Georgia Natural Wonder #99 - Anna Ruby Falls - Unicoi State Park – Helen(Part 1). 737

[Top Row Dawg]

Georgia Natural Wonder #99 - Anna Ruby Falls - Unicoi State Park – Helen (Part 1)

We have made it all the way through these top 100 Georgia Natural Wonders without really touching our two most visited cities in the state, Atlanta and Savannah. Those are going to call for some multi-part tangents when we find a Natural Wonder to go there. The Frederick Law Olmstead Parks along Ponce De Leon and the Fernbank Forest (one of the few remnants of original forest vegetation in the Georgia Piedmont) are reason enough shortly to visit Atlanta. The 22 park squares that are each over two hundred years old and one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States will be reason enough to visit Savannah shortly. But before we finish our top 100, I wanted to tangent on our third most visited city in Georgia. What better way to do that, than to list our second most visited waterfall in Georgia. 



We use Anna Ruby Falls and Unicoi State Park as the Georgia Natural Wonder to give us an excuse to tangent overboard on the great little city of Helen.  We’ve been to White County on multiple earlier GNW’s

Tray Mountain - GNW #13
Mount Yonah - GNW #14
Richard Russell Hwy – Dukes Creek Falls – Raven Cliff Falls - GNW #27
Upper Chattahoochee River - White County – GNW #77 (Part 1) (Part 2)
Mossy Creek - GNW #78

Hike a paved trail to Anna Ruby Falls, a rare tumbling pair of beautiful double waterfalls near Helen, Georgia. It’s a fantastic kid-friendly, stroller-friendly and dog-friendly hike!



The Anna Ruby Falls are beautiful falls located in the Chattahoochee National Forest and are readily accessible for the price a few dollars and a little bit of hiking. The water cascading over the drop offs is created by two creeks. The Curtis Creek falls drop 153 feet and the York Creek falls are a much shorter but still spectacular 50 feet. The water at the bottom of the falls is then considered to be part of Smith Creek which flows into and forms Smith Lake - the centerpiece of Unicoi State Park.


Hendrix at the lake, he is upset that dogs can’t go on beach.

To get to the visitors center you will need to drive past the best little country store in Helen, Fred’s. You must make a mandatory stop to see the cabbage patch like old folks sitting in the rocking chairs out front.


Fred’s Famous Peanuts.

You come on up through Unicoi State Park. Unfortunately the fees for the Anna Ruby Falls Recreation Area and Unicoi State Park have nothing to do with one another. If you want to visit both places, you have to pay a fee at each one. If you are only visiting the falls you are allowed to drive through Unicoi State Park for free.



Once you drive through Unicoi Park you will enter forest service property and soon arrive at the Anna Ruby Falls Visitor Center. Here is where you pay your $3 recreation use fee (per person, 16 and older; free for kids under 16) and access the trailhead.



Anna Ruby Falls is a pair of beautiful waterfalls, cascading in tandem through a beautiful slice of North Georgia forest. The twin waterfalls spill from a towering cliff in wispy white tendrils before splashing and pooling over mossy boulders. It’s is a great North Georgia outdoor destination in any season – and its proximity to Alpine Helen and Unicoi State Park make it one of the most popular waterfalls in Georgia.



The hike is a relatively easy one, and though the outbound trek is mostly uphill, the trail is paved and just under a half mile. And while the twin waterfalls are clearly the main attraction, the trail itself is a beautiful one. The trail climbs to the tumbling waterfall alongside a waterfall-filled creek, catching views of the spilling and splashing creek through the boulder-filled forest.



The adventure begins at the park’s visitor’s center and the paved trail climbs a ridge above Smith Creek under the canopy of tall trees, framed by shorter, twisted, gnarly-branched rhododendron. Angled rock outcrops, covered in green moss, frame the trail’s left side as the creek tumbles loudly through the forest to the right.



The trail crosses a bridge at .15 miles, grabbing an up-close view of the creek. The creek tumbles over the boulders below the bridge, forming multiple tiers of short, cascading waterfalls.



The trail climbs steadily through the forest, the creek cascading over a rocky bed and tumbling in small waterfalls on the trail’s left. In the excitement of reaching the falls, don’t forget to keep watch for wildlife near the trail. And in warmer months, look for vibrant green mosses and colorful wildflowers. But for your safety, and to preserve the beauty of the forest, please don’t leave the paved trail.



The roaring tumble of the double waterfalls ahead becomes louder as the falls become visible through the forest’s trees. The trail levels briefly at .25 mile, passing several enormous tumbled boulders before beginning its final climb to the double waterfalls. Just after passing a trailhead for the Smith Creek Trail, the trail reaches the first of two wooden viewing platforms at just under .4 mile, catching extensive views of the twin falls.


Curtis Creek Falls.

The double waterfalls are formed as two creeks, Curtis Creek and York Creek, tumble over a massive, towering cliff below the summit of Tray Mountain. The Curtis Creek waterfall, on the left, is the larger of the two, tumbling over 150 feet into the boulder-filled basin below. York Creek, on the right, spills 50 feet before joining Curtis Creek at the base of the waterfall. The joined creeks form Smith Creek, which eventually joins the Chattahoochee River as it flows to Atlanta.


York Creek Falls

After taking in the falls from the platforms (and, of course, grabbing a photo or two!), the hike turns around, doubling back on the outbound trail to return to the trail-head. The adventure finishes at .9 miles, with the roar of the cascading creek fading in the distance.



More adventurous hikers can also walk the 4.6 mile Smith Creek Trail, which connects the base of Anna Ruby Falls to Unicoi State Park.

