Georgia’s best state park features a suspension bridge, a gorge that stretches two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep, waterfalls, cliffs, 20 miles of trails, campsites and a sand beach.
Southern Living recently unveiled its 2023 South’s Best Awards. The seventh annual awards name the South’s best small towns, the South’s best cities, the top BBQ restaurants by state, the best locally-owned restaurant in every state, the South’s best hotels and more.
When it came to state parks, all the opportunities Tallulah Gorge State Park offers visitors helped it stand out from the rest.
The Hurricane Falls Loop offers hikers a strenuous 2.25-mile hike that follows the rim past sweeping overlooks, then down a long staircase to a suspension bridge swaying 80 feet above the falls. On days when water releases aren’t scheduled, the park allows 100 visitors per day to hike to the gorge floor.
The park offers archery, biking, fishing, geocaching, swimming and rock climbing with a permit.
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge Tallulah Gorge is a great place to visit no matter the time of year. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge The area offers numerous hiking opportunities. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge and some gorgeous waterfalls! (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge But several times during the year, there are special water release days. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge On a typical day, the water flow through the gorge is 35–40 CFS (cubic feet per second). (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge During aesthetic releases, the flow is 200 CFS... (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge and during whitewater releases, the flow is 500 CFS on Saturday and 700 CFS on Sunday. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge And plenty of kayakers visit during those days. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge There are 4 months of the year with aesthetic water releases. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge This water flow is less than the whitewater releases but much more than the regular flow of water through the gorge. Hiking & rock climbing in the gorge are not allowed on these dates. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge There are whitewater boating weekends during two months of the year. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge Check https://gastateparks.org/TallulahGorge for the schedule. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge The next Whitewater Boating Weekend is set for November 16-17, 2024. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge Water thunders through the gorge as kayakers challenge their skills & spectators watch from the rim. Hiking & rock climbing in the gorge are not allowed on these dates. (Nelson Hicks)
Water release days at Tallulah Gorge (Nelson Hicks)
Several times during the year, there are special water release days. On a typical day, the water flow through the gorge is 35–40 cubic feet per second. During aesthetic releases, the flow is 200 cubic feet per second. During whitewater releases, the flow is 500 cubic feet per second on Saturday and 700 cubic feet per second on Sunday. Plenty of kayakers regularly come out for the whitewater releases.
Water release days are planned for March, April, May and November this year.
The beauty of the park helped set it apart, too.
Tallulah Gorge State Park Here are some more photos from Tallulah Gorge State Park. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources)
“In a year when more people than ever are traveling and moving to the South, we wanted to put a spotlight on small towns in this year’s South’s Best Awards,” said Sid Evans, Editor in Chief of Southern Living. “These are the hidden gems our readers picked for their character, charm, and unmistakable Southernness.”
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Heading to the north Georgia mountains anytime soon? (Nelson Hicks)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground There's plenty of great food... (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground unique accommodations... (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques unusual finds... (Nelson Hicks)
Timpson Creek Gallery and amazing artwork that awaits! (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques This is Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Yes, other areas have antique shops, but none of them have Jim Reaves. Reaves, who retired from a career chasing the latest technology in the TV business, wanted to take a step in the opposite direction. Inside his Black Bear Antique store — an old general store built in the 1950s that used to sell gas and groceries — he did just that. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques “‘I’ve never seen one of those before,’ I hear that a lot or ‘I’ve never seen that nice a one.’ You’ve seen it before but I have the nicest one,” Reaves told WSB-TV’s Nelson Hicks. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques A walk through the store is like a walk down memory lane. Black Bear Antiques has a collection of some of the coolest and nicest relics you’ll find anywhere. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques “People say my grandmother ‘had one of those’ and ‘I remember those growing up’ and that’s part of it, the experience,” Reaves said. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Who used to have one of these? (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Interesting items at Black Bear Antiques Here are some more of the items at Black Bear Antiques in Clayton. (Nelson Hicks)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Next up is Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground What makes the Bleu Canoe unique? It’s one part restaurant, a Cajun restaurant in the mountains at that... (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground and one part tiny house campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground “We have eight tiny homes and three historic fish cabins from the 40s that we rehabbed for nightly stays and then we have the restaurant, which is Cajun Creole-themed,” owner Jim White said. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground “Its kind of like what we like to do now,” owner Lee White said. “You can go camping, but you still have a bed and bathroom. It’s all wooden, quiet up there. We’re actually abutted to Georgia Power land so there’s hundreds of acres of just forest next to us. People see bears, people see bobcats, all kinds of wildlife.” (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground With Jim White having 25 years in the restaurant business, the food can’t be beat. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground Here are some more photos from the Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. (Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground)
Timpson Creek Gallery Next up is Timpson Creek Gallery. Cecile and Dwayne Thompson are the masterminds behind this historic Rabun County institution. Duane got his start working with wood more than 40 years ago. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery “I did anything that came through the door,” Dwayne Thompson said. “I’d put in an ax handle, build a cabinet, bookcases, anything anybody asked for, that’s what I did. Been here ever since. That’s been a long time, that’s been 40 years ago or so.” (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery His creations are legendary in the area. From his woodwork to his chandeliers, to anything and everything made with horns, Thompson can do it all and has done it all. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery The gallery also offers collections that his wife creates and curates, whether that’s furniture, jewelry, pottery, art work or anything and everything covered with fabric and more. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery Here are some more photos from Timpson Creek Gallery in Clayton. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery Here are some more photos from Timpson Creek Gallery in Clayton. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery Here are some more photos from Timpson Creek Gallery in Clayton. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery Here are some more photos from Timpson Creek Gallery in Clayton. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery Here are some more photos from Timpson Creek Gallery in Clayton. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Timpson Creek Gallery Here are some more photos from Timpson Creek Gallery in Clayton. (Timpson Creek Gallery)
Chophouse at La Prade's Check out what’s on the menu at the Chophouse of LaPrade’s. Chef James Reaux, a James Beard Centennial Honoree at the prestigious James Beard House, is the brains behind this operation. This restaurant has good food with the fun to match it. (Nelson Hicks)
Chophouse at La Prade's “Great people, great food, great atmosphere, a lot of fun on the water,” manager Andrew Munnis said. “We do dock parties, we do live music, we do rock the dock on Saturdays. We (have) special drinks.” (Nelson Hicks)