Dawson Forest (3 falls)

5/29/2011 - didn't feel like hiking, the weather got hot and muggy.  So I drove up into the Dawson Forest area - around and about Burnt Mountain, Sassafras Mountain and Oglethorpe Moutain.  I just drove around on the roads, some of which WERE marked "property owners only" but I figure if they didn't want others driving on their road they would gate them! 

I didn't find as many falls as I'd hoped, but I did get distant views of a couple, and a good view of a small one.  The small one is at the end of a very short driveway/old road (not sure which) that ends abrutly at a drop-off into the creek, but it looks like it's possible to get down and cross the creek to what looks like a trail that goes back upstream.  One day I'll go back and try that, because it's the same creek as the one with the falls I've called #2 and I might be able to get better pictures.

Since the roads actually ARE labeled private, I won't give exact directions but the three falls I got were all on roads that are to your left, and before the pavement ends, as you drive down Monument Rd, which turns off of Hwy 136.  I found them by driving with my windows open and listening for falls.

Creek name (or no name) shown below are from GMAPS

GPS: 34°31'30"N 84°18'39"W (creek not shown on GMAPS)
GPS: 34°31'39"N 84°18'28"W (creek not shown on GMAPS, flow into Huckleberry Branch)
GPS: 34°31'41"N 84°18'27"W (Huckleberry Branch)

FS 58 & Noontootla Falls (7 falls)

5/28/2011 - went back to Long Creek Falls (see update for that falls) with my sister (she hasn't seen this one before) and also drove the whole length of FS 58 to look for waterfalls.  The creek along this road (Noontootla Creek below Three Forks, I'm not sure which creek it is above that) has lots of small drops and rocks, and is therefore quite a "talkative" creek.  It sounds like it has a lot more falls than it actually has.

We also found the short, steep trail to Noontootla Falls - which is distantly visible from the road, right up at the top of the ridge.  We didn't have time to try to hike that trail, will have to go back and try it.  I did take a picture, but the falls is so high up that it's really not a good picture.  There is also a fair sized "braided" falls right at the road on the same side branch.

Falls #1 & #2 are across from each other.  Falls #1 is in Noontootla Creek, and falls #2 is at the base of the side branch that has Noontootla Falls at the top of the ridge.
GPS: 34°41'9"N 84°11'44"W (unnamed branch, flows into Noontootla Creek)
 

Noontootla Falls is the wavy white streak that goes from near the top of the photo to about the center of the photo.

http://www.jjanthony.com/waterfalls/falls/noontootlafalls.html

GPS: looks like I forgot to get these!

 

Falls #5 & #6 are right across from each other a little way above the Three Forks area.  Falls #5 is in the main creek beside the road, and #5 is on a side creek just above the road.
GPS: 34°39'36"N 84°10'42"W

Directions and Information: from East Ellijay, GA

• go east on GA 52
• turn left on Roy Rd (drive carefully, there is a sharp curve on this road)
• turn right on Doublehead Gap Rd
• turn right on Noontootla Rd (this is after Doublehead Gap Rd paving ends) - this is FS 58

Note: I forgot to get the mileage to the base of Noontootly Falls, but when you pass a short section of road that has white posts on either side (indicating the road was reconstructed here) you are only a short way from the trail to the base of the falls.  There is a wide "braided" falls right at the road where the side branch crosses underneath.

Patterson Creek falls (3)

See also: the entries for Patterson Creek Falls and Patterson Gap Rd falls and Kilby Mill Falls...these are all along Patterson Gap Road and when the road is in good shape (not always a given) it's a pleasant drive through the mountains

5/22/2011 - these falls are upstream of Valley Springs Lodges

According to GMAPS these falls are on Patterson Creek

GPS: 34°58'38"N 83°27'6"W

  

Directions and Information: from Dillard, GA

·         go west on Betty's Creek Rd

·         turn left on Patterson Gap Road

·         take fork to right on Tarheel Lane

·         watch for sign for Valley Springs Lodges

·         falls is past turn to Lodges, and beside the road

Patterson Gap Rd falls (4 falls)

See also: the entries for Patterson Creek Falls and Patterson Creek falls (Valley Springs Lodges) and Kilby Mill Falls...these are all along Patterson Gap Road and when the road is in good shape (not always a given) it's a pleasant drive through the mountains

5/22/2011 - drove from the north end of Patterson Gap Rd, past the trail to Patterson Creek Falls and Valley Springs Lodges falls, all the way to the south end where it becomes Persimmon Rd at the parking for Kilby Mill Falls.  I'm pretty sure these falls are on either the same creek as Kilby Mill Falls, or one that feeds into that creek.

From the sound of it, there might be as many as 12 falls in this area.  At every place where I could see a falls, I could hear what might have been 1 to 3 more, but you just can't see all of them due to the evergreen shrubs down the hill and along the bank.

