The trail was a good workout and the falls were beautiful. However the road to the trail was…read morebrutal. A section of the road is washed out - you have to drive through a stream. Most of the road is rocks and ruts - best for you to have a sturdy 4 wheel drive vehicle.

This is my GOTO for any season ... doing this hike in summer is just extraordinary. We did this…read morehike with our dog , it's medium with lil elevations . I love the swimming hole here , not so deep for you n ur fur babies . Mine is a 78 pound lab mix who loves water . Most of the trail is covered with trees so even on a hot summer day you can totally attempt this .

This was definitely a different landscape for us and we loved it. We were happy we had a four wheel…read moredrive because the drive here is not paved at has steep hills. When you get here there is no signage at all. You just drive and look for it. There is really no parking except for parking on the side of the creek. There are areas for people to camp but they are not defined. We drove as high as we could and someone else driving down. They told us to follow them to one of the falls, but there was not much of a fall bc of the lack of rain. We had also parked at the spot they pointed to us for a break from the uphill steep drive. We went down more and parked by the creek and went down to see the water. When we got there, we looked up and saw the fall, but it was a bit of a distance for us to drive back to, plus we would have to walk over rocks to get to it. I didn't get to take a pic but it was pretty. We did like this trip, but I think I wished I could have seen more. The day before we went to the Edge of the World in Dahlonega and enjoyed that more.

Place was beautiful, but it kinda sucked that the upper falls are closed due to some construction…read moreto the trails. It really doesn't tell you anywhere either, you just find out when you get there. Place is so amazing though!

This trail is very nice and easy, basically no elevation gain till close to the end of the trail…read more There are many mini falls along the trail level, the creek was clean and relaxing. Parking space is very limited, prepare $5 dollar for the self serving machine for the parking ticket, it's hard to find spot at the weekends, Senior pass is acceptable. I climbed to half at the end, just to the point where I could see the falls in its entirety.

Great trail but not an easy one. Definitely make sure you take enough water and snacks because it…read moretakes about 2 hours to the top. Beautiful waterfall nonetheless.

If I could leave more than 5 stars I would. WOW! This trail was so good. It was a pretty moderate…read moretrail especially the first mile, then it does get more intense and rocky the last mile up. I love intensity, so no complaints. We did see a copperhead on our way down, but he was hanging out in the rocks. The views were to die for! It was so beautiful and green. Would love to do this hike again.

This is a substantial wilderness area. I snagged a parking spot down in the valley, and my…read moretrailhead yielded a walk of over an hour to the prime viewing areas. Here, unlike on my Brasstown Bald hike, the other mountains were actually visible, so it was a worthy, if tiring effort to get up there. The foliage was quite pretty and undisturbed along the way, and failing a few benches and stairs, little evidence of human visitation was present. There were no facilities at the parking area, no water, though a nearby Appalachian Trail center or the state park at the bottom of the valley probably had some services. Compared to Brasstown, this was a much more wild setting, and being nearby is worth checking out on any trip to the mountains.

