Chattahoochee National Forest: Anna Ruby Falls and Smith Creek Trails (Blog Hike #192)

Trail: Anna Ruby Falls and Smith Creek Trails

Location: Chattahoochee National Forest, Anna Ruby Falls

Geographic Location: north of Helen, GA (34.75759, -83.71027)

Length: 9.6 miles

Difficulty: 10/10 (Difficult)

Dates Hiked: April 2006, August 2013, September 2022

Overview: A climb on paved trail to Anna Ruby Falls followed by a long, occasionally rocky and narrow, hike over Hickory Nut Ridge.

Falls Information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=10517&actid=50

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=720367

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video (for Anna Ruby Falls): 

Directions to the trailhead: From Helen, take SR 75 north one mile to SR 356 and turn right on SR 356.  Take SR 356 1.5 miles to the entrance to Anna Ruby Falls.  Turn left on the paved access road.  By-pass the Unicoi State Park checkpoint and continue to the Anna Ruby Falls parking area.  You will need to pay a small fee to enter the parking area.  Park in the large paved parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: Located near the resort town of Helen and easily accessed by a short, paved trail, Anna Ruby Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in Georgia.  For decades visitors have walked up this trail along Smith Creek to view this double falls.  One hike up the narrow gorge to this waterfall and you will want to return and visit again too.  

            In addition to the well-traveled trail to the falls, two other trails begin near the Anna Ruby Falls parking area.  The Lion’s Eye Trail is a 0.3 mile crushed gravel trail designed for the blind and physically impaired.  This trail, beginning to the right of the Visitor Center, takes visitors along Smith Creek to enjoy the streamside environment with all of their senses without any arduous climbing. 

For those who want a more secluded atmosphere, the Smith Creek Trail departs from the waterfall itself and leads 4.6 miles over Hickory Nut Ridge, terminating at the Unicoi State Park campground.  This hike will describe the hike to Anna Ruby Falls as well as the Smith Creek Trail.  Hiking from the Anna Ruby Falls parking area to the state park campground will cost you 5 miles one-way, so you will either need to arrange a car shuttle or be prepared to hike the 10 mile round-trip.

Trailhead: Anna Ruby Falls Trail

            The Anna Ruby Falls Trail begins to the left of the Visitor Center near the restrooms.  The blacktop trail, which follows an old railroad bed, immediately begins climbing with the steep black-dirt hillside on your left and the creek tumbling below you to the right.  Shortly the sounds from the parking lot fade behind you and, if you arrived early enough in the morning to have the trail to yourself (you will likely not have this luxury in the late morning or afternoon), only the pleasant sound of Smith Creek cascading over rocks joins you in the narrow gorge.  At 0.2 miles, cross a wooden footbridge over Smith Creek and climb the only fairly steep section of the paved trail. 

Soon the trail flattens out, and at 0.4 miles you will arrive at a pair of wooden observation platforms at the base of the falls.  Located at the confluence of York and Curtis Creeks, the twin falls drop 50 feet and 153 feet, respectively, over their respective ledges into an area of jumbled logs and large boulders.  What these falls lack in grace they make up for in power, especially after a nice rain.  While there used to be a trail to the top of the falls, these trails are now closed due to safety reasons.

Anna Ruby Falls

            Many visitors never proceed past the falls, but for a terrific backcountry wilderness hike, the Smith Creek Trail departs from the falls area, heading uphill to the right at a sharp angle from the paved trail.  The trail soon levels out and curves left, following the contour of the hillside.  Smith Creek is soon nowhere in sight, and the trail climbs gently, passing over the first of several rock outcrops.  It will take a careful step and a little agility, but this and the subsequent rocky areas are manageable by most people in decent physical condition.

Rocky section of Smith Creek Trail

            1.3 miles from the parking area, the trail drops slightly and fords a side stream without the aid of a bridge.  Most of the time, there will be no more than an inch or two of water in this stream, so this ford poses little challenge to the prepared hiker.  Across the stream, the trail climbs a steep bank using steps steep enough to be classified as a ladder and then turns right to tread a narrow course through a dense rhododendron thicket.

For the next 1.5 miles the trail follows a narrow modestly upward path cut into the hillside.  Be careful of your footing, as the hillside drops off steeply and a long way to the right should a misstep occur.  One area 2.5 miles into the hike is particularly rocky and precipitous.  All along you will be wondering if you are nearing the top of the ridge.  In fact, it will be obvious when you reach the top, as views through the trees (in the summer) open up on both sides of the ridge.

The trail widens as it crosses over the ridge top and begins descending the left (east) side of the ridge.  At first the trail remains near the spine of the ridge, but soon the trail turns left and descends along the sides of a high hollow.  3.5 miles into the hike, the trail crosses a stream on stepping stones and curves right to begin following the main stream downhill.  Through the trees to the left you can see an old logging road that is today used by horses and occasionally hikers.

Descending the Smith Creek Trail

            Over the next 0.5 miles the trail descends 400 feet along the stream, often using switchbacks to make the descent easier.  The lower reaches of this hollow are choked with rhododendron and become steep and narrow.  At 4.4 miles, climb steeply on wet trail to pass over a bluff, then descend and cross the creek on a footbridge. 

            At 4.5 miles, the trail climbs steeply to intersect the jeep road you saw through the trees earlier.  Cross the road and climb gently as the trail approaches the campground road for the Unicoi State Park campground.  Rather than intersect the road immediately, the trail maintains an elevation some 50 feet above the road and parallels the road for its last 0.5 miles.  5 miles from the Anna Ruby Falls parking area, the trail ends at a small gravel parking area across from the campground headquarters.  Water is available at this building, and several picnic tables invite you to have a seat.  From this point, you will either need to retrace your steps back over Hickory Nut Ridge to the Anna Ruby Falls parking area or drive the car you left at the campground back to the Anna Ruby Falls parking area to complete the hike.

Reaching Unicoi State Park