Tallulah Gorge State Park State Park web site bills it as “one of the most spectacular canyons in the eastern US.” A public-private partnership between the Georgia Power Company and the Georgia Department of Natural resources, it is one of the first of its kind.
Multiple trails wander the rim, and another trail or two find their way down to the floor. A permit is required for that, but overlooks along the rim can prove sufficient for a first outing.
The main attraction at the park is the massive gorge of schist and quartzite, which cause the trail to sparkle when lit by the sun. The site is the result of double folding of the crust of the earth about 250 to 500 million years past. Draped in Eastern Hemlock and about 3.5 km long and 300 meters deep, it is equitable to the Royal Gorge in Colorado.
A well-traveled path runs a short distance up the bluff line to the east of the Visitor Center to the North Wallenda Tower. This feature once held tight the high wire used as the preferred method of crossing by the late-great Karl Wallenda. Fallen over and rusting into the hillside now, it is not nearly as interesting as its history.
Continuing past this to Inspiration Point, a spectacular view of the entire gorge unfolds. This is the best location for clear visibility of the falls and the cascades scattered across the length of the gorge floor.
A suspension bridge hovers about 25 meters above the rocky bottom of the Tallulah River, accessible by returning along the same trail down past the Visitor Center. On first glance, it seems a reasonable descent. Signage warns otherwise; 620 steps down to the bridge, and another 1062 to the base of the casade on the floor. It could be quite the enterprise in the humidity of a Georgira summer, but worth the effort.
It all that is too much, the Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center offers displays highlighting the rich history of the Victorian resort town. It includes information about the making of the gorge, and fame of the feature through appearances in Grizzly in 1976, and the cult classic Deliverance, in 1972.