I've never had such difficulty following a trail to the point I felt like giving up, but I almost…read moredid today. - - - I've come to face some hard facts in the last few weeks that has put me in a sort of funk. A) I'm getting older B) my body isn't responding the way it used to C) I've gained more weight in the last year than the past 5 years combined D) I'm tired all the time E) Aches & pains have become full time occurrences F) I am slowly losing my will to hike (which I love) or to work out (which I hate) In an effort to lose 60 lbs before the end of the year, I have embarked on a campaign to hike off my weight. This will also include biking when I get down a few more pounds and running once I've shed 40. Why mention that? So you would know my determination to complete this trail was unwavering, although I got lost and bruised trying to follow the nearly impossible to read faded map at the parking entrance. I spent nearly an hour trying to forage my way through the woods once I missed my turn. I lost the trail as I followed the wrong path along Holly Creek and I wasn't the only one! I met two couples also lost that were coming back from where I was headed. It was treacherous, and I lost my footing several times, nearly broke my camera. I should have known the trail shouldn't be this hard, but I kept searching anyway. Scraped, battered and bruised I returned to my car feeling defeated and frustrated. "You're smarted than this Richard! Don't let this trail defeat you" I said to myself. It was then I decided to take one more look at that map, and that's when I noticed a faint white line outlining the trail, which was different that the dark dotted line I was trying to follow before. After I learned the correct path, the trail was much easier to follow. So, here's what you need to know in a nutshell: - - - FOLLOW THE CORRECT TRAIL * From the parking area, follow the trail uphill. Downhill just leads to the river. * You will come to a point in about half a mile where the creek clearly splits. As the path takes you towards the creek, look for a green blaze marker on a tree near the shore. This is where you MUST cross through the creek. * Emery Creek Trail is unlike any other trail I've been on. THERE ARE NO FOOTBRIDGES to cross water. YOU MUST go directly through the creek, which means you might want to wear shorts & water shoes with grip. Most of the crossings will bring the water just a few inches above your ankle, but there was one crossing that was practically thigh high. * The stones in the creek bed are SLIPPERY!!! BE CAREFUL!!! You can easily lose your balance. * You will cross the river again 8 times, not counting a few low volume streams. The trail is clearly visible once you know how to follow it. JUST REMEMBER that each time the trail seems to end at the river, look to the other side and you will see the trail picks up again. Sometimes you will also see a green blaze attached to the tree, but sometimes you will not. * Once you see the old abandoned truck shell, you are about 1 mile from the falls. On the last creek crossing, there will be a sign on the other side directing you to turn left for the falls or keep straight towards the overlook. * Overall it is approximately 2.5 miles one way to the lower falls and 3.1 to the upper falls. I was exhausted and running out of daylight, so I didn't spend the extra energy to see the upper falls. 6.2 miles (round trip) - - - FINAL THOUGHTS What a BEAUTIFUL waterfall. The only truly way to get a good pic will require walking through the pool at the base, but this shouldn't be a problem since you'll already be soaking wet anyway. Although there were several teens lounging near the beginning of the trail, I walked to the falls and back without ever seeing another soul. I must admit that when I got to the final crossing (which I didn't know was the final) I felt defeated. I thought maybe I'd gone too far & missed the falls. I sat on a stone contemplating turning around. I listened for the fall, but could not hear or see it. I decided to cross the creek but had made up my mind I was definitely turning around in 100 yards if I didn't see or hear anything. No sooner than I crossed the creek did I see a hidden sign directing me left to the falls. Within 200 feet of that sign the falls came into view and I could finally hear that familiar waterfall sound. I thought to myself, how many times in my life have I battled to accomplish something, only to feel defeated & turn away because I couldn't see the finish... which was closer than I thought! I love nature because it brings clarity. So, if you are reading this & you are fighting a hard battle that has you feeling defeated... take heart. Our life map can sometimes be hard to read and we make wrong turns that leave us bruised. Even on the right trail we still encounter obstacles that must be overcome. It's a long walk but don't give up. You are closer to reaching your goal than you think! 2018/30

We loved this trail! Like the other reviews say, be prepared for a moderate intensity and to most…read morelikely get your feet wet. We crossed the river several times by managing to jump the rocks to the other side and several times by just breaking down, taking our shoes off and walking straight through the creek bed. Also once you get to the falls, we had to do what seemed like some vertical rock climbing to get to the upper levels. It can be steep! Ran into a few other hikers on the trail or camping up by the falls but for the most part it was a peaceful hike. Would only have been better if there were a few more trail markers! We were unsure where to cross at some points and had to double back a few times to find the right path. We wore our FitBits and estimated that the trail was approximately 8 miles round trip. I also brought my 12 pound Long hair Chihuahua Loki because he loves to hike. He did great even with his little legs and jumping over fallen trees. He had to be carried over the streams but otherwise he wanted to lead the way! If he can do it, we all can!

let me start by saying the one way treck is between 2.2-2.5 miles. so basically anywhere from 4.5…read moreto 5 miles round-trip. You start out at the trail head, there are restrooms there. You start out going uphill a little bit, which is kind of quick and if you're not warmed up or you're not ready or in shape , your calfs can start burning quickly. The first part of the hike isn't terrible but it is uphill. I would say a good 70% of the hike is uphill. some of the uphill is very easy and some of it is rather difficult. I wouldn't recommend getting here during the heat of the day as it is only a partly shaded trail and you are exposed to the sun a lot. The summit has a central area that is exposed to the sun and the surrounding tree line which is shaded. The second half of the trail is much harder than the first in my opinion. You don't exactly have to "Boulder" but you do have to climb over some rocks for a part of the hike. it's not a steep jump off the rocks or off the cliff or something like that. It's a fairly safe area but it's pretty rocky in some places. In some areas there's also a lot of roots. It's a beautiful hike and I would recommend doing it in the morning or later in the evening. As you hike you'll notice that some people have made trails that go up to the same place but are not part of the official trail. I took the official trail. I didn't use any side routes or short cuts. When you get close to the top, you still have a little ways to go, but it's close, you'll hit a gravel road/trail. It comes to a T. You want to go right and uphill and follow the trail that way. I would say the first third of the trail is fairly nice and gentle uphill. The second third of the trail, after the overlook gets rocky and rugged that's the hardest part. The third part of the trail isn't terrible, but it's worse than the first in better than the second (by the third part of the trail, you're tired, so it's really hard to gauge). That being said, if you hike a lot, you're used to Colorado hikes you're in shape, you do marathons, run a lot, exercise and are fit this may not be a difficult hike for you. i hike maybe once a month but I am kind of out of shape. I started on a Wednesday around 215- 220 PM and reach the top around 4 PM. I did have to take a couple of breaks. I do recommend hiking shoes, not because you need them to hike per se but because they protect your toebox, especially when you're going downhill. If you have bad, knees or joints, I do recommend hiking sticks, but if you don't, the hike , isn't that bad. lots of butterflies and squirrels and little critters around this time. Every time I took a break something was buzzing around so if you have bug spray, you may want to use it. I do recommend this hike, it's a great hike, it doesn't take too long. From start to finish it took me maybe three hours and I spent 30 minutes at the top. I don't think if this is a newer hike for you, you should go in the evening or at night, because on the way down, while the trail is fairly well marked, there are a little offshoots that people created, which may confuse you in the dark. there are also plenty of areas to sit down for a second to catch your breath. I think you are allowed dogs on the trail but I don't know if they need a leash or not. Be warned people do camp a lot and I did notice some small pieces of glass here and there especially near the top. It's definitely not a lot, but I did notice it. as you get closer to the top, it does get a little wet, but not terrible and it's very nice. There's usually a lot of people on this trail so it's fun! I've done this trail about three times now, I haven't been in the past couple of years, I will say that I'm out of shape, and it was a little bit of a burner, but well worth it,

