High Shoal Falls

The Chattahoochee National Forest, located in northern Georgia, is a stunning expanse of natural beauty, encompassing nearly 750,000 acres of mountains, rivers, and valleys. It’s known for its dense forests, scenic trails, and abundant wildlife, making it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. The forest is a part of the larger Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, which also includes the Oconee National Forest further south.  The forest features over 450 miles of trails, including sections of the Appalachian Trail. Popular trails include the Raven Cliff Falls Trail, Blood Mountain Trail, and the Amicalola Falls Trail, which leads to one of the tallest cascading waterfalls in the Southeast.

This hike starts at a small trailhead on the gravel Indian Grave Gap Road that has room for ~4 cars. The quickest way here is from GA 17, but you have to cross a small stream to get here – so a high clearance vehicle is suggested.  At the trailhead, The High Shoal Falls trail drops immediately and makes a steep decent to a large open area that has multiple campsites at a bridge that crosses High Shoal Falls Creek. Just after here about a mile in to the hike is a turn-off to the left that drops down to the first waterfall called Blue Hole Falls. It is a pretty one with a great swimming area at the base of the falls. From here, you can continue on another half mile to reach a platform that overlooks High Shoal Falls. It does not have a pool for swimming at it’s base but is equally scenic and well worth the trip. From here, it is a ~500′ climb back to the trailhead at from High Shoal Falls.