The Best of Tallulah Gorge State Park’s Rim Trails

When you think of Georgia, your first thoughts might go to the bustling city of Atlanta or the old-time Southern vibes of Savannah. But northern Georgia offers an entirely different world of beauty with stunning mountain ranges, lush forests, waterfalls, rushing rivers, and more. And one of the best places to get a taste of it all is Tallulah Gorge State Park.

About Tallulah Gorge State Park

Family-Friendly Rating: 2/5

Pet-Friendly Rating: 3/5

Hiking Difficulty: Moderate to Very Difficult

Home to 20 miles of hiking trails and more than 2700 acres of nature, Tallulah Gorge is a hiker’s dream. The park centers around an incredible canyon that plunges nearly 1000 feet and stretches for 2 miles. It also contains 5 spectacular waterfalls and the Tallulah Falls dam. Plus, it’s just 20 minutes from the tiny Bavarian-themed town of Helen, GA!

And an extra-bonus for those hikers with furry companions–the park allows leashed pups on most of the trails! However, dogs are not allowed on the stairs, suspension bridge, or gorge floor, so you won’t be able to bring them near Hurricane Falls (more on that later).

Tallulah Gorge and Tallulah River starting at Oceana Falls

Today, I’ll be showing you around the best of Tallulah Gorge’s Rim Trails, with the additions of Inspiration Point and the Hurricane Falls connection. While there are 20 miles of trails to choose from, these trails pack in the most scenic views. Altogether, you’ll do about 3 miles of moderate-level hiking (and approximately 1300 stairs), but the views are worth every step!

What to Bring to Tallulah Gorge

Good hiking shoes with treads
Activity-friendly clothes
Lots of water
Camera
Sunscreen

Watch Our Tallulah Gorge State Park Adventure on YouTube!

Overlook 1

From the visitor’s center, head left down the trail just a short way to access Overlook 1A on the north rim. This is a fantastic starting point for your adventure, with a sweeping vista of the gorge below, including the suspension bridge over Hurricane Falls.

*Tallulah Gorge Suspension Bridge over Hurricane Falls*

Overlook 1

Continue east down the trail to reach the official Overlook 1, which gives you a better look at the river and waterfalls of Tallulah Gorge. You’ll get a particularly beautiful view of Oceana Falls and the Tallulah River winding off toward Bridal Veil Falls and Horshoe Bend.

This particular spot is rather famous because it’s where tightrope walker Karl Wallenda began his famous walk across the gorge in 1970. The tower is still onsite, although it is no longer standing.

Inspiration Point

The hike to Inspiration Point isn’t easy, but I highly recommend adding it to your route! It only adds about 20 minutes to your hike, and it offers the best southern view into the gorge.

To access Inspiration Point, you’ll take a trailhead right off of Overlook 1 that heads up the mountainside. While the path is clear, you’ll gain a hundred feet in elevation within a few minutes, so be prepared for a workout! Just follow the trail, and you’ll reach this stunning overlook with no problem.

Overlook 2

The next leg of your journey begins back by the Interpretive Center. Once you reach the head of the trail, veer right down the nice rubber mulch path to access Overlooks 2 and 3.

While Overlook 3’s views are mediocre (at least during the summer when greenery covers everything), Overlook 2 lets you gaze directly out to L’Eau d’Or Falls’s multi-level rush.

L'Eau d'Or Falls in Tallulah Gorge SP — *L’Eau d’Or Falls*

Hurricane Falls Bridge

This is where your hike gets tricky. From Overlook 2, head left down the stairs (about 300 of them) to reach the Hurricane Falls Suspension Bridge. The staircase is very steep, so watch your step, and don’t be afraid to use the benches on the landings to take breaks.

It’s a trek, but the Suspension Bridge is one of the park’s coolest points. The bridge hangs 80 feet above the gorge, providing spectacular views of upper Hurricane Falls and an extra dash of adventure to the experience.

