Last Updated on November 10, 2022
Below are six hikes to my favorite waterfalls near Helen, GA, a North Georgia mountain town known for its Bavarian-style architecture and the Oktoberfest held every October. All six hikes are less than an hour’s drive from downtown Helen and make the perfect day trip if you want to explore outside the mountain town. And these waterfalls near Helen are some of the prettiest in the whole state – I can spend hours photographing them!
For a more comprehensive guide on waterfalls in the North Georgia mountains, don’t forget to visit my article, The Best Waterfalls in North GA. Also, if you want tips on photographing them, check out my post on 10 Tips for Photographing Waterfalls.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
Any season is great to visit these waterfalls near Helen; however, fall and springtime are my favorite times to go. The fall foliage is spectacular in North Georgia, usually occurring near mid to late October. Spring is also wonderful when everything is blooming and the temperatures are mild and pleasant.
However, if you plan to visit in the fall, be prepared for some crowds, especially during peak fall foliage. Summer is also popular when school is out, but Georgia summers can be sweltering and humid. If you plan to hike in the summer, bring plenty of water. Wintertime is quieter but can be rainy and cold. While Georgia doesn’t see too much snow, you will want to be prepared if snowflakes start to fall.
Tips and What You Should Know Before Visiting
- I strongly recommend wearing comfortable hiking boots. If you go after it rains, prepare for some mud! You can walk or wade in the water at Helton Creek Falls and Minnehaha Falls, so don’t wear anything you wouldn’t want wet.
- As always, be careful around waterfalls due to slippery spots. I almost fell at Helton Creek Falls since it has slippery rocks around the base of the lower falls. I might have been okay, but my camera…maybe not so much.
- Bring snacks and plenty of water, as most locations do not have food and drinks available for purchase.
- Consider downloading a hiking app like All Trails before you start hiking.
- You might see little to no water flow during dry spells or droughts. For example, no water might flow at DeSoto Falls if it hasn’t rained in a long time.
- I am not an avid hiker, but I found these hikes easy, which is all relative to my hiking experience. You might find them easier or harder, depending on your hiking experience and the trail conditions. We hike with trekking poles, which makes it easier for us. However, in some parts of these trails, you might be unable to use them.
- Dogs are allowed on these trails as long as they are on a leash.
So, Where Are These Six Waterfalls Near Helen, GA?
1 – Trahlyta Falls
Location and Hours:
Trahlyta Falls is a hidden gem in North GA that I didn’t know existed until I stumbled across the trailhead sign while visiting Vogel State Park. Water cascades down the hillside from the nearby Lake Trahlyta, creating the falls. If you visit during the height of the fall season, you are in for something special – the surrounding woods at the waterfall and lake light up with vibrant colors of yellow, orange, and deep red.
This beautiful waterfall within Vogel State Park is open from 7am to 10pm and is located at 405 Vogel State Park Road, Blairsville, GA 30512.
Parking, Fees, and Amenities:
There are many spaces to park, but I would arrive early during the peak visiting seasons, especially during the weekends or fall foliage. It costs $5 for a GA State Park Pass, and you can either pay in person or buy the pass online at the GA State Park website. Or, you can buy the annual park pass for $50.
At Vogel State Park, you’ll find a visitor center, including public restrooms and snacks or drinks available for purchase. If you have time, you might want to enjoy your lunch here at one of the picnic benches near the lake. And if you visit in the summertime, you can cool off from the relentless GA humidity by swimming in the lake.
The Hike: Approximately 1-mile round trip. Easy to Moderate Hike (hiking difficulty can vary).
The hike to Trahlyta Falls is one of the most pleasant and easiest waterfall hikes in North Georgia. After parking at the Vogel’s visitor center, you will make your way along the flat, dirt path around the lake. There is a fantastic panoramic view of Lake Trahlyta near the Trahlyta Falls trailhead sign. After stopping for photos, continue down the trail for a few minutes, and you’ll reach the falls. There are a few steps down to get to the wooden viewing platform near the base of the falls. The short hike back to the lake is slightly more difficult, with little elevation gain. You can then choose to return to the parking lot from which you came, or you can continue around Lake Trahlyta.
