Hemlock Falls is a 95-foot plunge waterfall on Daniel Creek in Cloudland Canyon State Park, Dade County, Georgia. It is the lower and taller of the two falls on the park's Waterfalls Trail, a steep descent of about 600 metal stairs into the canyon below the plateau rim.
The falls
Daniel Creek falls in a single plunge into a boulder-strewn basin, one of the creeks that cut this gorge into the sandstone tableland of the Cumberland Plateau. Current listings record the height at 95 feet; earlier surveys cited 90 feet, a figure still used in some regional guides. A viewing platform faces the falls across the basin, and a large boulder sits between the platform and the plunge.
Getting there
The Waterfalls Trail starts at the park's Main Trailhead and drops quickly into the canyon. Cherokee Falls comes first, about half a mile from the trailhead; Hemlock Falls is a much steeper half mile further down, at the end of a spur. Trail descriptions rate the route strenuous and measure it at 1.8 to 2 miles round trip.
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 daytime one-lane traffic with flaggers, and the visitor center is under construction, with a temporary center at the Group Lodge.
When to go
Flow varies from week to week, with winter and early spring typically offering the steadiest volume.
On site
The metal stairs are hard on dogs, so carrying them down the steps is often suggested. The Sitton's Gulch Trail, which starts at the bridge over Daniel Creek, follows the water further down the canyon.
History and name
The falls had no name until a public contest, which chose Cherokee Falls for the upper fall and Hemlock Falls for the lower one.
Nearby
Cherokee Falls, on the same trail, is about 0.1 mile upstream. Waterfall Branch Falls is about 2.1 miles away, and Lula Lake Falls about 9.1 miles; the Cloudland Canyon Connector Trail links the park with the Lula Lake Land Trust.
Distances are straight-line.