Amicalola Falls & the Appalachian Trail Approach Guide

Amicalola Falls is the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeast — 729 feet tumbling down the mountain in a series of drops you climb alongside on a stair-stepped trail — and it’s the gateway to something bigger. From the top, an eight-mile approach trail leads to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, where thousands of thru-hikers set off each spring to walk 2,190 miles to Maine. Even if you’re not one of them, standing at the arch where the great trail begins, in the heart of the North Georgia Blue Ridge, is a genuine pilgrimage. The mountains up here run on waterfalls, apple orchards, and cool air.