Why You Should Visit Helton Creek Falls In Georgia (But Be Careful!)

Having hiked to the top of Blood Mountain the day before, it was time to make our way from Blairsville down to Atlanta.

We wanted to get a final, short hike in on the way, so we made our way to Helton Creek Falls. This is a set of double waterfalls that’s barely a half-mile round trip.

The hardest part of visiting Helton Creek Falls in Georgia is getting there. You can approach the falls from two different directions, both of which are on gravel roads covered in potholes. One of the routes has a couple of additional obstacles though.

If you’re taking Route 348 (Richard B Russell Scenic Highway) and turning on to Hatchet Creek Road, the road will cut across Helton Creek twice. There aren’t any bridges though; instead the road dips into a ford and you drive through the water.

This was a little nervy as our car is weighed down with pretty much everything we own. It might be less of an issue in the summer, but it had rained a couple of days before we visited, so it felt like the creek was pretty high in parts.

With every finger and toe crossed, we made it through without any issue. We decided not to chance it on the way out after visiting the falls though, so took the opposite route out.

About five minutes after making it through the second of the two fords, we reached the parking lot. There were only a handful of parking spots, but the “hike” (more like a walk) is so short, spaces should open up pretty quickly if they’re full when you arrive.

There’s really only one way that you can go, but there’s a sign – complete with a green trail blaze – showing you which way to head.

You start by walking down these steps…

…before you get your first glimpse of both sets of falls to your left.

Despite the fact that it’s a short walk, it’s worth having on sturdy footwear rather than flip-flops (this coming from someone who lives in flip-flops.) One reason is because there are tree roots along the path waiting to trip you up.

As you follow the path along, you’ll walk down some more steps before heading round to the left.

Looking to your left, you’ll see the lower falls through the trees.

The path continues over a short bridge before taking another left.

The path continues straight up and to the right, but you won’t want to go that route just yet.

That’s because you’ll want to take the path which branches off to the left and leads you to the base of the lower falls.

At the bottom of the steps, there are some rocks you can walk out on. This is another good reason to wear sturdy shoes rather than flip-flops as they were damp and so could be slippery.

Standing on the rocks, you get a good view of the lower set of falls at Helton Creek Falls.

If you watch your footing, you can walk further up the rocks to get even closer to the falls.

That’s just the lower set of falls – you have another set of even more impressive waterfalls to come! To get there, head back up the steps you’ve just walked down, follow the trail round to the left and walk up some more steps.

At the top of the steps, keep going and walk across the bridge.

At the end of the bridge is a viewing platform with seating in the corner. This would be a scenic spot to have a picnic because…

… it overlooks the upper Helton Creek Falls.

You can get a better view though. That’s thanks to some kind soul who’s removed several of the balusters from the railing.

Now, that photo makes it look like you’ve got to lower yourself on to a downed tree and walk across it. It’s actually much easier than that.

There’s a tree stump beneath this gap that you can easily lower yourself down to. You can then walk across the rocks to the right to make it closer to the upper falls.

From down here, you can enjoy closer views of the cascading Helton Creek Falls.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can get even closer. There are several large rocks that lead to the center of Helton Creek, although you’ll have to be somewhat agile to be able to make your way over them.

The view’s worth it though. After taking a few photos, I just stopped and enjoyed the falls for a couple of minutes (about all my attention span will allow!)

In theory you can get even closer. That’d involve crossing the trees in the photo below; I wasn’t feeling that intrepid, so be careful if you are as it’s probably quite slippery.

All good things have to come to an end though, so eventually we made our way back to the parking lot to head down to Atlanta – the second city in the second state of our 5 year, 50 state road trip.

Final Thoughts

Helton Creek Falls near Blairsville in Georgia is a beautiful place to visit. It’s a short walk, so it’s perfect for all the family, plus its pet-friendliness means you can bring your dogs.

With two sets of waterfalls for the price of one none, it’s a wonderful free thing to do in North Georgia. Just be careful when crossing the fords on the way there!