Smith Creek Trail: the hike

The adventure begins at a trailhead near the park’s campground, just north of, departing from a small gravel parking area. The route follows green trail blazes, diving into the cover of a young, leafy hardwood forest. The trail follows the contours of the Sautee Ditch, a hand-dug waterway that spanned a staggering seven miles from Smith Creek to two gold stamp mills during Georgia’s gold rush in the late 1800s.



The trail crosses through the Sautee Ditch at .5 miles, crossing a gravel road, descending wooden stairs, and crossing a small wooden bridge. The trail makes two more bridge crossings, at .6 mile and .8 mile, and begins the nearly unrelenting climb to the near-summit of Smith Mountain. Lichen-covered boulders speckle the sides of the trail, and wildflowers stretch toward sunlight under the canopy of the forest.



The trail crosses a small, trickling creek at 1.2 miles, and again at 1.4 miles. The climb accelerates and the trail quickly gains elevation, carving through a series of winding switchbacks and ducking through tunnels of dense rhododendron and mountain laurel. Exiting the switchbacks, the trail makes a straight-shot climb to an unnamed knob at 2.4 miles. Through-the-trees views of the neighboring ridge emerge on the trail’s right, the highest point of elevation along this route. There’s a small, primitive backpacking campsite near the knob’s summit, just past the peak.



The trail descends from the summit’s northern side, scrambling through a rocky, rooty forest filled with weathered gray rock, a rare low-elevation glacial deposit. The trail descends steadily, climbing down a set of rustic wooden stairs and crossing a small creek at 3.3 miles.



The trail crosses another, larger creek at 3.6 miles. The creek’s bed is rocky, mossy, and particularly beautiful in springtime, when the surrounding forest is cloaked in the green of spring and the colorful spectrum of native North Georgia wildflowers.



The route veers left after crossing the creek, arcing westward around Smith Mountain and beginning a steady descent. The sound of the roaring, tumbling duo of waterfalls echoes through the forest as the trail approaches Anna Ruby Falls. Views of the waterfalls open suddenly as the trail reaches a clearing just below the falls.



Two wooden viewing platforms below Anna Ruby Falls make a perfect place for a mid-hike water break, and a great spot to snap a few photos of the beautiful, tumbling double waterfall. After soaking up the beauty, the hike departs from the falls, following the outbound route on the Smith Creek Trail in reverse, leaving the often-busy waterfall behind. The hike reaches the trailhead at Unicoi State Park at just under 9 miles, completing the adventure.



Another interesting trail that begins at the visitors center is The Lion's Eye Trail. It runs along Smith Creek and is designed to provide visually impaired individuals an opportunity to visit the creek and learn about the local environment. The trail has hand rails and braille signs.



The visitor center, gift shop and recreation area is open daily with a few holiday exceptions. The facilities open at 9:00 a.m. Closing times vary by season (see the National Forest Ruby Falls webpage for more details). There is a gift shop - offering local crafts and paintings - snack and drink machines, and restrooms. Outside there is a deck that overlooks the creek and along the creek you can find picnic tables and barbeque grilles.



Unicoi State Park is one of the most popular parks in Georgia. Some of the many reasons why it attracts so many visitors includes the parks outstanding natural beauty, a wide range of amenities, and Unicoi State Park's proximity to the alpine village of Helen.



Smith Lake, often called Unicoi Lake, is the scenic centerpiece of the park. There are opportunities to fish, swim and enjoy a picnic here. Smith Creek is situated above and below the lake and trout fishermen are often found in its waters. Both the lake and creek are subject to the state of Georgia fishing regulations. You must follow the state's licensing and catch requirments.



The park's location in the mountains of north Georgia means there are plenty of other areas around the park where you can enjoy the outdoors. The park borders the Chattahoochee National Forest. Anna Ruby Falls Scenic Area (access fee required), where on can access the trailhead to Anna Ruby Falls, is found just outside the park.


Nice wheelchair ramp across lake for fishing.

There is no gated entrance to the park. The main road through the most visited portion of the park is a loop formed by two roads, state highway GA-356 and "Unicoi Campground Road." GA-356 passes over the impoundment that forms Smith (Unicoi) Lake. There is a parking area at either end of the impoundment. From Unicoi Campground Road you can access the camping office, the campgrounds, the road to Anna Ruby Falls, and most of the parking areas, picnic facilities, and restrooms.



Visitors to Unicoi State Park are required to pay a $5 per-vehicle day use fee. You can also purchase an annual pass for $50. Each of the many parking areas in the park has a self-service fee box where you can pay the $5 fee and obtain a pass to hang from the mirror of your vehicle.


Unusual Beer Keg cabins.

You do not need to pay the Unicoi park fee if you are only passing through Unicoi to get to Anna Ruby Falls - which is a federal facility that charges its own entrance fee. The fee and pass for Anna Ruby Falls is not valid for Unicoi State Park. If you visit both Anna Ruby and Unicoi, you need to pay two different fees.



Unicoi State Park – Squirrel’s Nest Camping - Ever wondered what it would be like to live like a squirrel? At Unicoi State Park campers can have a squirrel’s eye views! The park’s 16 squirrel’s nest camping shelters feature raised and covered wooden platforms with open sides that allow campers to spend the night side-by-side with the local wildlife.

If you want to spend more than a day at the park, there are numerous facilities that can accomodate overnights visits. This includes camping, cabins, and lodge accomodations.



There is a wide range of things to do at Unicoi. This includes many of the typical things you might expect from a larger state park situated in the mountains: hiking, mountain biking, swimming, fishing, boating (non-motorized), picnicing, and more. There is also an opportunity to participate (for a fee) in what is advertised as adventure activities.

Try your hand at 3-D archery or Air gun range



Take a level one fly fishing class



Zip lines

   

Learn to paddleboard or kayak on Unicoi Lake


Our GNW gal of the day!

Alright, gives me all weekend to work on Helen tangent. HAGO - HOTD!