11/22/2013 - took advantage of being off for over a week for the Thanksgiving holiday and went out to get videos of waterfalls. Had time to take a good look at the distant falls, using the zoom on my video camera and I'm pretty sure they are 2 separate falls. I was not able to get a good video of the upper falls, but the lower one came out ok.
1/25/2012 - my sister and I went back to the Rhododendron Trail at the Lake Russell end to scout the trail for a TrailDames hike and to get new pictures. Got much better ones with the leaves off the trees! And we found another one that I completely missed the first time I was there. This time of the year the falls are much easier to spot.
6/26/2011 - stayed a bit closer to home this time and went up to the Lake Russell area to try the western half (or so) of the Rhododendron Trail, that starts in Cornelia and ends at the road down into the Lake Russell area.
There's no sign at this end for the trail, but it begins right at the sign that says "Fee Area ahead." (GPS: 34°30'5"N 83°29'23"W) There's not any parking to speak of, but there's enough room on the verge for maybe 3 cars. It's hard to tell there's a trail here, but when you look down from the road, you'll see a new wooden bridge and that's the trail
This was a pretty easy hike. It does go steadily uphill along what looks like an old logging road, but none of the hills was really steep or long. My GPS said I did just under 2 miles total, and it took me about 1 1/2 hours - and that includes stopping for photos, and bushwhacking over to the first falls.
As you hike in, once you turn up the valley and get out of ear-shot of the road, you'll start to hear the sound of water. Keep hiking until it gets about as loud as it's going to get, then bushwhack a short way to the left, to the creek, and there is a small falls there.
Cascade Falls is at about .71 miles and at about 1.03 miles (GPS: 34°30'31"N 83°30'0"W) is the narrow side trail, on the right, to the falls on the side creek. Cascade Falls is hard to see in the photo, but as usual, is easier when you are there. I'll have to go back after the leaves drop and see if I can get a better shot.
GMAPS does not show the names of the creek for these falls, but it flows into Lake Russell
GPS: 34°30'14"N 83°29'39"W
GPS: 34°30'20"N 83°29'48"W
GPS: 34°30'33"N 83°30'0"W
This video is of the bottom falls in the still photo...just to the right of the big tree on the left side.
This video is of the bottom falls in the still photo...just to the right of the big tree on the left side.
At the Cornelia end of the Rhododendron Trail is this nice trail map.
- exit right onto GA 197
- at bottom of exit ramp, turn right
- road ends at T junction, turn right
- left on Lake Russell Road
- watch for small wooden bridge on right
- park here
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