, but tell the story of the mountains and their inhabitants. A rock structure, half paid for by John D. Rockefeller, honors his late wife, Laura Spellman Rockefeller. We climbed the rock structure and enjoyed photo opts and breathtaking views of the mountains. Unfortunately, the structure is not wheelchair accessible. The Appalachian Trail crosses the Overlook. Trail support volunteers were onsite to assist hikers. There are a set of restrooms at the overlook. There are no other amenities at the site.

Nice views of great smoky mountains. Nice stop on the way to Cherokee from Sugarlands.read more

I was quite excited to stop in and drove by several times during my vacation, but kept missing…read moretheir hours of operation. Basically, the answer is to go early and not wait until the afternoon. I was hunting down some vintage cooking gear like cast iron and other assorted items that they just made better back in the day. There was a lot of promise, but very little delivery. I didn't see anything I was looking for. They had a lot of variety of the same items and they all looked in good shape I suppose. The prices though were clearly not a bargain. In fact, of the things I was looking for and know the competitive pricing on, I found nothing of value. The cast iron cookware was all abused or no name, or newer stuff and the pricing, while seemingly reasonable, were much too high for what you get in my opinion. If you have the time and want to be entertained and don't have something specific that you are looking for, this may be the place for you, but bring a credit card because you aren't picking up anything on pocket change.

First let me say that I frequent these places anytime were on vacation! What a great find! The…read moreowner was in and as nice as can be! We looked around for a solid hour. Yes lots of the same thing by all different years models etc I thought that was awesome! With a ton of variety!!! At check out we got to talkin w the owner about it all, he's very knowledgable! And idk what that other reviewer was speaking about pricing being high, came to find out the owner there has no over head which explained the pricing being so good (IMHO) huge wagon wheels for $75 sorry but that ain't high! Old 40's bottles from $3.99. Just a ton of everything! Go explore & enjoy! We sure did!!

I began my solo hike from the Smithgall Woods Visitors Center. There I was given a map and a few…read morebrief highlights of points of interest, like the waterfalls and gold mine. I then set off one what turned out to be a 4.5 hour adventure. The trail starts off as a fairly steep incline. Along the way I saw a sign saying "caution - bees". I thought that was a curious warning until I noticed the white honey bee houses in the woods nearby. Next came the wetlands with a one mile looping trail and a boardwalk into the marshes. Here you have a strong possibility of seeing a beaver at work on a dam. I decided to save this area for my return hike and I'm glad I did. My energy on the return leg was running very low and I needed the benches here for a nice long rest. I reached the covered bridge about 37 minutes after leaving the visitors center. It was a real beauty made in the simple Town Lattice style. The memorial plaque at the entrance was titled "Bay's Bridge In loving memory of 'Bay' Elizabeth Smithgall Watts", whom died the year the land for the state park was gifted. It crosses the amazing mountain stream known as Duke's Creek. The creek from here will be a large part of your journey. The trail turns to gravel just past the bridge. Had I returned to the parking area from the bridge it would have only taken me a tad over one hour, but I pressed on. ----- FINAL THOUGHTS In total I hiked approximately 7.5 miles today and Bay's Covered Bridge was one of my favorite highlights! Smithgall Woods State Park is indeed a wonderful place for those who love nature and peaceful hiking venues. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND giving them and this magnificent bridge a visit. 2016/33

Toccoa Falls sits deep within the campus of Toccoa Falls College, a private Christian institution…read morefounded in 1907 and spread across 1,100 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The waterfall drops 186 feet, making it one of the tallest free‑fall waterfalls east of the Mississippi, a height confirmed in the college's own materials and widely cited in public references . On a quiet Sunday morning with off and on rain, we followed the campus road to the visitor parking area and made the short, level walk to the entrance. There is a small admission charge, and while modest, it clearly supports the upkeep of the site, which remains clean, orderly, and well maintained. Inside the gift shop, the two young women (definitely students as they were working on a class paper) working the counter were friendly and quick to point me toward their display of fridge magnets amongst so many other trinkets and mementoes. After paying for admission and the magnet, Mrs. K. and I stepped back outside and followed the path along the creek toward the falls. Even in late winter, with the drizzle coming and going, the setting felt peaceful, the kind of place where the sound of water takes over long before the falls come into view. The waterfall itself is undeniably impressive. The free‑fall drop is higher than American Falls at Niagara, and the roar was loud enough to fill the entire basin even on a rainy morning. We stood for a while, taking in the height, the mist, and the steady power of the water before snapping our pictures and heading back toward the dry Sprinter. As quick stops go, it was exactly right: easy to reach, beautifully maintained, and worth every minute of the detour. [Review 254 of 2026 - 951 in Georgia - 25443 overall]

Visited the beautiful waterfall today! It was a short 3-5 minute walk through the back of the gift…read moreshop. Price is $2 per person and it was worth it. We arrived at 1:05 and they were setting up for a wedding. It wasn't crowded when we first got there, but after about 30 minutes it started to fill up with tourists/visitors. Saturday hours are only 4 hours from noon to 4:00, so keep that in mind.

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous hike! 3.2-ish miles one way (6.4 round trip). Paved for half, gravel…read moretrack for a portion, and the final leg is a narrow winding trail through the woods and along and down a mountain side. Falls were gorgeous and super rewarding to see at the end. Would not recommend this for those in poor health or with very small children. It was a challenging hike with a lot of steep hills and narrow paths along steep drops. Definitely off the beaten path - we didn't pass any other hikers during the entire hike.

