Georgia Natural Wonder #23 - High Falls - Indian Springs. 972

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Georgia Natural Wonder #23 - High Falls - Indian Springs

Most of you have probably driven past this exit on I–75 without giving a second thought to the High Falls State Park or Indian Springs State Park signs between Atlanta and Macon. Dickey Betts loved this Natural Wonder enough to dedicate 14.5 minutes for a beautiful instrumental song from the Win Lose Or Draw album, High Falls. Play this while you scroll through this post.


 
I throw in Indian Springs along with McIntosh Preserve from this part of the State because of primarily the closeness, but also for the curious and macabre history associated with both. But first High Falls. Located northwest of Macon, High Falls State Park is named for tumbling cascades on the Towaliga River.



Boat rental, ramps and fishing docks provide easy access to the park’s lake, known as one of Georgia’s top fishing spots for hybrid and white bass. Overnight visitors can choose from a spacious campground or lakeside yurts, which are like canvas and wood tents. Each yurt features a small deck, picnic table and grill outside, plus furniture, electrical outlets and a ceiling fan inside. During summer, guests may cool off in the park’s swimming pool.



High Falls State Park is a 1,050-acre Georgia state park located near the city of Jackson in Monroe County. The park contains the largest waterfall in middle Georgia and a 650-acre lake.


Looking down from the top of the falls.

In the early 19th century, the park's land was a prosperous industrial town with several stores, a grist mill, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, and shoe factory. However, the town, called High Falls, became a ghost town in the 1880s when it was bypassed by a major railroad. The remains of the bridge on Old Alabama Road still partially stand to offer views of the shoals below the dam. The bridge, constructed in 1890, was mostly destroyed in the flood of 1994.



The park's trails offer visitors scenic views of the largest waterfall in middle Georgia on the Towaliga River, cascading over 135 feet to the base. Historic hikes lead to the foundation of the old grist mill and ruins of the old powerhouse.
   
   

Today, the park is a popular camping destination and a relaxing side trip for travelers on I-75. High Falls State Park is a popular warm-weather outdoor destination, well-loved for its glassy lake, broad spillway dam and an enormous, multi-tiered waterfall. Nestled in a shady forest just north of Macon, the Towaliga River tumbles through the park, churning in whitewater and free-falling cascades over massive rocks and boulders. And while these incredible falls are partially visible from the park’s bridge, the views are much more impressive from the Falls Trail, our favorite hike in the park.



This ultra-scenic adventure explores the river’s eastern banks, descending into a rocky, boulder-filled forest. The hike follows a double loop, exploring the shore of the waterfall-filled river before looping through a shady forest. It’s a beautiful, moderately challenging route, and the spectacular views make this one of our all-time favorite hikes near Macon.


The shoals begin below the dam upstream. Fun rock hopping most of the time.

The adventure begins at a signed trail-head on the river’s northeastern shore, just downstream from the dam. The trail descends a series of wooden platforms along the river, catching increasingly better views of the huge, whitewater-filled waterfall.


Sometimes not a good idea to rock hop above the falls.

The hike continues descending elevation along the river. The roar of the enormous waterfall and rushing water echoes loudly along the trail, as large rock outcrops and boulders dot the forest floor, as pine and deciduous trees shade the trail overhead.



The views of the falls are incredible and striking, with tumbling chutes and spilling tendrils of gushing whitewater channeling through the rocky valley.



The hike soon reaches a sandy shore framed by large boulders.



Multiple waterfalls spill over the river’s rocky, angled bed, cascading in streams of tumbling whitewater into heavily-churned pools below.





The hike crosses a small wooden bridge before beginning the hike’s southern loop section, continuing to follow the trail’s red blazes. The hike veers from the river, crossing a small stream and venturing through the forest, and then rejoining the notably-calmer river downstream.



The hike arcs northbound at .5 mile, gaining elevation through the forest. Though it’s now out of sight, the waterfall’s roar remains audible as the hike climbs a ridge to complete the trail’s lower loop.



Reaching the upper loop, the hike veers right to climb through a rocky forest, crossing between several massive, angular boulders.



The trail climbs elevation steadily toward the trailhead, passing a wooden bench at one mile. The hike reaches the trailhead at just under 1.2 miles, completing this ultra-scenic adventure.



A Parkpass is required for all vehicles. They are $5 per day or $50 annual ParkPass.

From Atlanta: Take I-75 south to Exit 198. Head East and follow signs to park. Park is approximately 2 miles from I-75. From Macon: Take I-75 north to Exit 198. Head East and follow signs to park. Park is approximately 2 miles from I-75. You can use that same day Parkpass to visit nearby Indian Springs. They are so close to each other and I guess you could call this a history tangent more than a Natural Wonder as I am intrigued by the story of Chief William McIntosh.