2 – Minnehaha Falls
Location:
Not to confuse this waterfall with the one in Minneapolis, Minnehaha Falls is a beautiful waterfall in Rabun County, Georgia. You should be able to plug Minnehaha Falls into your GPS, but it is located on the map here. If traveling from Helen to Minnehaha Falls, you can take Bear Gap Road, a windy dirt and gravel road that follows Seed Lake and Lake Rabun, with many lake houses that dot the landscape.
Parking, Fees, and Amenities:
Arrive early in the morning at Minnehaha Falls. Since it is a short hike, there are more crowds and limited parking. We were lucky to find a spot to park, but some people were waiting for one when we left.
Minnehaha Falls is free to visit! Please be aware that there are no public restrooms or amenities located on this hike.
The Hike: Little less than 1/2 mile round trip. Easy to Moderate Hike (hiking difficulty can vary).
It is a short walk to the waterfall, with some steps uphill and less than half a mile round trip. You can walk up to the falls and take as many pictures as you want. The falls are gorgeous; we went after it recently rained, and the water was gushing down the rocky side.
3 – Anna Ruby Falls
Location and Hours:
Anna Ruby Falls is a pair of waterfalls near Helen, GA, in White County. The falls are part of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest near Unicoi State Park. You can enter Anna Ruby Falls into your GPS or find it on the map here. The address is 3455 Anna Ruby Falls Road, Helen, GA 30545.
You can visit these falls daily from 9am to 5p, with the last entry at 4pm. For more information and updates on operating hours, visit their website here.
Parking, Fees, and Amenities:
It isn’t free to visit Anna Ruby Falls; we had to pay $5 each ($10 for two adults, age 16+) to enter. If you are 15 and under, there is no fee to visit. There is a nice gift shop with small gifts and souvenirs, a restroom, and a small vending area for snacks.
There is a large parking lot, so we had no trouble finding a spot. But if you plan to visit during peak times, you will want to arrive early to get a parking place.
The Hike: Almost one-mile round trip. Easy to moderate hike (hiking difficulty can vary).
From the parking lot to the falls, it is approximately 1/2 mile; the trail is paved (stroller and kid-friendly) and has little elevation gain.
Anna Ruby Falls is unique since it is a pair of waterfalls: Curtis Creek Falls joins York Creek, creating Smith Creek at the base of the falls. There are two wooden viewing platforms with a few steps and a small bridge to observe and take pictures.
4 – DeSoto Falls
Location:
Desoto Falls is another pair of waterfalls near Helen, GA. The falls are part of the Chattahoochee National Forest and are located here.
Parking, Fees, and Amenities:
Parking can be a bit of a pickle, and I recommend arriving early to find a parking spot since the lot is small.
You will want to bring cash for the $5 parking, which we placed into an envelope dropbox.
There are few amenities on-site, but there is a public restroom near the parking lot.
The Hike: The entire DeSoto Falls Trail is approximately 2 to 3 miles, depending on how far you hike. Easy to moderate hike (hiking difficulty can vary).
When you arrive, there are two choices: the Upper Falls Path or the Lower Falls Path; we took both but started with the Upper Falls Path. The hike to the upper falls is longer, about three-fourths of a mile to the falls, but I found it easier to hike than the Lower Falls Path.
The Upper Falls Path is stunning; lots of greenery and tall trees. We went on a cloudy, rainy day, and it was perfect with the lighting coming through the trees. I’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest, but I imagine it would be similar to this trail.
The path also takes you by the campground; there are a few places to grill food with picnic benches. Nothing like walking in the morning near a campground with coffee brewing on the campfire! The coffee aroma is heavenly.
