Two Years And Two Hikes At Raven Cliffs Falls

Raven Cliffs Falls, while there are bigger cascades, like Amicalola, or longer hikes, like Panther Creek there not many any better for scenic trail and beautiful waterfalls than Raven Cliffs. My Hike Georgia group had an outing there last Thursday, it was a back-up hike for one we original had planned for the Arkaquah Trail at Brasstown Bald. However, it wasn’t my first trip to Raven Cliffs, about two years ago, at the first of June in 2013, I went after hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) just up GA 348 at Hog Pen Gap.

For those who don’t know Raven Cliffs is located near Helen about three miles up the Richard B. Russell Scenic Byway (GA 348) on the left. The short drive to the parking area goes from paved to gravel, but it is really short.  Like most U.S. Forest Service (USFS) areas like this there is an information board and restroom facilities. These are like a cross between a vault toilet and a port-o-potty.  One of the cool things at the parking area is a second trailhead sign. The first one a white and brown is at the entrance off of GA 348, but the second is the more familiar yellow and brown and welcomes you to the parking area.

The sign on GA 348.

Wood Booger with trailhead sign.

Information kiosk & toilet.

Looking toward the trailhead.

When I first hiked here in 2013 there was a sign pointing away to the trailhead which also gave the distance to the falls (2.5 miles). Funny thing is when you read about this hike in guide books and on the internet the distance varies. Some say 2.5 and other say three miles making the round trip between five and six miles. I just split the difference and say 5.5 (I did go off trail some too). Anyway, that sign has been replaced and the new one just points the way to the trailhead with no mileage. At the trailhead the old wood one is still there which I was happy to see.

The old sign back in 2013...

...& in 2015.

The old sign at the trailhead (2015).

Last Thursday I was surprised that when I arrived there were only two others there. A family did arrive as I waited for my group to arrive. Only, one person came out and that was Beth. But I don’t want to digress because I touched on that here. On my first visit I hiked this solo, but there was a lot more people not just hiking, but camping that day too. But, it was a Saturday so that is to be expected.

One of the reason I bring this up was on that day as I headed I spotted a family who were pushing a stroller up the trail. Let me say while a well maintained trail it is a trail, I am thinking they thought it would be paved like Anna Ruby, but it ain’t. So, after I passed the large footbridge with a nice view of Dodd Creek it was not too far from, that I spotted that same stroller…abandoned.

Steps at the start of the trail...

...Beth on the footbridge.

The trees.

Now to far from here...

...this family abandoned this!

It was not that much farther down the trail that one comes to the first waterfall. This one I call Upper Dodd Creek #1. The reason for this is Lower and Middle Dodd Creek Falls are at Dukes Creek and it makes it easier to keep track of what I call them. Only one of these has an official name (which I will mention when I get there). There is a steep trail down to the base of this, so if you decide to go down to these spot, be careful. Anyway, while the drops are small, its tallest section is about six feet, it adds up to about 15 feet. Oh, it also has great water flow and because of this a cool formations is cut into the rock. It looks like a “barrel” and it almost like it was man made, it is pretty neat.

Here is part of the drop.

Wood Booger here.

The other half of the falls...

...& the barrel cut (2013).

For the next half-mile the trail stays close to the water, which offers up some nice little cascades. One of these has a cool orange colored rock under it. The highlight, Upper Dodd Creek #2, is an eight-foot broken sluice falls. Unlike my first visit, my second I found a number of wildflowers. Some Robin’s Plantain and Catesby’s Trillium were the most plentiful. When you come to the second creek crossing you will find where rocks have been placed in the ground to cross. This was done since my last visit because back in 2013 there was a dilapidated footbridge at this spot, the rocks was an improvement.

The orange rock.

Robin's Plantain.

Catesby's Trillium.

Part of...

...& the rest of sluice falls that makes up Dodd Creek Falls #2.

Old bridge in 2013...

...replaced by rocks by 2015.

Looking up Dodd Creek Falls.

The trail is relatively flat through here. There are ferns and blackberries and is a pleasant part of the trail with great view of Dodd Creek. It is not long before you hear the sounds of crashing water and you have arrived at the third Upper Dodd Creek Falls. You can get a decent look at it from the trail, but the better look is down at the base. The trail to this one is even steeper down than the first. On my 2013 trip I chose to view it from the trail (I will explain come up), but last week Beth and I decided to head down and let me say it was worth the trouble. It was a beautiful waterfall, but we weren’t done. After climbing back up to the trail we took the short trail down to the top of the falls, which gives a great view of this two-step falls, a 15-foot plunge and then another 15-foot slide.

