Chattahoochee National Forest: DeSoto Falls Recreation Area (Blog Hike #1071)

Trail: DeSoto Falls Trail
Hike Location: Chattahoochee National Forest, DeSoto Falls Recreation Area
Geographic Location: north of Dahlonega, GA (34.70786, -83.91444)
Length: 2.2 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: May 2025
Overview: A double out-and-back to Lower and Upper DeSoto Falls.
Area Information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/chattahoochee-oconee/recreation/desoto-falls-recreation-area
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=989695
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming May 1, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From Dahlonega, take US 19 north 17 miles to the signed entrance for DeSoto Falls Recreation Area on the left.  Take a soft left to enter the area, and then turn left into the day-use falls parking lot.  Park here.

The hike: The North Georgia Mountains contain a plethora of famous and scenic waterfalls.  Amicalola Falls impresses with its sheer height, Raven Cliff Falls impresses with its cliff-cutting action, and the waterfalls in Tallulah Gorge impress with their water volume.  Often overlooked among the region's waterfall options is DeSoto Falls, perhaps because of the more famous and identically named waterfall in nearby Alabama.  Yet anyone willing to come to Chattahoochee National Forest's DeSoto Falls Recreation Area after a good rain will find 1 nice waterfall and 1 show-stopping waterfall as scenic as any in the region.

            The DeSoto Falls Recreation Area protects 650 acres around its namesake waterfalls and along scenic Frogtown Creek.  The Recreation Area features a cozy 23-site campground in addition to some picnic tables and, of course, the trails to the waterfalls.  The area's trail system does not connect to any other trails, so waterfall enthusiasts will have it all to themselves.  The hike described here uses every trail in the Recreation Area, and it features both of the waterfalls the Recreation Area has to offer.

Trail leaves parking area

            Start at the big information board near the front of the day-use parking lot.  The wide dirt trail descends gradually on a broad switchback as it passes through the Recreation Area's picnic area.  Numerous picnic tables sit here, and several of them were in use on the warm and humid Tuesday afternoon that I came here.

Footbridge over Frogtown Creek

            After a few hundred feet, you reach the campground road.  Angle left to start walking along the paved campground road, then turn left to cross Frogtown Creek on a nice wooden footbridge.  Immediately after crossing the bridge, you reach a trail intersection with options going left and right.  Each of these two trails leads to a big waterfall, so we will go both ways eventually; the hike to Lower Falls is shorter but steeper than the hike to Upper Falls.  I turned left to head for Lower Falls first.

Frogtown Creek

            Next comes a short flat streamside section with Frogtown Creek on your left, but at 0.2 miles you begin climbing the 2 switchbacks that lead to the Lower Falls viewing platform.  At 0.4 miles, you reach the viewing platform for Lower Falls.  Lower Falls drops 30 feet via several cascades, and while it would be the main waterfall attraction on many hikes, it is actually the lesser of the 2 waterfalls on this hike.  Lower Falls had plenty of water volume when I came here right after several days of rain, but it can become a trickle during a drought.

Lower Falls

            The trail ends at Lower Falls, so next you have to turn around, retrace your steps to the main trail intersection at the footbridge, and then continue straight to begin heading for Upper Falls.  The next segment is a pleasant streamside hike through forest dominated by maple and oak trees with some dying pine trees.  The mountain laurel was in full bloom when I came here in mid-May; the rhododendron was at least a month away from blooming.  Some poison ivy lives in the understory, but the trail is plenty wide to allow you to avoid it.  The campground is visible across the creek at first, and noisy US 19 can be heard everywhere on this hike except where it is drowned out by falling water.

Mountain laurel in bloom

            1.1 miles into the hike, the trail curves left to pass over a small hill.  A few lime green paint blazes mark the way, and you step over some wooden waterbars on this well-constructed trail.  At 1.3 miles, you reach the viewing platform for Upper Falls.

Upper Falls

            What a sight this waterfall is!  Water falls 120 feet in 4 distinct drops, but as with Lower Falls you have to come after a rain for Upper Falls to have enough water.  Upper Falls was fantastic when I came here, and it might be my second favorite waterfall in the North Georgia Mountains, behind Raven Cliff Falls.  The trail ends here, so your only option is to retrace your steps to the parking lot to complete the hike.

Waimea Valley Botanical Garden and Waimea Falls (Blog Hike #1070)

Trails: (unnamed)
Hike Location: Waimea Valley Botanical Garden and Waimea Falls
Geographic Location: north of Waialua, HI (21.63641, -158.05447)
Length: 2.2 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: April 2025
Overview: A modified out-and-back mostly on asphalt trail to Waimea Falls.
Park Information: https://www.waimeavalley.net/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=983720
Photo Highlight:

Hawaii Trip Video: (coming December 23)

Directions to the trailhead: Waimea Valley is located on SR 83 5.6 miles north of Waialua on the northwest side of Oahu.  Turn inland to enter the valley, and park at the only parking lot.  Alternatively, The Bus route 60 stops right outside the entrance to Waimea Valley.

