Bean Creek Falls

4/22/2013 - took advantage of having the day off to make a quick trip to get a video of this falls.  Lots of water this time...we've had quite a bit of rain lately!

5/30/2011 - went back to Bean Creek Falls again to get the GPS reading, and of course while I was there I took some photos too!

1/30/2011 -  Bean Creek Falls - went back to get a better picture, since I was in the area for another falls anyway.

8/22/2010 - easily accessed from Unicoi State Park. To make a correction to Mr. Anthony's directions, coming from the direction he advises, the falls are on the left - not on the right. I drove past them several times before I realized I was looking on the wrong side of the road.

GPS: 34°42'49"N 83°41'39"W

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

Directions and Information: from Cleveland, Ga

• east on GA 75 - towards Helen, GA
• right on GA 17
• left on GA 255
• left on Bean Creek Rd
• falls are 2.3 miles on left (Mr Anthony says right, but this is not correct)

Note: this falls is, essentially, in the "ditch" on the left side of the road. When I was last there, there was a driveway across the creek above the falls and a sign that the property was for sale. The sign, if it's still there, mentions the falls

or from Unicoi State Park

• east through Unicoi State Park
• right on Bean Creek Rd

Note: I don't know exactly how far down the road the falls is, you just have to watch carefully. Going in this direction the falls is on the right.

Soque River shoals (2 falls)

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

4/13/2013 - Since I went righ past this falls on my way to Wildcat Creek, near Lake Burton, I stopped and got a better video of the shoals on the river.

7/9/2011 - took some TrailDames on my waterfall "Hike'n Drive" that included these falls.  I found on the previous trip that there is actually a falls INSIDE the pottery here!  So I finally got a picture.  It's not very good, I'm still learning my new camera - but it gives a good idea of what you see when you're there.

Strictly speaking these aren't a true falls...but they're close!  The shoals are behind Mark of the Potter, on hwy GA 197 north http://www.markofthepotter.com/  I kept passing these on the way to other falls at points north and finally stopped and got some pictures.
GPS: 34°43'44"N 83°35'19"W

  

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

Directions and Information: from US23/US441/GA 365

• go north on GA 197 through Clarkesville, GA
• pottery is on the right before you get to GA 255
• shoals is visible from the road, behind the pottery
• there is parking available
• the falls inside is on the lower level of the pottery

Shoal Branch falls

This falls is in the 18 Waterfalls in One Day - hike and drive, see the link on the right
4/12/2013 - on my way to video the falls on Wildcat Rd, near Lake Burton, I stopped and got better videos of these falls.

1/20/2013 - got a late start, so I set out to drive up Hwy 197 to "The Mark of The Potter" and get videos of the 5 waterfalls along that stretch.  We had a week of rain just before, so the falls were really full!

According to GMAPS these are on Shoal Branch

4/2/2011 - had a long day of waterfalling, and came home via 197. Saw 2 waterfalls I've missed before. These are on a side creek that flows into the Soque River very close to the road. They are at a "watersplash" crossing. The water today was flowing under the road, but when there is a lot of rain the water comes over the top of the road. since this was split by the road, I counted it as 2 falls.

GPS: 34°42'31"N 83°34'0"W



Directions and Information: from Gainesville, Ga

• north on I985/GA 365
• exit at GA 197 (Mt Airy)
• north on 197 - through Clarkesville
• falls is on the right & left - approx 11.5 miles from GA 365

Note: exit GA 365 at light, to the right. At the end of the ramp turn left to go under the overpass.  These falls are at the location where the road dips down and over a "watersplash" creek crossing.  The lower one is on private property and can only be viewd from the road.

Little Hazel Creek falls

This is in the 18 Waterfalls in One Day - hike and drive, see the link on the right
 8/24/2013 - took a group from a women's Meetup group (Off the Grid) on my 18 waterfalls tour.  This is the last falls on that tour and as we were admiring the falls, a deer decided to enhance the experience!  Thanks for the photo Doris!

4/13/2013 - drove up to the Lake Burton area to drive down Wildcat Rd and get some videos.  Since I was going right past this falls, I stopped and too another video.  What a difference a tripod makes!

1/21/2013 - somehow when I re-organized my blog this one got left out completely!  Yesterday I got a late start, so I just drove up Hwy 197 to get the falls along there with my new video camera.  The still photo was taken after a LOT of rain and shows as much water coming over as I've ever seen on this falls.

According to GMAPS this is on Little Hazel Creek

This might be Shorts Mill.  My map program shows a Shorts Mill about 1/2 mile further north on Hwy 197, but at that point there's no creek and no mill.

GPS: 34°34'7"N 83°29'35"W

 

 

 Directions and Information: from I985

• north on I985 - past exits to Cornelia, Ga
• exit at Hwy 197 (watch for Richard Russell Rec Area signs)
• at bottom of off-ramp, turn left
• about 1/3 mile (or a bit more) watch for falls on right

Wolf Creek Falls

Wolf Creek Falls is at Vogel State Park, north of Neel's Gap on Blood Mountain.

4/7/2013 - while I was getting videos of the falls along US 129 on Blood Mtn I did this one too, since I was so close!

12/24/2011 - Went back around and about Blood Mtn to get new pictures and look for new falls. Found that by far the best view of the falls below Lake Trahlyta in Vogel State Park is from a pull off on US 129. It's a more distant view than from the viewing deck, but you can see the whole falls much better. And you don't have to pay to enter the park!

7/3/2010 - The trail to the falls is at the north end of the lake dam in the park. The trail down is somewhat steep, but not very long and there is a nice viewing area. You can also get a bit more distant view of the falls from the road on the other side of the creek.

GPS: 34.76962° -83.91599°

 

 

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

 

Directions and Information: from Cleveland, GA

• north on US 129, past junction with US19
• continue past Neel's Gap
• left into Vogel State Park
• or, go past the entrance and park at the low stone wall on the park side of the road for a view of the whole falls from a distance

Note: there is a parking fee in the park. To get to the falls, take the lake trail around to the dam. Trail to falls is at north end of the dam and goes downhill to the viewing platform.

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