Georgia Natural Wonder #43 - Waters Creek – Blood Mountain Falls. 621

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Georgia Natural Wonder #43 - Waters Creek – Blood Mountain Falls

Waters Creek Recreation Area is in the Turner’s Corner section of North Georgia where Highway 19 intersects with Highway 129. Turner’s Corner is right at the banks of the Chestatee River north of Cleveland and right at the base of Blood Mountain. I included this briefly in my description of Blood Mountain as an earlier wonder, but it deserves to stand alone as a natural wonder. I have visited here and camped out in here at least a dozen times. The majority of my photos today are my own except this one, and honestly these first five.



It is within the Chestatee Wildlife Management Area so you should probably have a pass like at the Dawson Creek or Pigeon Mountain parts of Georgia describe as earlier wonders. Parking here is $2 according to several sites but they may be old. We have a WMA/GORP annual pass so I haven’t checked to see if the daily rate has changed. Dogs are welcome here.


Café over Chestatee River may be closed as per my latest pass by was for sale.

Now there are two ways to get here. If you come up Highway 19 from Dahlonega, you take a right at the pile of stones that marks the Grave of Cherokee Princess Trahlyta.



According to legend her tribe, living on Cedar Mountain north of the site, knew the secret of the magic springs of eternal youth from the Witch of Cedar Mountain. Trahlyta, kidnapped by a rejected suitor, Wahsega, was taken far away and lost her beauty. As she was dying, Wahsega promised to bury her here near her home and the magic springs. Custom arose among the Indians and later the Whites to drop stones, one for each passerby, on her grave for good fortune. The magic springs, now known as Porter Springs, lie 1/4 mile northeast of the site. Highway 60 goes straight over Woody Gap, you go right on Highway 19. Travel North on Hwy. 19 several miles and turn left onto FR 34 to Waters Creek Recreation Area. if you get to Turner's corner, you went too far.


Damn, this is above the Blood Mountain Falls I document in this post. Upper Blood Mountain Creek Falls.

From Cleveland and Helen, you come up through wine country on Highway 129. At Turner’s Corner, you take a left to travel South on Hwy. 19 from Hwy. 129 for 0.5 miles and turn right onto FR 34 to Waters Creek Recreation Area. You’ll see signs for Chestatee WMA and see an older church, Mt Pisgah Baptist.



The road is paved up to the camping area. Located along one of Georgia's trophy trout streams, the camping and picnicking area offers eight campsites with picnic tables. Campsites are equipped with charcoal grills, campfire areas, tent pads, and are alongside the creek. A fee is required. The area is open from late March until the end of October. There are no services provided. It is along the Dicks Creek, Waters Creek. Park in designated spaces only (opposite side of the road) Now there is a site that says the camp area is now closed. We always went way up the dirt road and camped at several of the primitive sites all along the creek. But I did get a ticket one night camping “Between the Creek and the Road” So park uphill from creek.

Falls on Waters Creek

1.2 miles from Highway 19, you see the first roadside waterfall on your right. It may be on private property, and it is tricky to park the car, but you can manage.


OK my photos start here unless noted.

There is another small set of falls on the right. This is the second of three falls on Waters Creek



You cross the creek on a bridge and it is now on your left. At about 2.6 miles (From Hwy. 19) you’ll see a view of the main falls on your left coming around a bend in the dirt road.



Keep going a little further and you’ll see a parking area on the right. There were toilets and room for twenty cars. This spot gets crowded in the summer. There are clearly defined paths down to the viewing area. The paths go down on the left side of the road to get to the falls.


When the fall is not in winter mode, there is a cave under that fall nearest the bank. You can hang out under there and freak out unsuspecting swimmers.

You can get to the bottom of the falls, with a wonderful swimming area, and the top of the falls, with another swimming area.



There is also a secondary set of falls above the main one.



Not as large, but just as pretty.



Some people have called this Dicks Creek Falls but that isn’t correct. Dicks Creek Falls is actually about an hour away off Warwoman Rd. I think it is often mistaken for Dicks Creek Falls because this river is at the convergence of Waters Creek and Dicks Creek.



Waters Creek Falls is two falls about 8 and 12 feet high. This is a super beauty with a large volume of water set against a backdrop of laurel and hemlock.


I was told once a young man was killed when he jumped of the cliff on right into pool. A lot of locals still do that. Clear pool, deep, not sure what killed the young man.

These falls are not as tall as others in the area, but are simply gorgeous and make a nice location for a picnic. The hike itself is very short (you can see the falls from the road), but it is steep and will be slippery after rain. Two of the falls are visible from the road, for visitors who cannot take the hike.



Crow Mountain Creek Falls

It is hard to leave but the main attraction is yet to come. Next you drive up F.S. Road 34 for another 0.7 of a mile to an old logging road on the right before the F.S. road fords Crow Mountain Creek. Park here on the right. The route to the falls (approximately 0.8 mile in length) treads the logging road. As you enter the woods you cross a jeep – blocking mound. Cross a small stream branch in .1 mile. After this crossing the trail ascends steeply through a rocky cut and bends in lazy S fashion as it climbs the mountain. Cross another small branch, and soon the rushing creek can be heard below. At .7 miles there is a lot of windfall and you may have to leave the logging road to get around. Listen carefully for the falls below then make your way through the woods to their base.