Indian Springs State Park is a 528-acre Georgia state park located near Jackson and Flovilla. The park is named for its several springs, which the Creek Indians used for centuries to heal the sick. The water from these springs is said to have a sulfur smell and taste.



Indian Springs State Park’s natural artesian spring has been used by generations of people for its flowing mineral water, that some claim to have homeopathic qualities. Produced by the pressure of the earth forcing underground water to the surface, the water at Indian Springs picks up many minerals during that process, leading to its unique “Sulphur” smell. Known to Native Americans long before the influx of Europeans, the area has always maintained a steady flow of people coming to seek healing, collect drinking water, or recreate around this natural marvel.



Indian Springs is thought to be the oldest state park in the nation. It was acquired from the Creek Indians by the state through the Treaty of Indian Springs (1825) and the Treaty of Washington (1826). Thereafter, Indian Springs has been operated continuously by the state as a public park, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. The area became a resort town in the 19th century.


Railroad comes to Indian Springs 1913 photo.


Several Resorts Flovilla.



Depot and train schedules.



Elder Hotel, built in 1903 was one of many in Indian Springs back then.







It became an official "State Forest Park" in 1927. In 1931, along with Vogel State Park, it became a founding unit of Georgia's state park system.



Visitors are still allowed to sample the park's spring water, all the while enjoying swimming, fishing, and boating.



Park guests can enjoy wading in Sandy Creek, walking nature trails or biking to nearby Dauset Trails.



Several structures within the park were built during the Great Depression by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park also contains a 105-acre lake consistently stocked with fish, as well as a 3/4 mile nature trail.



The park features a small museum that is open seasonally. Exhibits include the park's natural history, the resort era, activities of the CCC, and the history and culture of the Creek Indians.


Indian Springs Hotel from 1823

The Treaty of Indian Springs, also known as the Second Treaty of Indian Springs and the Treaty with the Creeks, is a treaty concluded between the Muscogee and the United States on February 12, 1825 at what is now the Indian Springs Hotel Museum. The Muscogee and the United States had signed the First Treaty of Indian Springs in 1821, under which the former ceded their territory east of the Flint River to Georgia. The treaty that was agreed was negotiated with six chiefs of the Lower Creek, led by William McIntosh. McIntosh agreed to cede all Muscogee lands east of the Chattahoochee River, including the sacred Ocmulgee National Monument, to Georgia and Alabama, and accepted relocation west of the Mississippi River to an equivalent parcel of land along the Arkansas River. In compensation for the move to unimproved land, and to aid in obtaining supplies, the Muscogee nation would receive $200,000 paid in decreasing installments over a period of years. An additional $200,000 was paid directly to McIntosh.


Can see boulder referenced in background.

The United States Senate ratified the treaty on March 7 by a margin of one vote. The treaty was popular with Georgians, who reelected George Troup governor in the state's first popular election in 1825. It was signed by only six chiefs; the Creek National Council denounced it, ordering the execution of McIntosh and the other Muscogee signatories, as it was a capital crime to alienate tribal land. A delegation from the Creek National Council, led by chief Opothleyahola, traveled to Washington, D.C. with a petition to the American president John Quincy Adams to have it revoked. They negotiated the 1826 Treaty of Washington, in which the Muscogee surrendered most of the lands sought by Georgia under more generous terms, retaining a small piece of land on the Georgia-Alabama border and the Ocmulgee National Monument. They were, moreover, not required to move west. Troup refused to recognize the new treaty, and ordered the Muscogee lands surveyed for a land lottery. He began forcibly evicting the Lower Creek. Adams threatened federal intervention, but backed down after Troup mobilized Georgia militia.



William McIntosh (1775 – April 30, 1825), also known as Taskanugi Hatke (White Warrior), was one of the most prominent chiefs of the Creek Nation between the turn of the nineteenth century and his execution in 1825. McIntosh was a leader in adopting certain elements of European-American culture; he was interested in introducing US education among the Creek, adopted the use of chattel slavery on his plantations, and played a role in centralizing the Creek National Council over the years.



He used his influence to improve a Creek trail connecting the Upper and Lower Towns, that ran from Talladega, Alabama to the Chattahoochee River. He owned two plantations, Lockchau Talofau ("Acorn Bluff") in present-day Carroll County, and Indian Springs, in present-day Butts County. His plantation of Acorn Bluff was at the eastern terminus of the McIntosh Road, where the chief developed a ferry operation across the Chattahoochee River. He owned numerous black slaves to cultivate cotton as a commodity crop on his plantations. He also built a resort hotel at Indian Springs, hoping to attract more travelers along the improved road. Parts of this route are still referred to as the McIntosh Road, or the McIntosh Trail. It passes through several northern counties in Alabama and Georgia.