The hike out to this waterfall is not for beginners (like me). It's a six-mile round trip, the last…read moremile of which you will spend side-winding your way thru the bushes on a dirt trail six inches wide (the brochure lied). I brushed off no less than three deer ticks. My wife and I sat for about half an hour at the base of this waterfall. Not to admire its beauty - we were just that damned tired. There is indeed a pool at the base of the falls (and I seriously considered drowning myself in it rather than face the trip back). It actually IS uphill both ways.

This observation deck has an amazing review!! I honestly don't know why the reviews are so slow…read more You don't need to stay at the lodge or eat at the restaurant to enjoy the stunning views. I highly recommend you pull off here, grab a drink, sit in one of their chairs and soak in the view. This is definitely a hidden gem as you can not tell from the road how nice this place is. I will comeback again. Might stay in the hotel or have a meal in the restaurant next time.

Hard to get a table unless you are a guest. Food is a average, but priced for tourists. You are…read morepaying for the view (which is amazing!)

I have a hard time giving a natural and scenic area less than five stars. As the previous reviewer…read morementioned, this is not an easy hike. Nor is it particularly easy to get to the trailhead. But I've experienced far worse access roads and I've hiked more difficult trails. The USFS road to the trailhead is typical gravel. I took Overflow Creek Rd both ways and I believe that it is easier to traverse than is Hale Ridge Rd. Depending upon when you visit (i.e., the weather during the previous week or so), it could be pretty rough - rutted, muddy, etc. But it isn't horrible. The hike is rather strenuous. Make that...the hike OUT. It is all downhill - and rather steep - going in. Easy-peasy. But you know what that means for the return trip. Yep. It'll get your heart pounding. Personally, I would not bring my dog here. He loves waterfalls. But there are others that are more pet-friendly in terms of ruggedness. In my opinion, it would be easy for Fido to get hurt here. Same with young children. But if you have kids that are experienced in the outdoors, they'd probably do OK. As far as the waterfalls go, they don't get much better. Both are incredible. They're pretty close to one another. So when you get to the first one (Holcomb), the remaining trek to Ammons Creek Falls isn't bad. There are two options for hiking out. Between the two falls is a side trail that takes you back up and brings you out on the road a good distance away (1/4-1/2 mile?) from the parking area. Once you get to the road, it's pretty easy to get back to your car. I did this on a visit many years ago. Too long ago to comment on it. As I recall, it is more challenging than hiking out on the main trail. And the main trail is no cake walk. On my most-recent visit, I opted for the main trail as the spur seemed terribly overgrown. If you're in reasonably good shape, you'll have no problem. Just take your time and enjoy the scenery.

Holcomb Creek trail a relatively short hike with TWO waterfall payoffs! However, it has a few…read morechallenges, so let me get the negatives out of the way up front! A) The trail to the falls is a steep downhill hike, which is awesome going down, but a beast returning up. B) Parking is EXTREMELY limited and the gravel road to the trailhead is LONG and narrow, so cars coming from the opposite direction feel like a tight and heavily calculated squeeze. One side of the road is a sheer drop to certain doom or at the very least sever car damage! C) Parts of this hike feel like you are walking through a haunted forest. I mean, even on a bright sunny day (like today) there were two areas that were so dense with growth that it seemed to black out the sun. Add to that the gnarly twisted branches of the plants that made it look even creepier. I seriously got spooked since I was the only living human being on this trail! I'm no Scaredy Cat, but I found myself looking around for Orcs and grabbing a random dead tree branch as a staff like I were the gray wizard (or in my case the brown wizard). D) The trail past Holcomb Creek Falls to Ammon Falls is a steep uphill climb for about 1/4 of a mile. But putting those negatives aside, these are two HUGE waterfalls worthy of a scary walk through the woods. Holcomb Creek Falls is said to be 120' tall and Ammon Falls is probably around 65'. Both have spectacular straight-on unobstructed views, but Holcomb is best viewed from the rocks at its base. You can easily access this area by walking over the bridge viewing area and turning left. Climb a few large boulders and voilà, you will be standing at the stone feet of this mammoth. Ammon is best viewed from the observation deck which is in need of some repair. NOTES - Watch the missing deck board and chipped wood railing (unless you enjoy splinters in your hand). The sun is directly at the top of Holcomb Falls around 3:45pm, making picture taking difficult. DIRECTIONS: From Atlanta take I-985 which eventually turns into Hwy 441. Turn right off Hwy 441 onto Warwoman Road in Clayton, GA. Travel for about 10 miles and turn left onto Hales Ridge Road. Here you will see a brown sign indicating turn left for Holcomb Creek and Bartram Trail. Stay on this gravel road for about 7 miles until it dead ends @ Overflow Road. Trail is to the left of the intersection and marked with a large boulder that says Holcomb Creek Trail. Parking is to the right of the intersection. FINAL THOUGHTS Great short hike with excellent payoffs! But remember when hiking, what goes down must come back up! If you hike only this trail, your legs will be fine, but if this is your third trail of the day (like me), your legs will feel like linguini when your done. I'm gonna soak in my tub all night! PS - Other nearby trails to excellent waterfalls include Bartram Trail to Martin's Creek Falls & Becky Branch Falls, Dick's Creek Falls trailhead, Mud Creek Falls in Sky Valley and Glen Falls trail in Highlands, NC. 2018/52

Having been to the Chihuly museum in Seattle, I was so happy to see this monument erected at the…read moreend of my swamp rabbit trail walk. Walking up on it, it seemed like a huge rose-colored Rock sugar sucker. The base is surrounded with flowers and benches to sit near by. It's simple yet beautiful. The little ladies walking by had to stop and touch the glass. It's inviting. I love little artistic surprises that show up in cities and towns as you walk around. Greenville has so many wonderful qualities all over town. I've enjoyed my short visit and look forward to next time.

We saw this on a map while walking in the park and knew we had to check it out. A little…read moreunderwhelming in person but still very cool!