*Pretty sure someone proposed on this bridge and left their rose petals*

Hurricane Falls

Once you cross the bridge, you’ll be on the southern rim of the gorge, right above Hurricane Falls. If you continue straight ahead (and you should), you’ll be faced with yet another staircase that descends to the gorge floor.

steep metal staircase at Tallulah Gorge — *Stairway to Hurricane Falls*

This staircase takes you to a wooden platform at the foot of the Hurricane Falls pool. From here, you’ll get perfect views of lower Hurricane Falls, as well as a good peek into the gorge from the ground level.

If you’d like to hike the gorge, be sure to get a permit from the Visitor’s Center before you hit the trails because they only give out 100 each day!

After viewing Hurricane Falls, it’s time to hike to the top of the South Rim. This is the hardest part of the entire journey because you’ll be going directly from the gorge floor to the mountaintop. At this point, you’ll need to hike up several hundred stairs, but don’t worry–there are plenty of benches along the way for you to take a break!

Overlook 8

Once you reach the top of the last stairway, veer left (east) to hit the overlook points toward the far end of the gorge. Overlook 8 is the first you’ll come across, and it gives a somewhat hidden but still lovely view of Hurricane Falls and the gorge from 500 feet up.

About halfway between Overlooks 8 and 9, you can also get a great view of Oceana Falls from this side of the gorge.

Tallulah Gorge and Oceana Falls — *Oceana Falls from the north rim*

Overlook 9

Finally, Overlook 9 lets you get a full view of the Caledonia Cascade trickling down the mountainside and even a glimpse of Overlook 1 waaaaay over on the other rim.

Tallulah Gorge — *Caledonia Cascade and Overlook 1*

Personally, Overlook 10 was nothing to write about, but I know that may change with the seasons. Our problem was that the trees were too thick to see down into the gorge. But if you visit in the fall or spring, you may get great views of Oceana and Bridal Falls.

Overlook 6

Head west and continue past the stairs (hooray!) to access the remaining parts of the rim trails.

*This fun archway led into a seating area along the trail between 7 and 8*

We had the same unfortunate problem with Overlook 7 as we did with 3 and 10 and really couldn’t see anything past the trees. Outside of summer, you will probably have a good look at Tempesta Falls, which is the only one we didn’t get to see clearly.

Overlook 6, however, offered a beautiful landscape of the gorge and mountainside. We didn’t see any waterfalls clearly from here, but the wide-open view into the valley was very pretty. Plus, you get a good view of the suspension bridge far below.

*Tallulah Gorge and Hurricane Falls Suspension Bridge*

Tallulah Dam

All of these beautiful waterfalls are fed from the water that rushes over the Tallulah Dam. If you continue following the trail, you’ll leave the park boundary to walk next to the dam via the public sidewalk. The path continues on the other side, but you can also walk beneath the bridge to a viewing area.

Water rushing over the Tallulah Falls Dam — *Tallulah Dam* *from the viewing area*

As you cross the bridge, don’t forget to look down because the beginning of the Tallulah River is right beneath you!

Overlook 5

From Overlook 5, you get another sweeping vista of the valley. When the trees are less lush, I believe you can see L’Eau d’Or Falls from here, too.

Overlook 4

And that brings us to the final stop on this loop, Overlook 4. From this spot, you get a perfect view of the Tallulah Dam spilling over into the valley below. It’s a very impressive structure, and I personally appreciated it much more from this perspective. It’s neat to see all that water rushing over and knowing that it feeds all the beautiful waterfalls you’ve just passed.

Right now is the perfect time to visit Tallulah Gorge because the mountains are absolutely brimming with those fall colors! And you probably will have some of the best views of the year, thanks to lighter foliage.

If you visit, don’t forget to save a few minutes to explore the Visitor/Interpretive Center. It has some fascinating information about the park and town, including some live reptiles and a model of Tallulah Falls.

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