Blood Mtn - Hwy 129 (8 falls)

4/7/2013 - took advantage of the lovely weather and the leaves on the trees still being really small and went up Rte. 129 on Blood Mtn.  I particularly wanted to try to get better pictures of the waterfalls across the vally...but my camera equipment just is not good enough to zoom in on it and get good photos.  So I did the best I could!

12/24/2011 - went back around and about Blood Mtn to try for better pictures and to look for other waterfalls.  Found 3 new ones, but one of them was across the valley above the one I already have but I just could not get a good picture of it.  Will have to try again.  Of the other two, one is on the south side, not too far from the ones I already have and the other is on the north side almost at the base of the mountain.

12/8/2011 - We had a good rain a couple days early in this week, so my sister and I took an easy day and drove up Blood Mtn looking for waterfalls.  We found three.  The first two are the same stream, above and below the road.  The third one was way far away, across the valley and not very easy to see or photograph, but I *think* it's the 3rd falls that used to be on the De Soto Falls trail, before it got washed out.

The falls are listed in order as you go north on US 129 from Cleveland, GA

This is the first falls along US 129.  It comes down right beside some kind of stone construction.  I have no idea what the construction is, it just looks like a small stone piller with no obvious use.

GPS: 34.71844°N 83.90649°W
Google Maps does not show this small branch, but it flows into Frogtown Creek

 

This is the second falls along US 129.  In fact it's so close to the first falls that the easiest way to see them is to park at the second falls, where there's a wide shoulder to park on, and then walk back downhill to the first one.

GPS: 34.71916°N 83.90640°W

 

Google Maps does not show a name for this small branch, but it flows into Frogtown Creek

 

 

This is thee third falls on Blood Mtn. It's difficult to find a safe place to park for this one, there is a small pull off just above it and on the other side of the highway, you just have to watch carefully.

GPS: 34.71955°N 83.90974°W

Google Maps does not show this small branch, but it flows into Frogtown Creek

 This is the fourth falls on Blood Mtn.  There is a big pull off just above this one, on the other side of the highway.

 

GPS: 34.72609°N 83.91324°W

Google Maps does not show this small branch, but it flows into Frogtown Creek

 

 

This is the fifth falls on Blood Mtn. This one is right below a big cabin the is uphill and to the left of the small falls. Like most of the other falls, the best place to park is above the falls and on the other side of the highway.

12/24/2011 - This falls is on the south side of the mountain, not too far from the falls above. It might be on private property as it's just below a house, but it falls right down by the road. I did look on the other side of the road, but there's not really a falls on that side...just a long series of steps down the mountain.

 

GPS: 34.73280°N 83.91997°W

Google Maps does not show this small branch, but it flows into Frogtown Creek

  

This is the sixth falls on Blood Mtn.  Going north it's on the left after both Neels Gap and the parking area 1/4 north of Neels Gap.  It's hard to see from the north side of the highway, but there is a small, U-shaped pull off right at the base of the falls.  The falls go WAY up the mountain!

12/24/2011 - This falls is on the west side of the mountain, north of the entrance to Vogel State Park. There's a small semi-circular pull off right at the base of the falls, on the west side of Hwy 129. It actually goes quite a long way up the mountain, but it's difficult to get a good photo of the top of it.

GPS: 34.74965°N 83.92350°W

Google Maps shows this as Helton Creek.

 

The seventh falls on Blood Mtn is Wolf Creek falls, that is below the dam for Lake Trahlyta at Vogle State park...which has it's own blog entry

GPS: 34.76982°N 83.91605°W

The eighth & ninth falls on Blood Mtn is actually between falls 3 & 4, but I call it number 8 because it's not actually on Blood Mtn.  It's across the valley and the best place to see it is from a narrow shoulder pull-off on the other side of the highway.  I find it easier to go past it and turn around and pull off on the way back down the mountain.  You'll definitely want binoculars for this one.  It's distant, blurry, and hard to see...though when it's quiet (as in, no traffic) you can hear it clearly.  My video didn't come out at all...the camera just couldn't cope with the distance.

This is actually a double falls, as I found today.

  

 12/24/2011 - found there is another falls above this one, but my pictures did not turn out well.  Will have to go back and try again.  This one is not actually on Blood Mtn, but I don't know of any other place to get a glimpse of it.  This might be the third falls that is part of Desoto Falls, but if it is...the trail to it has been marked off-limits for years.

 

Because I had to take the photo of the this falls at max zoom (21x) I had a hard time keeping still enough to get a clear shot. I'll have to go back with a tripod or something and see if I can get a better one.

 

GPS: 34.72007°N 83.91219°W

 

The first photo taken when I didn't realize there were actually 2 falls.  I got really lucky that day, it was very clear and I was able to zoom in really close.  I haven't been as lucky since.

 

Directions and information: from Turner's Corner (junction of US 19 & US 129)

• North on US 19/129 up Blood Mountain
• Approximately at mile 6 will cross stream
• Pull off on downhill side pulloff to view
• Third falls is at mile 5.8, again pulloff on downhill side

Note: the falls at mile 5.8 is VERY hard to see, as it's so far away.  It's probably not viewable at all when the trees are in leaf