High Falls State Park is home to the tallest cascading waterfall south of Atlanta, Georgia. Once the site of a bustling 19th-century industrial town, the area has traded the hum of machinery for the roar of the falls.
High Falls State Park
2026 Price: $10 per vehicle
High Falls
Towaliga River is a 52-mile tributary of Ocmulgee River in central Georgia. It cascades 135 feet over granite ledges, creating a staircase of whitewater. Because we visited on a stormy day, we focused our time on exploring the waterfall.
Hiking Trail
The 1.5-mile Falls View Trail is a strenuous double-looped trail along the banks of the river. Red diamond blazes guide visitors on the path.
Dozens of wooden stairs and slanted, uneven rocks make up the early portion of the trail next to the waterfall. Even watching my footing, I quickly twisted my ankle.
As there are multiple overlooks, High Falls changes and evolves as it flows downstream. In January, Towaliga River tumbled more than roared due to low water levels.
The first viewpoint looked downriver from the rocky shoals near the brink of the falls.
Then water flowed over a single, sloped drop across the river. Near the far bank, an angled ledge created a tiny cascading waterfall.
Finally, the main cascade rolls into a lower pool of the riverbed before continuing through the park.
History
Prior to the arrival of settlers, the Creek (Muscogee) Nation occupied this region. Towaliga River is of Creek origin and roughly translates as “place among the trees,” “old place,” or “scalp place.”
Other Activities in the Park
In the early 1800s, High Falls was an industrial town with a grist mill, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, hotel, and stores. When a major railroad bypassed it in the 1880s, the town slowly transformed into a ghost town.
The 0.5-mile universally accessible Historic Trail includes the dam, berm walls, powerhouse penstocks, grist mill, and Old Alabama Bridge. This trail also has an observation platform for High Falls.
A 2.5-mile Tranquility Trail wanders through the woods, providing a chance to forest bathe and enjoy a bubbling brook.
Visitors can also stay at the campground or in lakeside yurts. Boating, paddling, and fishing are popular in the 650-acre lake. Largemouth bass, flathead and channel catfish, striped bass, crappie, bream, and bluegill are common.
The town may be a ghost, but the falls are very alive. This combination of history and rocky cascades reminds me of another Georgia state park – Watson Mill State Park. Are you a fan of areas that highlight history and nature? Let me know your favorite places below!