Lake Rabun Rd falls (2 falls)

This is in the 18 Waterfalls in One Day - hike and drive, see the link on the right

3/30/2013 - took advantage of the nice weather and followed the route of the 18 Waterfalls hike and drive to check on the condition of the gravel roads (good, BTW) and I got videos of the falls that are visible from the roads.

4/2/2011 - went back to drive Lake Rabun Rd and found a new waterfall I hadn't seen before, plus got a better picture of the one I already know about.  Also drove down Bear Gap Rd and found a new falls there too.

GMAPS does not show either of these creeks

2/19/2011 - went up above the town of Tallulah Falls today to get better pictures of some of the waterfalls I've been to before.  While I was in the area I found 4 new waterfalls.  Three of them are visible from their respective roads, and one of them is a double falls that takes just a bit of scrambling to see the upper falls.

Lake Rabun Rd-private falls
At 2.9 mi, this falls is on private property, but is visible from the road.  There is parking just past the falls, and on the left.

GPS: 34°46'5"N 83°26'55"W (unnamed creek, flows into Lake Rabun)

 

Lake Rabun Rd falls
at 3.4 miles from the start of Lake Rabun road there is a branch that cascades a long way down the mountain.  There is a small concrete structure along the falls (a spring house maybe?).  It's hard to see because of the rhododendron, but the falls goes a long way up.  The small falls at the bottom is right at your feet.

GPS: 34°45'55"N 83°27'26"W (unnamed branch, flows into Lake Rabun)

 

Directions and Information: from Tallulah Falls, GA

• north on US 441/US 23
• left on Old 44
• immediately right on Old 441
• left on Lake Rabun Rd

Horse Trough Falls

3/16/2013 - took the day to go down FS 44 to get videos.  Had planned to do the whole drive, but there was a sign that said the road had collapsed 7 miles in and traffic couldn't get through!  So I decided to drive in as far as I could and get the waterfalls that I could get.  Luckily I got as far as the campground, and the campground was open...so I got Horsetrough Falls.  Didn't have time to do the hike to the falls on the Chattahoochee, will have to go back another time for that one.

3/20/2011 - went back down FS 44 to get new pictures and to search for other waterfalls in the area - had a great day!  See my blog entry on FS 44 and the 17 waterfalls I saw!  Added a new picture of this falls that I took.  Also got a new picture of Horse Trough Falls and added that.

GMAPS does not show the name of this creek, but it flows into the Chattahoochee River

7/3/2010 - did 3 falls, 2 near Unicoi Gap and the other at Vogel State Park.  For the two falls near Unicoi Gap, you go north on GA 17/GA 75 from Helen, GA and the Forest Service road is to the left just before you get to the gap.  The road is narrow in places, and leads to a very popular campground - so be prepared to back up to allow other cars to pass, if necessary - especially those pulling trailers as they will not be able to back up for you.

A short way after starting down the FS 44, there is Upper Spoilcane Creek Falls (separate blog entry) right beside the road.  There's no parking area, you just have to find the nearest spot wide enough to park and then walk back to the falls.  

Horse Trough Falls is at the back of the Chattahoochee River Campground.  FS 44 comes to a T-junction with another FS road, and you turn right and drive through the campground to the parking area for the falls.  There is a short, easy trail to the viewing deck for the falls.  The bridge you cross on the way is the first bridge over the Chattahoochee.

GPS 34°47'32"N 83°47'11"W

 

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

 

Directions and Information: from Helen, GA

• north on GA 17/GA 75
• left on FS 44 (before Unicoi Gap, if you get to gap you've gone too far)
• FS 44 goes back south at T-junction
• right on gravel road FS 44D (my map program says Poplar Stump Road)
• continue through campground to parking area
 

Note: trail is short and easy to viewing deck

Sylvan Falls

3/15/2013 - while my sister and I were in the Rabun Gap area to get videos of Darnell Falls and the falls above it, we took advantage of being so close and also got a video of Sylvan Falls.

5/14/2011 - went back to get new pictures and GPS points. Had a good look at the dark streak at the break in the falls and it's some kind of iron vessel. Something to do with the old mill, I guess.

According to GMAPS this falls is on Pitt Branch

9/5/2010 - falls is on the grounds of Sylvan Falls Mill. Mr. Anthony lists this falls as Sylvan Mill Falls, but the sign for the B&B says Sylvan Falls Mill.

GPS: 34°55'39"N 83°25'13"W

The mill had the wheel running the same day I got the above video...first time I've seen it running, so I took a video of that too!

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

 

Directions and Information: from Mountain City, Ga

• north on US 441/US 23
• left on Wolf Fork Rd
• left on Taylor Chapel Rd
• falls will be visible on the right

Note: the road is paved, but is very narrow. There is no place to park, you just have to pull over as far as you can and try not to block traffic.