One of the footbridges.

Here is the third Dodd Creek Falls, from the trail, in 2013...

...last week I hiked down to it for this view...

...& this one...

...& this one.

Top of the Falls.

However, there was more waterfall fun just about a tenth of a mile up the trail. There is two ways you will know when you are close. First there is a rock face to the right on the trail and the second, you will hear the falls below. I must point out something here about my first hike here, I completely missed this falls. I have to say that there was a lot I missed on my first trip to Raven Cliffs. It might be because I was pretty tried, from hiking six miles on the AT, and it was noticeable hotter and more humid. Just wasn’t here but the previous falls I just snapped a picture from the trail, I just wanted to get to Raven Cliffs.

At this spot you find...

...Dodd Creek Falls #4...

...if you hike down the steep path for this view...

...you might see a Wood Booger.

Picture on the sign.

I described above that it was a steep climb down to the other two falls, but the path, if you can call it that, was much steeper here. The more straight route is way more treacherous than the path to the left Beth and I took (I should have taken pictures). It is a scramble down, but it did help that there were trees to use on the way down. At the bottom is another wonderful 30-foot cascade I call Upper Dodd Creek #4. Of the four Upper Dodd Creek Falls this was my favorite. The climb out was a little tougher because I had to carry a Mountain-Dew bottle in my hand (for more one what I think of this check out this blog, blog and blog). This is the falls that is shown as Dodd Creek on the map at the information kiosk.

From here it is about one mile to the main falls. Most of it moves up hill at a slight grade with a couple of creek crossings. It follows an old logging railroad, so that accounts for this. We spotted more wildflowers little white Bog Violet, Dwarf Cinquefoil and Turkey Beard.  

Bog Violet.

Dwarf Cinquefoil.

Turkey Beard.

After the trail cross the creek one more time it then comes to a junction an old trail to the left and the re-routed trail to the right, which starts to get steep about here. After about a tenth-of-a-mile the trail comes to a spot that is the bottom of Raven Cliffs Falls where there is a small falls which finishes at with a 15-foot slider.

Another creek crossing

One of  last footbridges.

That is the trail to take at the junction.

The slide at the base of the falls.

The other part of the base of the falls...

...closer look in 2013.

Beth headed up to the falls proper.

It here that trail heads up a really a steep section to rocks and the main part of the falls. The double granite cliffs tower 80 feet above you and are an impressive site. It was once a popular place for rappelling, but is no longer permitted. The waterfall cuts through it in two drops the first one is 60 feet and the second is 20. While there are more impressive waterfalls, the granite cliff it cuts through makes this a marvel to behold.

Raven Cliffs...

...my first view...

...& my most recent.

Falls & cliffs.

60-foot drop...

& 20-foot.

This gives an idea of its size.

These girls had a Wood Booger sighting.

Something that needs to be mentioned a lot of people might be tempted to head to the top of the falls. I thought about going up there in 2013, but was tried and wanted to just get back.  So on this trip I felt a lot better and Beth was curious too so we tried to head-up. Let me say there trail gets steeper and rougher, and pulling yourself up by trees in spots. We only got maybe a 1/3 of the way up. Where the trail might have once gone there is a large tree over what might have been the trail and it seems it goes on up a lot farther. Like Jim Parham says in his book just don’t try it.

Don't go this way!

One last shot with the falls.

After working our way back down, after our fools errand, we enjoyed the beauty of the falls some more before it was back down the trail. On the way back we came upon a bush I missed on the way up. It had these dark maroon blooms. While cool, neither Beth nor I had any idea on what it was. I did some research and it is called a Carolina Allspice, I love when I spot something I have never seen before.

Headed back...

...where I passed Dwarf Crested Iris...

...& first timer, Carolina Allspice.

One the way back.

Beauty of Dodd Creek.

On both trips the hike back was quicker than going up. Like I said, two years ago I just wanted to get to the car and this past trip we had already went down to every waterfall, so we had seen what needed to be seen. So in the end there are not any more scenic waterfall hikes in Georgia than this one.