Creek names below (or no name) are from GMAPS.  Note: 1/27/13 - turns out that according to GMAPS these falls ARE on the same creek as Kilby Mill Falls, which is Persimmon Creek

Falls #1 is hard to see, but it's a pretty long falls that goes from the top left to near the bottom right of the photo.
GPS: 34°57'3"N 83°29'35"W (Persimmon Creek)
GPS: 34°57'6"N 83°29'35"W (Persimmon Creek)

GPS: 34°57'17"N 83°29'34"W (Persimmon Creek)

GPS: 34°57'20"N 83°29'29"W (unnamed branch, flows into Persimmon Creek)

Directions and Information: from Clayton, GA

• west on US 76
• right on Persimmon Rd
• where pavement ends, and road crosses creek-continue straight ahead

Note: this drive would combine nicely with the short hike to Kilby Mill Falls, then at the north end you could add in the trail along Patterson Creek to see those falls.

Freeman's Mill falls

12/31/2010 - Wanted to get over 120 falls so I set out today to find 3 more. One was at Little Mulberry Park, but I couldn't find that one. I did find the one at Freeman's Mill in Gwinnett County, and the ones at Settingdown Creek at Pooles Mill Covered Bridge Park in Forsyth County.

To my surprise there were actually at least 3 at Settingdown Creek, however only the upper one is accessible from the park. The others are fenced off by a 10 foot chain link fence, so apparently they are on private property. I was able to follow what must have been the remnants of the original road to the covered bridge, but had to take the pictures of the middle and lower falls through the fence, so they aren't as good as I'd like them to be...especially the lower one.

Falls at Freeman's Mill Park - the park is the site of an old mill, but the falls are actually on a side creek that joins the Alcovy River at the mill. The falls are on posted private property, but I was lucky enough to meet the owner and he gave me permission to go down to the falls to get some photos

GPMAPS does not show the creek for these falls.

 

  

These 2 photos are of the water coming over the old mill dam.

Directions and Information: can be found at http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/portal/gwinnett/Departments/CommunityServices/ParksandRecreation/OurParksandFacilities/GuidetoYourParks/FreemansMillPark

NoteThis falls can be seen by parking as far down the parking area as you can at Freeman's Mill Park, then walking down to the turnaround. On the street side there is a sidewalk out of the park and down the road to a bridge over the river. Cross the bridge and then look upstream and to the left for the creek. The falls is just visible cascading down the rocks. It will probably be hard to see when the trees are in leaf though, and the property is posted, so I don't suggest going down to the creek without getting permission.

Pitt Branch falls (at Sylvan Lake dam)

5/14/2011 - went up above Clayton, GA to redo some falls and find new ones.  This is one of the new ones.  I went back to Sylvan Falls at Sylvan Falls Mill and then drove further down Wolffork Rd.  I passed a road just above Taylor Chapel Rd and realized it must cross the same creek, so I drove down to check.  Just after turning onto the road, I saw a sign for a community called "Sylvan Lake Falls" - BINGO!

The falls are immediately below the dam.  You can't get down to them, but the view through the fence is not bad.

According to GMAPS this falls is on Pitt Branch

Directions and Information: from Mountain City, Ga

• north on US 441/US 23
• left on Wolf Forck Rd
• left on Moses Rd
• falls are on left below dam

Note: the road is paved for a short distance, then turns to gravel  Falls can be seen below the dam, throught the black chain link fence.  There's a wide spot where you can park.

Gold Mine Branch Falls (5 falls)

5/8/2011 - went back to Fort Mountain State Park to get better pictures and GPS points.  Had a better look at the creek and realized that it's more or less one big, long cascade down the mountain below the falls I've labeled #1, but you just can't get down safely to see the creek below this falls.

11/22/2010 Went to Fort Mountain State Park to see these falls, on the nature trail below the lake.  The trail is listed as 3/4 miles long, but didn't seem quite that long to me.  It's not a groomed nature trail, it's rocky and narrow in places, but not bad.  About half-way around there's a nice spot to see out over the valley...though in summer it might be blocked by leaves.

Naturally, since I started at the sign for the nature trail, the falls were almost at the other end!  There is a small one, than a gap, then a longer one.  On this day there wasn't much water, so my description for the falls is "cute."  Maybe with more water coming down they are more like a "real" falls, but on this day it was only just a little more than a trickle, so the falls were a long series of tiny falls and pools stair-stepping down the hill. 

GPS: 34°45'34"N 84°42'43"W
GPS: 34°45'34"N 84°42'41"W

GPS: 34°45'34"N 84°42'40"W

GPS: 34°45'34"N 84°42'41"W

Directions and Information: can be found at http://www.gastateparks.org/FortMountain
Note: The falls are on the nature trail and are at the end closest to the lake.  The shortest way to get to them is to walk towards the lake from the parking area, and then take the trail down beside the creek.