Chief of defeated Creeks meeting General Jackson.

McIntosh fought in support of General Andrew Jackson and state militias in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, marking the defeat in 1814 of the Red Sticks and the end of the Creek War. He was made a brigadier general.



McIntosh fought with the United States in the First Seminole War and helped capture Fort Gadsden. When the Americans shot a heated cannonball into the fort, it struck the magazine and set off a huge explosion. Most of the people within the fort died immediately.



Earlier American historians attributed McIntosh's achievements and influence to his mixed race Scots/European ancestry. Since the late 20th century, some revisionist historians have contended that his power stemmed more from his Creek upbringing, particularly his mother's prominent Wind Clan in the Creek matrilineal system, and to other aspects of Creek culture.

   

Because McIntosh led a group that negotiated and signed a treaty in 1825 to cede much of remaining Creek lands to the United States in violation of Creek law, for the first time the Creek National Council ordered that a Creek be executed for crimes against the Nation. It sentenced him and other signatories to death.  On April 30, 1825, the Red Stick leader Menawa, with a large force of 120-150 Law Menders (the recently organized Creek police force) from towns in the ceded territory, attacked the McIntosh plantation, lighting bonfires around the buildings. Then they set McIntosh's house on fire. McIntosh, wounded by gunfire, was pulled from the burning house by several attackers, then one of the men stabbed him in the heart. Other Creeks shot him more than fifty times. They cut his liver out, mutilated him, they was perturbed.


                                         
Chillie McIntosh, the chief's oldest son, had also been sentenced to die, but he escaped by diving through a window. Etommee Tustunnuggee, another Creek chief who signed the 1825 treaty, was killed during the raid. Later that day, the Law Menders found the Hawkins brothers, who were also signatories; they hanged Samuel and shot Benjamin, but he escaped and lived for another decade. William McIntosh's wives asked for a suit of clothes for his burial, but the assassins insisted on throwing the naked corpse into an unmarked grave. His burial site and part of his plantation have been preserved as the McIntosh Reserve in Carroll County, Georgia.



McIntosh's descendants were removed with the other Creek people to Indian Territory. His two sons served as Confederate officers during the American Civil War. His daughters, Rebecca and Delilah, moved to East Texas with their husbands, developing plantations there. Rebecca McIntosh Hawkins Hagerty married again after her first husband died young, and by 1860 was the wealthiest woman in Texas, owning three plantations with a total of 12,800 acres, and 120 slaves.



McIntosh Reserve is an outdoor recreation area along the Chattahoochee River located in Carroll County, Georgia. The 527-acre park is operated by the Carroll County Recreation Department and supports outdoor activities including camping, hiking, fishing, and others. The park is open year-round, closing only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. McIntosh Reserve is named for William McIntosh, Jr., a prominent Creek Indian leader.


Blair Witch?

The plantation was known as Lochau Talofau, which in English means "Acorn Bluff." McIntosh lived in a modest home, a two-story log house with a central, open "dog run" passage on both floors. The house doubled as an inn for travelers. A reconstructed house is open to park visitors today.





He was executed at his home in 1825. McIntosh's single-plot, military grave may be found just across the road from the reconstructed house.



In 1921, McIntosh's grave was marked by a boulder with a bronze tablet placed by the William McIntosh Chapter, DAR in October 1921. The inscription states:

"To the Memory and Honor of General William McIntosh

The Distinguished and Patriotic Son of Georgia whose devotion was heroic, whose friendship unselfish and whose service was valiant. Who negotiated the treaty with the Creek Indians which gave the state all lands lying west of the Flint River. Who sacrificed his life for his patriotism.

Erected by William McIntosh Chapter D. A. R. Jackson, Georgia, 1921."



Carroll County acquired Lochau Talofau in 1978; the plantation now lies within McIntosh Reserve boundaries. McIntosh Reserve features over 14 miles of trails which may be traveled on foot or via bicycle or horseback. The park features two ponds and lies along the Chattahoochee River. Fishing is allowed in the park; the nearby town of Whitesburg, Georgia provides access to the river for rafting and canoeing. An annual Fall Festival features a "Native American Pow-Wow," a traditional Native American music and dance performance. Polocrosse, a fun game played on horseback and great for a wide verity of ages, is practiced on most Sunday afternoons, weather permitting.


WTF Lacrosse on horseback?

Got a lot of sites in mind for Natural Wonders list, but those barrier Islands are hard to beat at this point. Going to the coast for the next series of Natural Wonders. Oh my gosh, review of this post reveals no GNW gal, so I am doing an edit to add not just one but two distracted GNW gals for this wonder.