This is a separate mountain that isn't park of any of the massive park areas in the Appalachians…read morenearby. The trailhead is at the end of a short gravel road that was bumpy; navigable with a sedan but not ideal. The hike is woodsy and not highly difficult, but the cumulative effect after a couple of miles is significant. I found a meadow short of the peak which was sufficient for my interest. It had some nice views. Wildlife included a woodchuck and a substantial snail population. This area was considerably less crowded than the bigger mountains or the tourist town nearby. It wasn't anything mind-blowing, but it's a good outdoor activity.

To get to the parking area for this is a 40 min dirt road drive on beautiful red earth and cliffs…read moreon the side of you going up. The views are beautiful but the drive is something haha. The hike itself is straight forward and beautiful. The makeup of the rocks causes them to appear like they glitter on the trail which was magic to my kids. There is a lean to on the trail they don't suggest using due to erosion. There are two nice metal markers in the rock to denote the official start of the Appalachian trail and what a glorious view you can sit and enjoy the beginning of your life changing journey!

Beautiful views and a wonderful trail to the summit!:) Not a…read moredifficult hike- family/kid friendly. I would recommend hiking the trail earlier in the morning- seems like it gets busy later in the day....

April 4, 2014, Tony and I was driving the back roads of Georgia on our way to Helen, GA to visit…read morethe Bavarian Village. We passed Fort Mountain State Park, which we love by the way. We visited there a few weeks back, but this time ON TO HELEN....on down the road towards Elijay, Ga I noticed a sign "COHUTTA OVERLOOK"...I said...BRAKE..side trip.. My husband is used to this..that is why I travel the back roads so I can find interesting sites, old homes and buildings and overlooks...I do this quite regularly...Glad I am the driver. I also Brake for Yard Sales...lol I drove out the side road and parked along the narrow ONE WAY road..and we started to climb up the side of the small mountain via a trail and some stairs...its a nice little HEART POUNDING hike..but once you are at the top...oh WOW !!! the View is AWESOME...STUNNING..the adjectives keep going on, on and on...You have to take the 10-15 minutes out of your schedule to check out this great vista. I loved it. I took several photos ( of course ) And AGAIN..I can't say it enough....FREE FREE FREE !!!!

Found in the Chattahoochee National Forest is the Cohutta Overlook. We paid this hidden in plain…read moresite overlook a visit while driving into the city of Ellijay from Fort Mountain State Park. Being a shade under 5 miles from Fort Mountain along GA-2/GA-52, i'm hesitant to say you can't miss this area because you can. Only a sign and a road going into a wooded area are all that alerts you. I'd advise you to turn on in. This lone road has parking spots along it, and loops around back out to GA-2/GA-52. Very close to the entrance of this road is a very small dirt trail, marked by a small wooden sign listed as "overlook", that goes up. Yea it can be sketchy looking, but if you head on up the trail, you'll be met with a stone circular clearing that gives you a nice view. On a clear day, it's beautiful, and while I wasn't here at night, I can only imagine that stargazing here at night must be out of this world. The actual trail is barely a quarter of a mile and is more a nature walk than any sort of a hike. There are a few wooden/stone stairs, but practically anyone can make it to the top. Very little foot traffic here, as my girlfriend and I had the place to ourselves for several minutes, which was nice. There is no physical address, but there are coordinates entered (34.785218, -84.626853). Nice little find that you probably weren't looking for. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!