Fall Branch Falls, Blue Ridge, Georgia

I love everything about the mountains (except the steep, narrow, winding roads on the taller ones!). The terrain is so different from our flat Delta lands in Mississippi, and I find every hill, valley, ridge, gap, hollow, cove, and bald fascinating. While on our family vacation last week in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Blue Ridge, Georgia, my husband and I ventured out one morning to take a driving tour of some of the back roads near our cabin. Before leaving home, I researched the area and discovered a semi-easily-accessible waterfall nearby, and that was our ultimate destination. The waterfall is called Fall Branch Falls, and it is a double waterfall, with mountain laurel and rhododendron growing along the trail and creek bank. According to the Fannin County, GA website, the hike to the falls takes about 30 minutes round-trip, which we found to be accurate. But before I share my pictures of the waterfall, I'd like to show you some of the scenery we passed along the road to the falls. The winding gravel road itself was beautiful ... And I was pleased to capture this little stream running through a hollow far below the road. The woods were quiet and still, and we stood on the edge of the road for several minutes enjoying the cool, lush green canopy overhead and the sounds of the water rushing along, as it meandered around and over the rocks. A few miles down the road we came upon the parking area and entrance to the path leading to the waterfall. Parts of the path were nice and level, and, much to my husband's chagrin, I made several stops to get closer looks at the lagniappe along the way (you can click on the pictures, if you would like to get a closer look, too) ... It didn't take long for the rocky path to get steeper, and for a while I felt as if we were climbing straight up ... I was very happy when we came across this sign, with its arrow pointing to the right instead of UP ... The strenuous (to me, anyway) climb was soon forgotten as I got my first glimpse of the falls ... The upper portion of Fall Branch Falls is a series of cascades that lead to a single major drop of approximately 50 feet, with the water plunging into a deep pool at the base of the falls. Although there are dozens of waterfalls in the Blue Ridge area much higher and probably more impressive than Fall Branch Falls, I was thrilled to be able to see it and capture it as it was that day we visited. I hope you enjoyed my tour of Fall Branch Falls. If you are ever in the Blue Ridge, Georgia area, I hope you will take the time to see it for yourself. I'm sure you will find all kinds of lagniappe along the way, too. If you would like to read about some of the other waterfalls in the area, you can click on this link: Fannin County, Georgia