WATERFALLS & SUNSETS Series

Cochran Falls with Sunset from State Park Lodge

"Waterfalls and Sunsets" is a new series that I've come up with to highlight two of my favorite things in nature to admire.  Each event in the series will highlight anywhere from one to five waterfalls and then will polish off the day with a sunset viewing from a great location.  To make the most of the series requires coordination with mother nature's plans, so don't expect any of these to be posted more than 4 or 5 days in advance.

This event will highlight Cochran Falls, which is the second highest waterfall in Georgia.  We will begin the hike on the LFHI trail and after a few miles take a trail to Cochran Falls.  We will then hike to the bottom of the falls, admire the falls, take some photos, hike back to the top, have lunch, and then return to the LFHI trail.  From this point we will continue towards the AT connector trail, making a short stop at the LFHI for a view of the mountains to the east.  We will return to Amicalola via the AT Connector Trail.

After the hike, we will eat dinner at the Amicalola Lodge.  The Lodge sits on top of a cliff and has a dining area with huge windows that face directly west for our sunset viewing pleasure.  The buffet dinner is very reasonably priced at $12.95.

This hike will be approximately 13.5 miles long and have about 3,500 feet of ascent.  That's about the equivalent of climbing Stone Mountain 5 times and about 1,000 feet more ascent than the normal "Amicalola Loop" hike that is often posted.  It will also have some extremely steep sections that require a bit of scrambling.  One section of trail has a 600 foot ascent/descent in approximately 1/4 mile - in scientific terms that means it's RFS.  So if you are not comfortable on that kind of terrain, then you should refrain from signing up for this event or plan to wait while the rest of us visit the lower part of the falls.  The pace on this hike is listed as moderate, but it will vary on different sections.  We will take our time on the exceptionally steep portions, but will probably move along at the upper end of the moderate range on other parts.  But I will adjust the pace either up or down to ensure that we arrive back at the lodge in time... so if you don't have the ability to be flexible with your pace, then you may be hiking alone.

You should have recent D5 hiking experience with the AOC before signing up for this event, or you may be put on the waiting list until I can verify your experience level.

There is a $5 State Park parking fee required unless you have a pass.  If you do have a pass, please bring it with you even if you aren't driving, so that your carpool can take advantage of it.