This is a quick and easy excursion from the town of Helen in the Appalachian mountains of Georgia. There is really not a lot going on in the cute little German town of Helen, the real appeal is the surrounding mountains.
Anna Ruby Falls is located only about 10 minutes from the town. It is possible to drive to the parking area located about a 1/2 mile from the falls itself and take the scenic, uphill walk through the woods. The path is paved and in great shape so it makes for an easy short hike.
There is a small admission price of $5 per person to access the area. It is located near Unicoi State Park and is part of the Chattahoochee National Forest.
The Falls is actually called a twin falls as it is the matching of two rivers to form one. Here you will see the falls from the Curtis Creek combine with the falls from York Creek to form the Smith Creek which eventually flows into Unicoi Lake.
The Falls is named after the daughter of an earlier settler named Anna Ruby Nichols.
A look at the twin falls;
Before you reach the falls you are treated to a leisurely walk along the Smith Creek. It is an easy uphill walk of gradual incline that I saw many elderly walk without issue.
Some photos of the walk to the Falls:
I thought this photo looked like a turtle head coming from the embankment:
After the 20 minute slow hike to the Falls you are greeted by this:
This one is well worth the trip. There are a lot of waterfalls in this area of the Appalachian mountains, but for easy access to a great falls, it's hard to beat this one.
The main negative to it is don't expect any privacy. I was there during the off season and was quite surprised how many people were there.
The natural part of all of this is incredible how water creates such beauty Waterfalls always impress me how they appear out of nowhere when you walk through the woods for a long walk and then a waterfall appears. Thanks for the walk through the woods