The hike: Regardless of whether you arrive by city bus, tour bus, or private vehicle, at first Waimea Valley Botanical Garden screams tourist attraction.  There is the crowded parking lot and entrance plaza.  There is the mandatory concession building selling overpriced food items and souvenirs.  There is also the sky-high $25 admission fee.  But once you get away from the touristy stuff at the entrance and get into the garden itself, there is a very developed but very nice hike to be had here.  Of the 3 hikes I did on Oahu, this one may be my favorite even though it is the only one that does not lead to a beach.

            The garden is owned and maintained by Hi'ipaka LLC, a private non-profit organization created in 2003 by a collaboration of county, state, and federal agencies specifically to care for Waimea Valley.  In the previous 2 centuries, the valley saw ranching and farming, and Oahu high priests lived here.  Today a single main asphalt trail goes through the center of the garden to Waimea Falls, but an innumerable number of side trails offer access to the garden's more remote corners.  This hike goes out on the main trail and explores some of the side trails on the way back.

Information board behind ticket booth

            Walk through the open-air Visitor Center, pass through the ticket booth, pay the admission fee, and walk halfway around the circle behind the ticket booth to begin following the asphalt trail upstream.  Next you cross a side stream to reach an area dominated by native Hawaiian flora.  Many of the plants in this area are rare or endangered, and the ku'ula shrine, or fishing shrine, is also located here.

Native Hawaiian flora area

            750 feet from the parking lot, you cross the Waimea River on a bridge for the first of three times.  The river was a raging torrent due to recent rains on my visit, and the amount of water in the river will give an early indication of the amount of water in Waimea Falls.  You also reach a trail intersection here.  The trail going right leads to a dead-end loop on the south side of the river, and the trail going straight was closed on my visit.  Thus, I turned left to stay on the main blacktop trail.

Pineapple plants in Pacific garden

            The next segment passes through the hibiscus garden, which features seemingly every type of hibiscus from all around the world.  Tags help you identify the various flora.  Continuing upstream leads through the Central and South American garden and the Pacific garden.  The latter gives you the chance to see pineapple plants in a natural environment along with some large mango trees and a banyan tree.  I also did some nice bird-watching here that included some red-crested cardinals.  Later as I exited, some peacocks were roaming around the parking lot.

Large mango tree

            At 0.6 miles, you reach another major trail intersection just after passing Auntie Coco's Lei Garden.  I chose to turn left to remain on the main trail and explore the side trail going right on my return route.  The fruit, nut, and spice garden, which features some banana trees, comes next as you descend the steepest grade on this entire hike and cross another side stream.  While it seems odd to descend steeply while you are heading upstream, just keep following the paved trail: it is indeed leading to the main attraction.

Main garden trail

            You pass through the gardens featuring plants from the Mascarene Islands, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar in quick order while crossing the Waimea River twice.  Just shy of 1 mile, you reach the snack bar, amphitheater, viewing area, and swimming area for Waimea Falls.  The Hawaiian word for waterfall is wailele (pronounced like why-lay-lay), and at 45 feet tall and plenty of water volume, this wailele is quite impressive.  Swimming is allowed in the large plunge pool when the current is tolerable, which it was not on my visit.  The surrounding black-rock cliffs and green jungle-like growth make for a stark setting, and this waterfall made "wailele" my new favorite Hawaiian word.

Waimea Falls

Setting for Waimea Falls

            The trail ends at the wailele, so you have to reverse course through the gardens to return to the parking lot.  The return route is a good opportunity to explore the many dirt side trails that lead off into various parts of the garden and along the Waimea River.  While all of the side trails quickly come back to the main paved trail, they allow more lengthy and intimate interaction with the various gardens than the paved trail, plus they add some variety to your return route.  Also, although this is the only 1 of my 3 Hawaii hikes that does not lead to a beach, Waimea Bay Beach Park with its wide sandy beach, palm trees, and black rocks is located right across SR 83; it is accessible from the Garden by a short road walk and a pedestrian bridge.