I got to say it was rather wimpy when I visited years ago. Only worth hiking if you’re spending whole weekend camping and are looking for something else to see.



Wimpy for me, but this long, shoaling waterfall is very pretty with adequate rainfall. Near the base there is a large but tricky rock to perch on for a proper photo.


Crow Mountain Creek Falls Web photo with good water flow.

Come back to the road and ford the Crow Mountain Creek to your right. This is now Dick’s Creek to your left. You keep going 1.1 miles further or a total of 4.6 miles from the start at Highway 19. Blood Mountain Creek comes down from your right and crosses under FS 34 through a concrete culvert and ford like bridge. Dick’s Creek is still the main stream to your left. The three pipes through the culvert were just large enough for my kids when they were younger. The camp spot to the right is the best in Georgia. I hope you can still camp there. It was primitive back in the 90’s but it had pads the last time I was here back in 2010.



Blood Mountain Falls

This is a series of three different falls located on Blood Mountain Stream. Now I showed a Web image above of the 3rd Upper Falls I have never been to. But these two lower falls are some of the best water slides in Georgia. An unmaintained footpath leads to the falls just beyond the culvert on the right. I like scrambling up the boulders from the camp spot. Jumping from boulder to boulder, clinging the rocky edges.



The foot path splits several ways. It is only 150 yards to the first fall. As you arrive at the lower falls descend to the base. Or your will already be at the base if you did the rock scramble up from the campground.



Water flows almost 20 feet through a rock cut, creating a churning sluice of water. It splashes through the V shaped in the rocky gorge, and into an inverted V shaped pool of solid rock. It is a 70 foot rock wall on the left going up at a 45 degree angle.



What a gorgeous spot in Georgia. Have swam and floated here for hours, doing back flips off the side wall.Smoosh around to make sure there are no submerged debris. I saw some locals slide down the fall and I finally got the nerve to follow. It was a piece of cake.


View from top.

The upper falls are the best. Go another 50 yards over scattered boulders and over fallen logs. It is tricky carrying a ice chest of beer and a beach towel.



As you near the plunge pool, climb down through a low spot in the boulders to access the falls viewpoint. There is a big old boulder that acts as a grandstand for cheering the sliders.


From the top looking down on grandstand boulder. Note scary rock to avoid on right.



The upper falls are more of a slide with a beautiful rock outcrop on the left. It is on the right sliding down the fall and you should post someone there in case a slider strays back right toward that rock.



Saw this on earlier wonder, worth a repeat for its own wonder #43. Where the rock is fissured, laurel and rhododendron have taken up residence.



The wide rock face to the right of the falls usually have a rope to assist climbers to the slide launch.



You hit a smooth grove halfway down and it feeds you away from the lower rock on the right.



Son’s football team years ago.



This is just a great weekend camp / hang out.



I have brought many a group up here many times.



It is a great group campout.



Hot dogs boiled in beer, Smores, even some catchable fish in Water's and Dick’s Creek. Pinnacle of North Georgia camping weekend.

Fishing

"Waters Creek is one of Georgia’s special-regulation trout streams. Although the fishing in Waters Creek has fallen off from its heyday in the 1980s, the creek still offers the potential for trophy trout. The Creek is catch and release only with the exception of Browns and Rainbows 22 inches or longer and Brook Trout 18 inches and longer. Only one Trophy fish may be kept per angler and regulations are stringently enforced. Despite the small size of the Creek, it holds some surprisingly large fish that exceed 22 inches and may go to 30 inches. The current State record Brook trout came out of Waters Creek. Over 18 inches long and approximately 5 pounds... shaped like a football. The fish are very sophisticated as they have had everything thrown at them. Dries are best, particularly terrestrials such as ants, beetles and especially yellowjackets. Camo clothing is a must and even a white fleece fly drying patch on your vest will stand out like a beacon. Stalk and cast to individual fish to have the best chance... also cover likely holding spots if you can't actually see the fish. Read the regulations and pay particular attention to the section on barbless flies. You may NOT even have them in your possession and its $50 fine per fly if you do.



Studies on how trout fit into river otters’ diet were inconclusive, with only trout less than 6 inches showing up in roughly 50 percent of scat samples. For those inclined to blame the otters, it is also speculated that perhaps the otters are eating up the crayfish and other forage once available to large trout. Whatever the reason, the fishery in Waters Creek has changed. It is still a good place to catch larger than average fish, and definitely is less crowded with anglers than it once was, but trout meeting the stream’s minimum length limits are rare. Key species: rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout."

For more information: U.S. Forest Service, Brasstown Ranger District, 1881 Highway 515, PO Box 9, Blairsville, GA 30512. Phone (706)745-6928.

Our GNW gals today Waterfall lovelies.



Back to coast tomorrow. Don’t worry Fall Line residents, we will explore middle Georgia after the Tennessee game.