It Is A Bumpy Ride To Helton Creek Falls

Around Blood Mountain there are a number of waterfalls but the one I hadn't been to was Helton Creek Falls, well I changed that Tuesday as I finally visited this impressive waterfall. The road to the falls is located on the Blairsville side of Neel Gap on US 19 not far from the entrance to Vogel State Park. There were two reasons I hadn’t visited it yet. The first was time. Most of the trips I have made to the area I was hiking somewhere else so by the time I had an opportunity to go it was getting late. The other reason, from what I had read the road to the falls could be a little bumpy to say the least. So, if I went I would have to be in the area in the Green Hornet.

Well, as it happened Tuesday after my hike on the Bear Hair Gap Trail at Vogel State Park it was still early afternoon and I was in my car so I decided “hey why not.” Anyway, I was surprised when I turned onto the road and there were plenty of houses and cabins and the road was paved. This is how it was for the first third of a mile. However it wasn’t long until the road turned into a gravel Forest Service style road. The description of the road in books like North Georgia Mountains Pocket Companion was not too far off. It was rocky in spots, bumpy, with some big pot holes and I was glad I was in the Green Hornet.  I have been on roads just as bad; all you have to do is drive the road and watch for the bigger holes.

The Green Hornet.

Where the road goes from paved to gravel.

Looking out the Green Hornet...

...on the bumpy road to the falls.

After two miles on said gravel road I reached the parking area for Helton Creek Falls. From the small parking area one can hear the roar of the falls, but what is interesting is that these falls are made up of two parts. The short trail leads to a spot where steps go down to the lower half of the falls. This part is a 30-foot slider that allows one to get up close and personal. The steps lead back up and next you can step out to the top of the lower falls. Need to watch ones step here because it is slick and one could find themselves sliding down, but I bet in summer people do that here, on purpose.

Parking area.

This sign points the way...

...down to the falls.

Some of the trail.

The steps down...

...to the bottom of the lower falls.

The Gorillapod comes in handy.

Steps back up...

...to the top of the lower falls.

Taking the trail a little further up led to a footbridge and out on a viewing deck and the main event a tiered waterfall that tumbles 60 feet to a large pool. It is a majestic waterfall which was more than worth the bumpy ride.

The path out to the overlook...

...at the upper falls.

After spending a while with the falls a guy showed up and at first I thought he had a camera and in a way he did. It was just that it was attached to a drone. You have seen these small craft with the four helicopters like propellers. I have seen these before and I have watched video from them. I know they have been banned from National Park Service land, including the Appalachian Trail, but I don’t know about Forest Service property? Anyway, he flew it right up to the falls and let me take a look at the screen.

The drone.

The drone & the falls.

After a few minutes I left him to it and headed back to the car. On the way back on the trail I spotted some wildflowers, more Spearleaf Violets. After checking them out I got back to the car and headed back. I will say that two miles of bumpy road was well worth seeing this set of spectacular falls.

Trail back out.

More Spearleaf Violets.

Helton Creek Falls.