The echoing of a thundering waterfall drowned out the noise of my footwear scuffing alongside the path. However I nonetheless couldn’t see it. My tempo quickened. Just some extra steps. I got here round a bend within the path, and there it was – the dual waterfalls of Anna Ruby Falls.
Curtis Creek cascaded 153 ft whereas York Creek freely fell for 50 ft. On the backside, the newly shaped Smith Creek flowed away alongside the path I had simply hiked, dumping into Smith Lake I handed driving to the waterfall.
Anna Ruby Falls just isn’t precisely a secret, nevertheless it’s additionally not the simplest waterfall to seek out. Right here’s every thing you have to know to plan a mountaineering journey to the majestic waterfall within the north Georgia mountains.
Anna Ruby Falls is in Chattahoochee-Oconee Nationwide Forest
Chattahoochee-Oconee Nationwide Forest covers 867,000 acres in northern Georgia, abutting Nantahala Nationwide Forest in North Carolina and Cherokee Nationwide Forest in Tennessee. The nationwide forest boasts over 800 miles of mountaineering trails, the favored Chattooga River District, and dozens of recreation areas and campgrounds.
The Anna Ruby Falls Recreation Space is positioned within the Chattooga Ranger District, however it’s operated by FIND Outdoor, a non-profit group serving to folks uncover the nice outdoor.
READ MORE: The Full Checklist of All Nationwide Forests within the U.S. (and the Ones I’ve Visited)
Do you know? FIND Outdoor operates the services at Brasstown Bald, the very best level in Georgia, the Cradle of Forestry in America on the website of the nation’s first forestry faculty, and the Northwest Buying and selling Publish on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Unicoi State Park
A part of the confusion of discovering Anna Ruby Falls is that it’s operated by a non-profit primarily based in North Carolina, positioned within the Chattahoochee-Oconee Nationwide Forest, and you must drive by means of Unicoi State Park to get there. Did you get all that?
Unicoi State Park is certainly one of Georgia’s premiere resort parks. The park options zip strains, paddleboarding and kayaking on the lake, and dozens of mountaineering trails, a few of them main on to Anna Ruby Falls. Spend the night time – or just a few nights – on the lodge or one of many park’s fascinating historic barrel cabins.
Anna Ruby Falls Tickets
Happily, there isn’t any admission to drive by means of Unicoi State Park. Nonetheless, you’ll need to pay when you attain the ticket sales space on the Anna Ruby Falls Recreation space entrance.
Admission to Anna Ruby Falls is $5 per grownup 16 and older and free for anybody youthful.
The Interagency Entry Cross, extra generally often called the America the Stunning Park Cross, will get you free admission to the nationwide recreation space.
READ MORE: 12 Issues to Do in Helen, GA – The Alpine Village of Georgia
Anna Ruby Falls Hours
Anna Ruby Falls is open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. all year long, however the each day schedule modifications with the seasons. No admission is allowed after 4 p.m.
From March 1 – December 31, the recreation space is open 7 days per week. However through the winter peak from January 1 – February 28, the recreation space is simply open from Thursday – Sunday.
Anna Ruby Falls Customer Heart
Anna Ruby Falls Highway ends on the customer middle for the nationwide recreation space. There may be loads of parking for private automobiles and RVs.
The customer middle has a pleasant assortment of native arts and crafts, souvenirs, and books. You’ll discover restrooms and water fountains, that are good earlier than a protracted hike. Choose up a map of the Anna Ruby Falls Path – you may wish to try another trails when you’re there.
3455 Anna Ruby Falls Highway, Helen, GA | 706-754-6221 | https://gofindoutdoors.org/anna-ruby-falls/
Mountaineering the Anna Ruby Falls Path
The 0.4-mile Anna Ruby Falls Path is misleading. It’s a paved path, which is odd to see slicing by means of a nationwide forest to a waterfall. However simply because it’s paved doesn’t imply it’s straightforward.
From the parking zone, the path ascends about 200 ft in elevation. It’s a gentle climb, by no means greater than about fifteen levels, however a gentle climb nonetheless. Not less than meaning you’ll have a downhill hike to look ahead to on the way in which again.
The path is paved and huge, however that doesn’t essentially imply it’s handicap accessible. A motorized wheelchair might probably make it to the waterfall, nevertheless it’s not beneficial. And it’s undoubtedly not beneficial to attempt in a handbook wheelchair.
