The Welcome Center at Tallulah Gorge.
When the white man first ventured into what is now North Georgia, my ancestors, the Cherokee Indians, were already living here in one of the marvelous wonders of their world … known today as Tallulah Gorge.
In fact, some historians still believe that the modern name comes from the Cherokee word meaning “terrible” but the native Americans called it Ugunyi, which has never been translated. Nevertheless, the Cherokee viewed Tallulah Falls as wild, mysterious and dangerous and generally avoided the area of the falls.
Hurricane Falls
Formed by the slow erosive action of the Tallulah River that sliced through the Tallulah Dome’s quartzite rock formation millions of years ago, the gorge is more than 2 miles long and 1,000 feet deep. There are six spectacular waterfalls that range from the 96 feet of Hurricane Falls to 76 feet at Tempesta Falls, then Oceana Falls is 50 ft. high, L’Eau d’Or Falls is 46 ft. high, Bridal Veil Falls is 17 ft. high and Lovers Leap Falls is 16 ft. high.
Following the Civil War, Tallulah Falls became a major tourist attraction and when a railroad was built from Atlanta in 1882, thousands of people came to see the gorge and the falls. Soon, the little town of Tallulah Falls had more than 20 hotels and boarding houses, bars and other tourist businesses. Numerous fires burned down the small village, but each time, they built it back even better than before, which kept the tourist traffic flowing.
Tallulah Falls was often referred to as the Niagara of the South complete with horse riding stables, billiard tournaments, tennis and nightly music and dancing. They even had the first high wire crossing of the gorge by Professor Leon on July 24, 1886, which was duplicated by the great Karl Wallenda on July 18, 1970.
A family coming down the long stairway.
Walking across the suspension bridge.
The downfall of this early Southern tourist attraction came when politicians and businessmen saw the possibilities for generating power from all the rushing water. Local people and early environmentalists battled to keep the falls in its natural form, but in the end, the big money and powerful politicians won and allowed Georgia Power to complete a dam in 1912. The visitors dwindled but the town hung on until a fire again destroyed it in December of 1921.
The river below Hurricane Falls.
As early as 1905, there were discussions of making Tallulah Gorge into a park, but nothing was done until 1993 when Governor Zell Miller established the Tallulah Gorge State Park. Visitors can hike rim trails to several overlooks, or they can obtain a permit to hike to the gorge floor (100 per day, not available during water releases). A suspension bridge sways 80 feet above the rocky bottom, providing spectacular views of the river and waterfalls. A paved path follows an on old railroad bed, perfect for strollers and bicycles, while mountain bikers can test their skills on a challenging 10-mile trail. Exhibits in the park’s Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center highlight the rich history of this Victorian resort town, as well as the rugged terrain and fragile ecosystem of the area. An award-winning film takes viewers on a dramatic journey through the gorge, including footage of rock climbers and kayakers.
Lowest point of the Gorge walkway.
If you love nature and like a healthy workout, this place offers spectacular views while going down and back almost 1,000 stairs. Those who are really hardy, are expert swimmers and want to traverse the river at the bottom of the gorge need to be at the center on or before 7:30 am to acquire a permit. Otherwise, there is no need to wake up that early as you can enjoy the trail and the vistas at an easy pace from above.
The cascading waters of the Tallulah River passing through huge rock outcrops as it descends rapidly in the deep recesses of the gorge is an unforgettable sight! For more information, check their website at gastateparks.org/tallulahgorge.
Photos: by Bill Vanderford