Ahupua'a 'O Kahana State Park: Kapa'ele'ele Trail (Blog Hike #1069)

Trail: Kapa'ele'ele Trail
Hike Location: Ahupua'a 'O Kahana State Park
Geographic Location: Kahana Bay, HI (21.55636, -157.87591)
Length: 0.8 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: April 2025
Overview: A loop on slippery, muddy trail with views of Kahana Bay.
Park Information: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/ahupuaa-o-kahana-state-park/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=983718
Photo Highlight:

Hawaii Trip Video: (coming December 23)

Directions to the trailhead: Ahupua'a 'O Kahana State Park is located on the north side of Oahu on SR 83 14.7 miles northwest of Kane'ohe.  Enter the park, and park at either the picnic area parking lot or the park office parking lot.  Alternatively, The Bus route 60 has a bus stop just outside the park entrance.

The hike: Formerly known as Kahana Valley State Park, Ahupua'a 'O Kahana State Park protects 5300 acres above Kahana Bay on Oahu's north shore.  The park gets its name because it contains Hawaii's only publicly-owned ahupua'a, or ridgeline that separates 2 watersheds.  The ahupua'a are significant because they provide a convenient way to divide up the island's land.  The valley at this park's center remains relatively in its natural state, but 31 families still live within the park's boundaries.  Thus, this park is sometimes called a "living park."

            The park has few amenities, but it offers 2 hiking trails: the 2.5 mile Nakoa Trail named for the many koa trees found along its route and the 0.8 mile Kapa'ele'ele Trail.  I came here on my final day on the island, so I hiked the shorter trail in order to visit as many sites on the island as possible.  The Kapa'ele'ele Trail is short and easy except when the trail is muddy, which it frequently is: Kahana Bay is the wettest area on Oahu, a very wet island.  During periods of wetness, this trail becomes a slippery muddy mess, and it becomes a battle just to stay upright and avoid sliding off the trail and down the mountain.  I won that battle on my hike but not without some scary moments.

State park entrance

            From the park entrance, walk in the main park road to the Visitor Center on the left and the park office on the right.  Some nice palm trees grow along the road, and I saw some chickens and other fowl wandering around the parking lots.  The park road continues into the park's residential area, but the signed trailhead for the Kapa'ele'ele Trail is located to the right (northeast of) the park office.  Restrooms are also provided near the park office.

Start of Kapa'ele'ele Trail

            The Kapa'ele'ele Trail heads into the woods on a wide two-track dirt road.  Some large koa trees live in this forest, and the dense greenery and damp environment give this hike a strong jungle feel.  A couple of wet areas need to be negotiated on this old road, but the real mud-fest is yet to come.

Sunny grassy area

            Just past 0.2 miles, the trail enters a small sunny area, where the ground on either side of the trail is covered with grasses.  The trail narrows here, and after re-entering the forest you start the climb to this trail's viewpoints.  The dirt underfoot has volcanic origin, and it not only gets super slippery when wet but also cakes on your shoes.  2 ropes are provided, 1 on the uphill section and 1 on the downhill section, for hikers to grab onto and keep upright.  I made it uphill without using the rope, but I had to hold onto the downhill rope with both hands.

Climbing toward the viewpoints

            Just shy of 0.4 miles, you reach the first reward for your climb: a broad view over Kahana Bay with green Mount Kauhi beyond.  Next the slippery and rooty climb briefly pauses as the trail dips to pass through a boulder-filled ravine.  All roots and rocks seem to be covered with a thin slippery smear of mud, so go slowly and step carefully.  The forest here consists of java plum and octopus trees, and the hike retains its jungle feel.

First Kahana Bay viewpoint

            After climbing out of the ravine, you reach the Koa Kapa'ele'ele Shrine: a collection of volcanic rocks some Hawaiian peoples consider sacred.  Just past the shrine, you reach the spur trail that heads left to this hike's highest viewpoint.  Although you are higher up the hill, you can actually see more of the bay from the previous viewpoint than from this one.  Take a few minutes to rest and decide which view you like best.

Highest Kahana Bay viewpoint

            A super steep and super rocky unofficial trail continues past the viewpoint and goes several miles up the ridge, but next comes the most adventurous part of this hike: getting back down.  You could go back the way you came, but I hiked the entire Kapa'ele'ele Trail by continuing straight and immediately heading straight downhill.  A couple of switchbacks soon ease the grade, and the descent is steeper but less rooty than the climb.  I went slow and hung onto the rope, and I made it to the bottom of the hill without leaving my feet.

Final descent

Kahana Bay, picnic area view

            Just shy of 0.6 miles, the trail deposits you onto the shoulder of Kamehameha Highway, also known in this area as SR 83.  Turn right to begin the road walk back to the park entrance.  You want to walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic not only for legal reasons but also to admire the picnic area and beach along Kahana Bay to the left.   The views from the side of the bay may be the most scenic views on this hike.  Use the water hose at the shoe cleaning station beside the park office to wash the cakes of mud off of your shoes before boarding The Bus or getting in your car.