Amicalola Falls State Park
Encyclopedia
Amicalola Falls State Park is an 829 acre (3.35 km²) Georgia
state park
located between Ellijay
and Dahlonega
in Dawsonville, Georgia
. The park's name is derived from a Cherokee language
word meaning "tumbling waters". The park is home to Amicalola Falls
, a 729-foot (222 m) waterfall
, making it the highest in Georgia. It is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. An eight-mile (13 km) trail that winds past Amicalola Falls and leads to Springer Mountain
, famous for being the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail
, begins in the park. Amicalola Falls State Park also offers many hiking trails, a guest lodge, restaurant, cabins, a shelter for long distance Appalachian Trail hikers, a campground and access to the eco-friendly Len Foote Hike Inn.
tribe controlled the area that the state park now is until 1832, when the Treaty of New Echota
forced the Cherokee to leave and go further west into the Ozarks. This mass removal would later be known as the Trail of Tears
. The first written account of the falls was penned by a local citizen by the name of William Williamson, who was exploring the area looking for land that he would take during the Sixth Georgia Land Lottery
. Williamson wrote:
Williamson would also write about his attempt to climb the nearby hills around the waterfall, which he gave up on halfway up the climb.
After the lottery had taken place, an unknown settler was given the land, but chose not to live on it because the terrain proved to be too rugged. Nearby settlers knew a Cherokee woman who lived in the area until the 1850's, who refused to leave along with her tribe.
The state purchased the falls in 1911. Amicalola Falls State Park was not developed at all until the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club
decided that the nearby Springer Mountain
would be where they would move the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail
from Mount Oglethorpe
in 1958. An 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long trail was blazed from the base of Amicalola Falls to the top of Springer Mountain so that Appalachian Trail hikers would be able to access the trail from a major highway.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located between Ellijay
Ellijay, Georgia
Ellijay is a city in Gilmer County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,584 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Gilmer County.Ellijay lies where two rivers, the Ellijay and the Cartecay, come together to form the Coosawattee River...
and Dahlonega
Dahlonega, Georgia
Dahlonega is a city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242....
in Dawsonville, Georgia
Dawsonville, Georgia
Dawsonville is a city in Dawson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 619 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dawson County...
. The park's name is derived from a Cherokee language
Cherokee language
Cherokee is an Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee people which uses a unique syllabary writing system. It is the only Southern Iroquoian language that remains spoken. Cherokee is a polysynthetic language.-North American etymology:...
word meaning "tumbling waters". The park is home to Amicalola Falls
Amicalola Falls
Amicalola Falls is a 729-foot waterfall in Dawson County, Georgia, USA. It the highest waterfall in Georgia and is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. The name "Amicalola" is derived from a Cherokee language word meaning "tumbling waters."" It is located within...
, a 729-foot (222 m) waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
, making it the highest in Georgia. It is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. An eight-mile (13 km) trail that winds past Amicalola Falls and leads to Springer Mountain
Springer Mountain
Springer Mountain is located in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Fannin County of northern Georgia. It is now the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.-Geography:The mountain's peak is at above mean sea level.-Appalachian Trail:...
, famous for being the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
, begins in the park. Amicalola Falls State Park also offers many hiking trails, a guest lodge, restaurant, cabins, a shelter for long distance Appalachian Trail hikers, a campground and access to the eco-friendly Len Foote Hike Inn.
History
Little is known about the falls before the 19th century. The CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
tribe controlled the area that the state park now is until 1832, when the Treaty of New Echota
Treaty of New Echota
The Treaty of New Echota was a treaty signed on December 29, 1835, in New Echota, Georgia by officials of the United States government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, known as the Treaty Party...
forced the Cherokee to leave and go further west into the Ozarks. This mass removal would later be known as the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
. The first written account of the falls was penned by a local citizen by the name of William Williamson, who was exploring the area looking for land that he would take during the Sixth Georgia Land Lottery
Georgia Land Lottery
The Georgia land lotteries were an early nineteenth century system of land distribution in Georgia. Under this system, qualifying citizens could register for a chance to win lots of land that had formerly belonged to the Creek Indians and the Cherokee Nation. The lottery system was utilized by the...
. Williamson wrote:
Williamson would also write about his attempt to climb the nearby hills around the waterfall, which he gave up on halfway up the climb.
After the lottery had taken place, an unknown settler was given the land, but chose not to live on it because the terrain proved to be too rugged. Nearby settlers knew a Cherokee woman who lived in the area until the 1850's, who refused to leave along with her tribe.
The state purchased the falls in 1911. Amicalola Falls State Park was not developed at all until the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club
Georgia Appalachian Trail Club
The Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, Inc. is a non-profit organization that was organized in 1930 in Dahlonega, GA. Its membership consists of individual volunteers who share a love for the Appalachian Trail ....
decided that the nearby Springer Mountain
Springer Mountain
Springer Mountain is located in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Fannin County of northern Georgia. It is now the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.-Geography:The mountain's peak is at above mean sea level.-Appalachian Trail:...
would be where they would move the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
from Mount Oglethorpe
Mount Oglethorpe
Mount Oglethorpe, the southernmost peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is located in Pickens County, Georgia and was the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail from when the trail was completed in 1937 until 1958. In 1958, as a result of over development around Mount Oglethorpe, the southern...
in 1958. An 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long trail was blazed from the base of Amicalola Falls to the top of Springer Mountain so that Appalachian Trail hikers would be able to access the trail from a major highway.
Today
Amicalola Falls State Park has four groups of trails within it, including the trail leading up to the top of the waterfall. The park has a full-time staff of park rangers, and has a lodge that serves as a starting point of Appalachian Trail hikers. The park also owns a nearby facility called the Len Foote Hike Inn, a backcountry eco-friendly inn that is one mile (1.6 km) from the Appalachian Approach trail and 4.4 miles (7.1 km) from Springer Mountain. The inn is operated by a non-profit organization known as the Appalachian Educational Recreational Services, Inc. or AERS.External links
- Georgia State Parks
- Amicalola Falls State Park Includes links to all hiking trails in the park.
- Amicalola Falls East Ridge Hiking Trail
- Amicalola Falls West Ridge Falls Hiking Trail