When you reach the waterfall, you can view it from a platform, making it a great spot to take pictures. The waterfall itself is beautiful; I took many horizontal and vertical exposures.
Although shorter than the Upper Falls Path, the Lower Falls Path is narrow and uphill with a few switchbacks. It was also muddy when we went. Not stroller-friendly, but kids might have fun on the hike. We also saw some fallen trees along the way with some giant mushrooms! I don’t like eating mushrooms, but I love how they look, so I had to stop and take some pictures.
When you reach the Lower Falls, there is a small viewing platform to take images. The waterfall is smaller than the Upper Falls and makes lovely vertical images. Unfortunately, we did not get to stay here too long since it started to rain, but it was nice since we had the whole place to ourselves.
5 – Helton Creek Falls
Location:
I’ve been to Helton Creek Falls several times, and you don’t want to miss these waterfalls near Helen, GA. The trail takes you to two waterfalls located in the Chattahoochee Forest, and you can walk right up to the falls. They are spectacular!
You can find Helton Creek Falls with your GPS or on the map here.
As you near, look for Helton Creek Road, which takes you into the parking area for Helton Creek Falls. It is approximately a 2-mile paved and dirt road that is narrow in some places with a few deep potholes.
Parking, Fees, and Amenities:
Arrive early to visit these falls, as there is limited parking. There is no fee to visit Helton Creek Falls.
Also, plan ahead, as Helton Creeks Fall has no public restroom. However, if you stop at Mountain Crossings at Neel Gap, you will find a bathroom; it is a hiking and outfitter store not too far from Helton Creek Falls, and many people hiking the Appalachian Trail stop here. They sell the best granola bars, the “Big Sur Bar.” It’s the only store that sells them in Georgia, so be sure to grab one on your way out before visiting Helton Creek Falls.
The Hike: Approximately 0.6-mile round trip. Easy to moderate hike (hiking difficulty can vary).
Some steps are involved in going up and down to see both falls. Altogether it is less than a mile to see these falls and not too strenuous.
Also, some brave people swim in these falls but considering two snakes were on the trail last time we went, I will not be jumping in anytime soon!
6 – Dukes Creek Falls
Location:
Dukes Creek Falls is on the scenic highway that twists and turns through the Chattahoochee National Forest and is not too far from Helton Creek and DeSoto Falls. The address is 699 Richard Russell Highway, Helen, Georgia, or you can find it on a map here.
Parking, Fees, and Amenities:
To visit Dukes Creek Falls, it is $4 per vehicle. They rely on the honor system for payment, but you can drop your cash or check in the collection box. Parking is limited at Dukes Creek. There is also a bathroom, but it is more like an outhouse, and you’ll definitely want to bring sanitizer.
The Hike: Approximately 2 miles round trip. Moderate hike (hiking difficulty can vary).
Dukes Creek trail is probably the most challenging hike on this list due to the distance and some elevation gain on the return trip from the falls to the parking lot. Despite the moderate difficulty, it’s a beautiful trail that takes you under a canopy of tall trees as you descend to the falls.
We did this hike on a brisk Sunday morning. We didn’t see any people for the first thirty minutes or so, but we were pretty sure we heard a bear lumbering around in the fallen leaves. Luckily, we didn’t see the bear, but I am sure the bear saw us. Black bears are active on this trail, so you’ll want to keep an eye out and a healthy distance if you run into one.
As you go down the trail, you’ll catch glimpses of the falls through the trees, but the best view is at the bottom near the base. Water gushes rapidly down the granite cliffs into Dukes Creek. While the waterfall is a spectacular sight, I found it challenging to photograph as the sun partly lights up the falls during the early morning hours, leaving the rest in a dark shadow. All the more reason to go back and retake the shot!
Also, don’t forget to take in the stunning panoramic view of Yonah Mountain when you leave. The overlook is near the parking lot and restrooms. It is hard to miss!
What are your favorite waterfalls near Helen, GA? Please comment below!