Amicalola Falls & Helen, Georgia

Amicalola Falls & Helen: history

Amicalola is a Cherokee word that means 'tumbling waters'. The falls drop 729 feet and are the tallest in Georgia. From the state park a trail leads to Springer Mountain, where the Appalachian Trail begins its 2,190-mile route to Maine.

Helen was a quiet logging town until 1969, when local business owners rebuilt its main street in the style of a village in the Bavarian Alps. Gold was found at nearby Dahlonega in 1828, in the first major gold rush in the United States.

Amicalola Falls & Helen: tourist attractions

• Amicalola FallsSee the falls from the bottom, the top, or the 604 steps between.
• HelenAlpine-style streets, bakeries and small shops.
• Tubing on the ChattahoocheeA gentle float through town, in summer.
• Anna Ruby FallsTwin waterfalls at the end of a short paved trail.
• Unicoi State ParkA lake, a beach and zip lines.
• Georgia Mountain CoasterAn alpine coaster through the trees.
• OktoberfestMusic and dancing from September to the end of October.

Amicalola Falls & Helen: excursions nearby

• Babyland General Hospital about 9 miles from HelenThe home of the Cabbage Patch dolls.
• Dahlonega about 20 miles from AmicalolaThe Gold Museum and a tour down a gold mine.
• Brasstown Bald about 25 miles from HelenThe highest point in Georgia.
• Tallulah Gorge about 30 miles from HelenA deep gorge with a hanging bridge.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir about 75 miles from HelenA carved stone mandir at Lilburn, near Atlanta.

Distances are approximate. Tell us which excursions you want and we add them to your quote.