Angel Falls is a 135-foot waterfall on Joe Creek in Rabun County, Georgia, in the Chattahoochee National Forest above Lake Rabun. It is the upper of two waterfalls on the Angel Falls Trail, which passes Panther Falls on its way up from Lake Rabun Beach.
The falls
A single drop of about 135 feet, estimated from lidar data, is classed as a horsetail. Georgia Waterfalls describes it instead as a triple-tier stairstep cascade and gives 90 feet.
Getting there
The trail climbs from Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area, a Forest Service site at 4726 Lake Rabun Road in Lakemont run by FIND Outdoors. Two trailheads serve the recreation area: one in campground Loop 2, which isn't available in winter, and a no-fee trailhead on Lake Rabun Road just west of Loop 2. Inside the recreation area, day use costs $5 per vehicle, and season passes are sold.
The trail is 1.75 miles round trip, rated moderate, over rocky and rooty ground, and takes 30 to 75 minutes. The first stretch to Panther Falls is the easier part; the push on to Angel Falls gains more elevation, with stone stairs and metal cables on the steep section.
When to go
The recreation area operates from April through October. The trail is open year-round, though the campground trailhead closes in winter.
On site
An observation deck stands at Angel Falls. Cell service around Lake Rabun is limited, so downloading maps before arriving is recommended.
Nearby
Panther Falls, passed on the way up, and Middle Falls, also on Joe Creek, are each about 0.2 mile away. Minnehaha Falls on Falls Branch is about 1.7 miles away and Bad Branch Falls about 2.4 miles. Clayton is the nearest town.
Distances are straight-line.
