Toccoa Falls, Georgia
One of northern Georgia's most impressive waterfalls
isn't on National Forest land, or inside the boundaries of a Georgia
State Park. Instead, you can find it at the end of a short trail,
on a college campus.
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Toccoa Falls is just a few miles northwest of
the town of Toccoa, and approximately 20 miles from Interstate
85 (take exit 173, follow GA Rte. 17 into town, then look for
Alt. 17). If you're coming from Cornelia or Tallulah
Falls, do not turn on Rte. 17, instead look for the
Toccoa turnoff that's just a couple miles north of the big Rte.
17 intersection--that will be Alt. 17. Since Toccoa Falls
isn't on public land, you won't see the usual signage.
Just look for the Toccoa Falls College campus, and drive in. |
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Admission to the short trail that leads to the
falls is about $1.50. You pay as you enter a gift shop, then
access the trail by heading out the back door. For more
information on the college, visit the school's
website. |
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Walk about a quarter-mile up the trail, and you've reached your
destination: 186-foot high Toccoa Falls. The rocky shoreline
allows for plenty of places to view the falls and feel its spray--even
at crowded times, you'll probably be able to find your own spot.
Several large boulders create a rocky hill in front of the falls, adding
a little extra beauty. If you're here to take pictures, you'll
appreciate the many different angles from which to photograph the falls.
As you visit the falls, it's hard to imagine the devastation unleashed
here on November 6, 1977. The dam above the falls broke, releasing
a wall of water over the falls, and into the valley below. The
torrent of water flooded through Toccoa Falls College, killing 39 people
and injuring 60--all of whom were in some way connected with the
college. It's taken years of work to restore the pathway to its
current state.
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Before you leave, be sure to check out
"before" and "after" photos in the gift shop, that show the
destruction caused by the 1977 flood. You'll notice some
things remained unchanged--like the tree in the above photo. |
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