Toccoa GA, Stephens County & Northeast Georgia

Along a lonely stretch of highway known as US 441, spanning the border between Habersham and Rabun counties sits Tallulah Gorge. In earlier times, this gash in the earth's crust was the vacation destination for more people than any other place in the Southeast. The only visible evidence of the past splendor in the town of Tallulah Falls is the train depot, now converted to a storefront. Yet, this splendor is still evident in the Gorge. Ladore ("L'eau d'or"), Tempesta, Hurricane, Oceana, Bridal Veil; the names of the falls on the Tallulah River are a litany to those who love the outdoors, so beautiful they were nicknamed "Niagara of the South".

The hard granite walls of this Gorge fall perpendicular to the land above forming steep cliffs that astounded early settlers. The roar of the falls into this canyon could be heard for miles from the deep cut in the face of the earth. After its discovery, word spread quickly of the Gorge Native Americans called Tallulah. Students from the fledgling State University in Athens were frequent visitors, traveling by horse and buggy. At the time, this trip took a week over what were enthusiastically called roads and no hotels were nearby to service their needs. Locals began to take visitors into their homes and soon a burgeoning tourist industry arose. Letters of the day complain of the discomfort of the trip, only to be offset by the beauty of the Gorge. Descriptions of the area drew members of Atlanta's elite and plantation owners from the coast.

North Georgia's first tourist attraction drew thousands every summer, and with the arrival in 1882 of what would become the Tallulah Gorge Railroad, thousands a year turned into thousands a week. On Sundays during the summer, the twice-daily railroad excursions would expand to five, bringing 2000 people on that day alone. The booming town of Tallulah Falls, around the rim of the attraction quickly grew. Hotels, 17 in all, and bars lined the streets paved with wood on both the Rabun and Habersham sides of the Gorge.

Repeatedly swept by fire, the small town rebuilt, each time better than ever. The people always came back. Then one day Georgia Power took an interest in the area. Expansion in Atlanta had reached a fever pitch and the need for power was growing. Technically, the walls of the Gorge were perfect for the project planned by the utility's engineers, affording a strong surface into which the walls of dam could be tied. The company bought rights to land further north and intended to cut off the waters that contributed to the attraction. A number of politically powerful people, including the governor, supported the project.

Yet the raging river had its proponents as well, most notably Helen Dortches Longstreet, widow of Confederate General James Longstreet. In what was the largest environmental battle to date in the U.S., Ms. Longstreet used her name and money in an attempt to fend off the power barons of the state and nearly won. At a time when women were not allowed to vote in the state (or nationally), Longstreet waged a highly regarded effort invoking the will of the people, repeatedly pointing to the sweetheart deals some of the pols had cut themselves and conflicts of interest. Many of the tactics she employed would re-surface 60 years hence in the pitched environmental battles of the 1970s and early '80s.

Sources list the date of completion of the dam as 1913. However, Georgia Power states the dam was completed in 1912 and power generation began in 1914.

Although barely 3 miles long and a quarter-mile wide, the cliffs at one point drop 1200 feet to the bottom of the Gorge. Twice men have ventured across the Gorge, both times successfully. Professor Leon made it across on July 24, 1886 and Karl Wallenda repeated the feat 84 years less one week later (July 18, 1970). However, hikers frequently fare worse. In one particularly bad year, six fell to their death or drowned in separate incidents.

As the falls dried up so did the tourists. Fire gutted the city in 1921 and even with U.S. 441 nearby, a major North-South route in the early days of the automobile, the town began to die. Inviting Wallenda to walk across the Gorge briefly sparked interest in the area. In 1971, Jon Voight climbed out of the Gorge in Deliverance, pictured as part of the fictional Culawahassee River.

A "supercell" of tornadoes known as the "Palm Sunday Killer Tornadoes" ravaged the northern tier of Georgia and Alabama counties on March 27, 1994, cutting a swath through the center of Tallulah Falls, doing extensive natural damage to the surrounding area, especially the south rim of the Gorge. The storm destroyed five homes and a business in the town.

Time was on the side of the Tallulah Falls and Tallulah Gorge. As part of a plan to widen all of U.S. 441 in Georgia, a 6-mile section opened at the entrance to the park in September 1993. Less than a year earlier, then Georgia Governor Zell Miller, an avid outdoorsman himself, announced the creation of a new state park on the rim of the Gorge. The plan, unique to this park, called for shared management responsibilities on the part of the state and Georgia Power. Work began on improvements shortly after the announcement. Trails and a visitor center would be added and existing camping and picnic facilities enhanced. In addition, a plan, initially opposed by Georgia Power, was devised to increase the water flow. Home to many endangered species including persistent trillium, the Gorge was the perfect place to release the also endangered peregrine falcons.

In 1996, the Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center opened its doors. The 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is one of the best in the country featuring comprehensive displays on the history and wildlife of the Gorge as well as local and regional information.

Today the park sports some of the most diverse facilities of any state-run park. A white sand beach adorns Tallulah Lake along with a bathhouse. Fishing is available in nearby areas as well as several picnic shelters, a pavilion and a conference center. Trails surround the Gorge and allow access to the campground and Terrora Day Use Area. From the interpretive center, it is an easy (.2 mile) walk on the North Rim Trail to Hawthorne Overlook, which allows an excellent view of the upper Gorge including Tempesta and L'eau d'Or ("Water of Gold") Falls. A longer walk (.5 mile) takes you to the tower that Karl Wallenda used while crossing the Gorge. A matching tower can be found on the south rim of the Gorge. While somewhat less spectacular, this trail does offer a number of unique views, including many of falls that come out of the north side of the Gorge. The trail to the floor of Tallulah Gorge is challenging at best, dangerous at worst. The park requires a check-in at the interpretive center before attempting this trail, which is frequently closed.

The major trail along the Gorge is the Tallulah Gorge Nature Trail. It has seven major observation points. A brochure is available describing what can be seen from each point. Across the highway is the Terrora Park where Georgia Power operates a visitor's center. An educational video can be seen about the Gorge. There is also a multimedia exhibit on electricity's role in the area's development. Displays of mountain crafts including quilts, pottery and woodworking can also be seen. The visitor's center is open Monday through Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 pm. For more information, call (706) 754-3276.

If you want to hike the Gorge, a permit is needed. The permits are free and are available at the visitor's center.

Tallulah Lake is a 63-acre lake stocked with trout. It has a sandy beach, a fishing pier, picnic tables, tennis courts and a playground. Fifty campsites have water and electric hookups and twelve sites are pull-throughs. The bathhouse has flush toilets, hot showers, handicapped-accessible restroom facilities and a laundromat. A dump station is available.

Directions
Take I-85 north from Atlanta to I-985 at exit 45. I-985 turns into Highway 365 north. Stay on Highway 365 until it turns right toward Toccoa at the Tom Arrendale Interchange. From this interchange, continue straight on U.S. 441 north for 11 miles to the park.

Information
Phone: Park Office (706) 754-7970
Camping (706) 754-7979 or 800-864-PARK

Tallulah Gorge State Park
P.O. Box 248
Tallulah Falls, GA 30573

Scenic Attractions

Tallulah Gorge