However it’s a straightforward hike with your personal ft.
READ MORE: 20 Spectacular Waterfalls in Ohio You Must Go to
The paved path crosses Smith Creek on a sturdy wood bridge only a tenth of a mile from the parking zone. The path by no means wanders removed from the creek, offering a number of lovely vistas of miniature cascading falls alongside the way in which.
After a couple of twenty-minute hike, the echoing sounds of a thundering waterfall fill the air. It drowned out the noise of my footwear scuffing on the path and prompted me to quicken my tempo. I used to be wholly unprepared to see Anna Ruby Falls for the primary time.
A Decrease Commentary Deck on the path’s finish has a reasonably good view of the dual waterfalls. It’s a superb place to calm down if a gaggle of individuals is crowded on the opposite deck. However folks have a tendency to maneuver on shortly, so it didn’t take lengthy for me to work my approach as much as the Higher Commentary Deck.
From right here, I had a commanding view of the waterfalls. To the left, the 153-foot cascading waterfall from Curtis Creek left a tremendous mist within the air. To the correct, the 50-foot free-falling waterfall from York Creek stuffed the air with a reverberating cacophony.
Constructed-in benches on the statement deck had been the right place to benefit from the view.
Insider Tip: Extra adventurous hikers might benefit from the 4.6-mile Smith Creek Path that begins close to the lake at Unicoi State Park and follows the route of the creek to Anna Ruby Falls.
Lion’s Eye Path to Smith Creek
Though the Anna Ruby Falls Path just isn’t handicap accessible, the Lion’s Eye Path is – and it was particularly constructed for that goal. The fascinating path options braille signposts detailing factors of curiosity within the nationwide forest. The Lion’s Eye Path is a couple of tenth of a mile lengthy and results in Smith Creek from the Customer Heart.
Waterfalls Close to Helen, GA
There are 10 unbelievable waterfalls to discover close to Helen within the north Georgia mountains:
- Amicalola Falls
- DeSoto Falls
- Helton Creek Falls
- Raven Cliff Falls
- Minnehaha Falls
- Tallulah Falls
- Panther Falls and Angel Falls
- Toccoa Falls
- Holcomb Creek Falls
- Anna Ruby Falls
FAQ
Anna Ruby Falls is positioned within the Chattahoochee-Oconee Nationwide Forest, 4 miles north of Helen, Georgia.
Anna Ruby Falls is 4 miles from downtown Helen, Georgia. It takes about ten minutes to drive there.
You possibly can drive so far as the Anna Ruby Falls Nationwide Recreation Space customer middle. From there, it’s a half-mile hike to the waterfall.
Parking at Anna Ruby Falls is free. Nonetheless, you have to to pay admission to go to the waterfall.
Anna Ruby Falls opens at 9 a.m. seven days per week from March by means of December after which at 9 a.m. on Thursday – Sunday in January and February.
Anna Ruby Falls closes at 5 p.m. seven days per week from March by means of December after which at 9 a.m. on Thursday – Sunday in January and February. The final entry is allowed at 4 p.m.
Whereas horseback driving, Accomplice Normal John Nichols found the dual waterfalls. He named each waterfalls after his solely daughter, Anna Ruby Nichols.
From the customer middle, it’s a 0.4-mile hike to Anna Ruby Falls that takes about twenty minutes at an off-the-cuff tempo.
Anna Ruby Falls is a reasonably straightforward hike with a gentle climb and an elevation change of about 200 ft.
No, Anna Ruby Falls just isn’t wheelchair accessible.
No, Anna Ruby Falls is a part of the Chattahoochee-Oconee Nationwide Forest.
No, Anna Ruby Falls just isn’t a nationwide park.
No, you can not swim on the base of Anna Ruby Falls.
Anna Ruby Falls is 2 waterfalls. On the left, the cascading waterfall from Curtis Creek is 153 ft tall. On the correct, the freefalling waterfall from York Creek is 50 ft tall.
No, Anna Ruby Falls and Ruby Falls are usually not the identical. Anna Ruby Falls is an outside twin waterfall within the Chattahoochee-Oconee Nationwide Forest close to Helen. Ruby Falls is an underground waterfall beneath Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.