Tallulah Gorge State Park

Monday 28 November
Today we left Jen and Jason’s and began heading north, but we are breaking our journey in Asheville North Carolina, to visit Biltmore House tomorrow. Since todays journey was less than four hours, we had time to visit Tallulah Gorge in northern Georgia for some hiking. Tallulah gorge is two miles long and almost 1,000 ft deep, and is one of the most dramatic gorges in the eastern U.S. The river above the gorge is dammed, and in the Spring and Fall “whitewater releases” are scheduled when flow over the dam can increase tenfold, attracting kayakers from across the country to brave the thundering water! Five impressive waterfalls cascade through the gorge, L’Eau d’Or, Tempesta, Hurricane, Oceana and Bridal Veil. We started along the rim trail, then descended about 400 steps into the gorge as far as a suspension bridge (lower row, second from left in my collage), which we crossed then climbed up the other side and continued along the rim trail on the other side, crossing back again across a road bridge adjacent to the dam, top right. It was a great hike and a beautiful day for it. Whilst there was some colour left, it would have been more stunning a few weeks back. It would also be better when the sun is somewhat more overhead, as the light conditions were challenging for photography with the contrast between deep shadow and bright sunlight. On the other hand, with all the steps involved, I wouldn’t want to tackle it in the heat and humidity of a Georgia summer! They have plenty of signs everywhere, warning you to make sure you have enough water with you! We then continued on to our overnight hotel in Asheville, and went out to a Latin American restaurant for dinner.
Step count: 10,645