East Ridge Trail in Amicalola

East Ridge Trail in Amicalola Falls State Park

The East Ridge Trail in Amicalola Falls is another top pick for accessing the top of the falls. The trail is 1-mile-long, rated moderate to strenuous, and follows a section of an old roadbed leading from the Visitor Center to the top.  Previously this trail is used as the approach to the famous Appalachian Trail, this trail follows part of an old roadbed from the Visitor Center to the top of the waterfall.

Amicalola Falls State Park is nestled in North Georgia’s mossy, waterfall-filled Chattahoochee National Forest, set in the rolling, vibrant-green southern Appalachian Mountains. It’s one of the most popular, and most visited, of Georgia’s State Parks. At the heart of the park, the Amicalola Falls waterfall spills down a towering bluff, falling 729 feet into a mossy, boulder-filled forest. Amicalola Falls is Georgia’s tallest waterfall – and the highest cascading falls east of the Mississippi River.

To Hike this Amicalola Falls loop to catch the most scenic views at the park. The hike begins under a stone arch commemorating the Appalachian Trail, climbs to a ridge with incredible views, and then winds down a series of stairs flanking the immense, tumbling Amicalola Falls waterfall, the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains.

To reach the top of the Amicalola Falls we have to climb total 620 steps to the summit – 175 to the viewing area deck and then another 445 to the top. For this reason, we suggest you climb to the top of the falls via the East Ridge Trail and come down the "Top of Falls Trail" on the return to visitor center parking lot. This hike is much easier.