Cherokee Falls is a 65-foot plunge waterfall on Daniel Creek in Cloudland Canyon State Park, Dade County, Georgia. It is the upper and nearer of the two falls on the park's Waterfalls Trail, about half a mile from the Main Trailhead, with the taller Hemlock Falls further down the canyon.
The falls
Daniel Creek drops in a single plunge off a sandstone ledge, one of the creeks that pour off the rim of the Cumberland Plateau into the gorges cut through this sandstone tableland. The drop measures 65 feet.
Getting there
The Waterfalls Trail starts at the park's Main Trailhead. Cherokee Falls is 0.5 mile from the start, 1 mile round trip on its own. Continuing to Hemlock Falls makes the full route 2 miles round trip, rated strenuous, with about 600 metal steps on the way down.
Parking requires a Georgia State ParkPass: $10 per vehicle per day or $70 a year. The park is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. In 2026 the entrance road has one-lane traffic with flaggers during construction, and the visitor center is being rebuilt, with a temporary center at the Group Lodge.
When to go
Flow varies a great deal, but winter and early spring bring the strongest and most sustained water.
On site
Swimming is prohibited. Leashed dogs are allowed, though the metal-grate stairs can be hard on them.
History and name
The falls had no name until a public contest chose Cherokee Falls for this upper fall and Hemlock Falls for the lower one.
Nearby
Hemlock Falls, on the same trail, is about 0.1 mile downstream. Waterfall Branch Falls is about 2.2 miles away, and Lula Lake Falls about 9.2 miles.
Distances are straight-line.