Caledonia Cascade, also called Cascade Falls, is a tiered waterfall of about 330 feet in Tallulah Gorge State Park, Rabun County, Georgia, where a small side stream tumbles down the wall of Tallulah Gorge. It runs well only after heavy rain, and in dry weather it can barely wet the rock.
The falls
An unnamed stream draining barely a tenth of a square mile drops into the gorge in three or four steps, the largest about 150 feet, just upstream of Oceana Falls on the Tallulah River. A lidar survey measured the total at about 330 feet; earlier surveys listed 600 feet, which is a gross overestimate. With such a small basin, it is often little more than a wet streak on the rock.
Getting there
At Tallulah Gorge State Park, parking costs $10 per vehicle, or $70 for an annual Georgia State Parks pass, and the park is open from 8 am to dark. The cascade is visible across the gorge from the South Rim Trail, at overlooks 8, 9 and 10, and its lower part from the gorge floor. The Hurricane Falls Trail descends about 1,000 steps to a suspension bridge 80 feet above the river.
To walk on the gorge floor, get one of 100 free daily permits after a morning safety briefing; none are issued on water-release days, and the stairs close at noon on very hot days.
When to go
Go during or after a spell of heavy rain, when the cascade actually flows. On scheduled release days in spring and fall, extra water is released down the gorge; in 2026 these fell on September 26 and 27 and on several dates in October and November, which fill the river but not this side stream.
On site
The gorge is about 1,000 feet deep and there is no path to the base of the cascade; stay on the rim trails and inside the railings. People have died in the gorge after falls and in the river. The gorge floor is not recommended for children 8 and under. Leashed dogs are allowed on the rim trails but not on the stairs or gorge floor.
History and name
Tallulah Gorge was a Victorian resort destination, and on July 18, 1970, the aerialist Karl Wallenda walked a cable across it about 750 feet above the river, stopping for two handstands, before about 30,000 onlookers. The state park was created in 1993.
Nearby
Oceana Falls and Hurricane Falls are each about 0.1 mile away, and Tempesta Falls about 0.2 mile, all on the Tallulah River below.
Distances are straight-line.