Snow and Waterfalls in Highlands, North Carolina

We were in need of a relaxing weekend and wanted to enjoy some winter weather while still socially distancing, so we booked a weekend in a historic (but renovated) 1924 cabin in Highlands, North Carolina. Highlands is only a little more than a two hour drive from Atlanta, but is at over 4,000 feet altitude and is a small touristy mountain town. A great thing about living in Atlanta is that the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains are easily accessible, with great opportunities for weekend trips for relaxing, hiking, or just to experience cooler weather.

Our cute little historic house.

The cozy living room.

David relaxing by the fireplace.

After settling in, we set out to see a couple of waterfalls before sunset. The first, Bridal Veil Falls, is right along highway 64, one of the only routes in and out of town. We made a quick stop to take in the view, which was complete with a big row of icicles draped from the overhanging rock.

A road goes under the falls, but it's closed to vehicles in winter.

So many giant icicles.

Bridal Veil Falls - the view from across the road.

Our next stop was just a few miles down the road. Dry Falls is part of the Nantahala National Forest, with a $5 entrance fee to park. It's worth it to see this impressive waterfall and take the trail right underneath the falls.

The view down the valley.

Dry Falls is very large!

It's called "Dry Falls" because you can go underneath the falls and stay dry, thanks to the large rock overhang.

The freezing mist formed ice across the hillside.

The guard rail was covered in ice too. Watch your step!

We made a brief stop back in town to walk around a bit, and stopped at Mountain Fresh Grocery to pick up some supplies. Highlands is one of the cuter mountain towns in the region. It's also higher-end, with a couple of nice restaurants and some historic inns right in town. It's not very big (only about 2,000 people live here), and has a nice concentrated walkable downtown.

Lots of cute shops and restaurants.

Historic downtown Highlands. Just ignore the parking :)

A historic hotel in downtown.

The next day we did a longer hike to Glen Falls, which is actually a series of waterfalls along a forested trail that descends around 750 feet to the bottom of the valley. The trail continues for some distance, but we recommend stopping and turning around at the third waterfall overlook, as there are not any waterfalls past that point. We went as far as a point where the trail crosses the stream toward a campground, and turned around there.

Year-round green in this part of the country!

One of the impressive waterfalls.

Another cascade further down the trail.

Some sprouting moss on a tree.

After our hike we got some coffee and food to go from Calders Coffee and Highlands Smokehouse (both recommended), and went back to our cabin in time to avoid driving the mountainous roads during the incoming snow. We had a nice relaxing evening watching the snow and enjoying the fireplace.

Yay, snow!

This is what we woke up to - beautiful snow!

The porch with a lovely snow view.

David enjoying the snow.

A true winter wonderland!

Many of the trees on the mountaintops were covered in ice and snow.

A viewpoint on our way home.

Another viewpoint closer to Georgia.

Highlands is a great little spot to visit not too far from Atlanta. Under normal circumstances, it would be nice to shop and eat in the cute downtown. We'll stop by again sometime in the future for sure.

North Georgia Waterfalls and Mill Town

In late December we spent a socially distanced weekend in north Georgia at the historic Habersham Mills. The property is an old mill town along the Soque River. Everything from cannons to athletic gear was manufactured here until the mill finally closed in 1999. The historic mills are in the process of being renovated, and there are several very unique lodging options on site. We stayed in the Old Post Office space. It was truly a unique stay, and much different than the typical woodsy cabin options you often see in north Georgia. You're free to roam the grounds and see all of the old buildings. Highly recommended!

Our AirBnB was the top floor of this old Post Office.

A very cute space, with locally made furniture.

Inside the main mill building.

It's a huge complex, with several giant buildings along the river.

Soque Shoals and the former power generating station.

Our place was renovated beautifully, with an eye toward historic preservation.

While we enjoyed hanging out in the unique space and roaming the mill grounds, we also did quite a bit of hiking and explored a number of waterfalls. North Georgia is dotted with waterfalls, many of which are quite large and impressive. Each has it's own distinct flavor. Even in winter many of the trails remain somewhat green thanks to rhododendrons and other species that stay green year-round.

The first waterfall we visited may have been our favorite - Minnehaha Falls. It's accessed via dirt roads. You don't need a 4x4 (our little Ford Fiesta made it) but we did have to ford a tiny stream across the road! There's limited road-side parking and it's a short hike up to the falls. The trail was a bit muddy and icy but still easy to traverse. The falls cascade down a series of rock features, creating an impressive series of little waterfalls.

Overview of Minnehaha Falls.

You can walk right up to the falls, and even climb around the edges if you want. Watch out for ice!

Hemlock Falls was the second waterfall we visited. This was smaller than Minnehaha falls, with a longer hike to get there. It was a pleasant walk through the woods alongside the stream, with several small cascades along the way. The falls are at the end of the trail, with a pretty pond at the base of the falls. Some fellow hikers brought their dogs, who enjoyed frolicking in the water.

David at one of the little falls along the trail.

An overview of Hemlock Falls.

Paul with the falls.

Part of the trail crosses the stream on this little wooden bridge.

Our biggest hike was part of the Bartram Trail. This is a long trail, with over 35 miles of trail in Georgia and more in North Carolina. The trail is named after an 18th century botanist, the first European to catalogue the unique species in the region. We hiked a portion of the trail that included Becky Branch Falls and Martin Creek Falls. The wooded trail meandered around little ridges and several streams, and had a few somewhat steep sections. Overall it was still an easy trail and the waterfalls were the highlight.

Becky Branch Falls.

Trees overhanging the Bartram Trail.

Martin Creek Falls. There's a little wooden viewing platform here.

The trail was a little muddy from melted ice and recent rain.

Just across the street from the section of the Bartram Trail that we hiked is a more accessible section - a short mostly flat trail with interpretive signs that leads to Warwoman Dell. This waterfall is quite small, but is picturesque as it falls into a very shallow pool in a tiny canyon. This is worth doing if you're in the area because it's a short hike and you can learn more about Bartram's travels, native plant species, and even the planned 1800s railroad that was never built - part of the trail travels in the strip of land that was cleared for trains.

Warwoman Dell.

Our final waterfall in one of the more famous waterfalls in the area, at Tallulah Gorge State Park. This is a much visited area, with a big parking lot and an easy trail to a couple of viewpoints. During non-COVID times there are exhibits in the visitors center. We arrived shortly before closing, so we didn't have time to do the full loop trail (with about 560 feet in elevation change), but we were treated to a beautiful sunset. 

View down the gorge.

Sunset at Tallulah Gorge.

In addition to hiking, waterfalls, and relaxing at Habersham Mills, we also saw a couple of the local towns. We couldn't do much because we were social distancing, but we did see some cute touristy areas and had an outdoor breakfast. North Georgia is full of cute mountain towns.

A church in Clarksville.

Big ol' omelet for breakfast in Clayton

Pimento cheese dip. Who knew?

North Georgia is full of a surprising area of great hikes, waterfalls, and cute little towns, all within a short drive from Atlanta. We'll be back soon!