Amicalola Hike Inn Loop / No Carpool

Let's take advantage of a cool summer day with a brisk (but not brutal) hike to the Hike Inn at Amicalola Falls.

We'll cover about 10 1/2 miles, starting at the top of the falls and doing a loop hike with a break about halfway at the inn. Total elevation gain will exceed 2,000 feet, with lots of uphills and downhills throughout.

We'll keep an average pace between 2.5mph and 3mph, and we'll generally stay together as a group. If you're a speedster, you'll probably be frustrated; if you prefer it slow & steady, you may have difficulty keeping up. 

There is no organized carpool. We'll meet at the top of the falls parking lot at 8:30am for a 8:45am departure. The event duration is an educated guess, so allow extra time just in case.

The elevation gain, pace, and distance give this hike a difficulty rating of D4. If you don't have recent D3/D4 experience, this is not a suitable event.

We will meet at the top of the falls parking lot at Amicalola Falls State Park. The trailhead, restrooms, and falls overlook are located here. There are two levels of parking if the uppermost lot is full.

An approximate address for the park entrance is 280 Amicalola Falls State Park Rd, Dawsonville, Georgia 30534. See the top of this event description for GPS coordinates and a map link. Allow extra time if you're not sure where we're meeting.

Directions To Amicalola Falls from Atlanta

Amicalola Falls is a little over an hour north of Atlanta with no traffic. There are many viable routes; below are one set of directions from the Roswell/Dunwoody area. Please note that a popular route, via Route 136 at GA 400, was still closed as of a couple of weeks ago due to bridge work.

> Take GA 400 / US 19 to the intersection with GA 369.

> Turn left onto GA 369 (heading west) and continue for about 1 mile to the intersection with GA 9.

> Turn right onto GA 9 (heading north) and continue for about 17.5 miles as you pass through Dawsonville and as the road changes names to Spur 136 then GA 136 until you reach the intersection with State Route 342.

> Turn right onto State Route 342 (still heading north) and continue for about 3.5 miles until the intersection with GA 52.

> Turn left onto GA 52 (heading west) and continue for a little under 4 miles until you see the park entrance on the right.

There is a $5 entrance fee per vehicle at Amicalola Falls State Park if you don't have a Georgia state park pass.

The Hike Inn usually offers complimentary drinks (and leftover desert) to day hikers. The staff accepts tips in exchange for their hospitality.