Darnell Falls (5 falls)

8/27/2016 - another member of Off the Grid and I went to do the Cullasaja River gorge tour and took in this falls on the way.  She took a picture of an engraved rock at Darnell Falls that I don't remember seeing before.  At least, I remember the rock, but I don't recall seeing the engraving!

3/14/2013 - got my sister to take me back to get Darnell Falls and the falls above it.  She's got an SUV and I hoped we'd get higher than I did before, but the road got steeper and turned away from the creek...so we turned around and went back.  I did get some videos...but one of the falls just could not be photographed or taped.  If you stand and look at it, you can duck and dodge and weave and see that it's pretty sizable, but with all the rhododendron in the way it just looks like white spots in the green

5/14/2011 - went back up above Clayton to redo some falls and try to find new ones too.  Did Darnell Falls, and then drove up above the falls and got 4 new ones!  The ones labeled 3,4,5 are all at the same spot.  The GPS point is actually for the upper falls.

I didn't go as far up the FS road as I could have, it got rougher and rain started and I didn't feel like dealing with a steep, rough road in the rain.

According to GMAPS these are all on Darnell Creek

3/15/2013 - took advantage of the beautiful weather, and all the rain we've had lately, to take a day off and go back to Darnell Falls to get videos.  Talked my sister into driving me up in her SUV, because the last time Ihad been there I had trouble getting up the Forest Service Road above the falls.  The road is pretty scary, steep and bumpy, but we did get further in than I could in my car.

10/24/2010 Did multiple falls on one day in NE GA

Darnell Falls is on a short side road off a Forest Service road near Rabun Gap.  Mr. Anthony says it's on private property, but another site I found says it's on Forest Service land and that's how it appears.  At least, there were no private property signs that I could see.  I didn't drive down the short road to the falls, though from the tracks I saw it's probably possible.  To get the best view of the falls, you need to climb up a huge rock that is closest to the falls.

GPS: 34°57'32"N 83°21'22"W

This falls is just above Darnell Falls.  When you are down at the bottom of Darnell Falls you can just see a small piece of this one at the top.
GPS: 34°57'34"N 83°21'22"W (upper)

There is a falls between #2 and #4, but it was impossible to get a good photo or video of it.  You can move around, duck down, and see it's pretty good size, it just was not in a good place to photograph it.

This is the 4th falls on Darnell Creek.  There's a short road to a camping spot and the best place to see this falls is a short way up the main Forest Service road from the junction with the camp spot road.

This is the 5th falls on Darnell Creek. Somehow I missed getting a still photo of it, so I'll have to use the one from a couple of years ago!

 

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

Directions and Information: from Rabun Gap, GA

• go east on Kelly's Creek Rd
• turn right on Darnell Creek Rd
• take left fork onto gravel road
• park where side road forks to the right
• walk down road to falls
• return to FS road and continue upstream for other falls

Cupid Falls

3/9/2013 - went up into the Blue Ridge area to check out a campground.  While I was so close I went on to Young Harris to get a video of Cupid Falls

12/24/2011 - did some driving around in the area, so I went back to Cupid Falls to get more picture.

According to GMAPS this falls is on Com Creek

12/18/2010 - I found Mr. Anthony's directions a bit confusing, but eventually found the falls. From Main Street in Young Harris, at the tennis courts - turn onto Thomastown road and drive past Young Harris College to the creekside park on the left. The falls can be accessed from this park. I made the mistake of turning INTO Young Harris College, so don't do that!

GPS: 34.93496° -83.84081°

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

 

Directions and Information: from Young Harris, GA - US 76

• east on Maple St-at tennis courts
• bear left on Cupid Falls Rd-runs beside Young Harris College
• falls is in park on left

Note: Mr Anthony says to turn onto Thomastown Rd from US 76, but my map program shows the roads as I've listed, and shows that Cupid Falls Rd changes names to Thomastown Rd just about where the park is located.

Black Rock Rd falls (2 falls)

3/14/2013 - my sister and I went to Rabun Gap to redo the falls on Darnell Creek and while we were there we got this one on Black Rock Rd.  This shows both falls in one photo, and in the video too.

5/14/2011 - went up above Clayton, GA to redo some falls and find some new ones.  After I did Sylvan Lake Falls, I drove down Taylor Chapel Rd (past Sylvan Falls) all the way over to Black Rock Rd. As I was driving down this road - luckily with my windows open (!) - I heard a falls I'd never noticed before.

It's a tall falls, in two parts.  The lower falls is right at your feet and you have to look pretty high up to see the upper falls.  There's not a lot of water coming over, but it's steady.

GMAPS does not show this branch

GPS: 34°55'8"N 83°23'46"W

Directions and Information:

• North on US 441/US 23
• in Mountain City, left on Black Rock Mountain Parkway
• Note: name changes to Erwin St
• at .7 miles falls is on right immediately after a private drive

Note: there is nowhere to park opposite the falls, but the verge is wider a short way before the falls and on the left.