Minnehaha Falls is an 85-foot stepped cascade on Falls Branch in Rabun County, Georgia, a short climb above a cove of Lake Rabun in the Chattahoochee National Forest. A 0.4-mile round-trip trail from Bear Gap Road ends at the falls.
The falls
The stream fans out over a staircase of jagged, tiered rock, widening toward the bottom before gathering again into a single channel. A lidar survey puts the drop at about 85 feet. Older estimates put it at 60 feet. Some sources call the stream Falls Creek.
Getting there
The Minnehaha Trail (Forest Service Trail #147) starts on Bear Gap Road. From Tallulah Falls, Explore Georgia directs drivers north on US 23/441 for 3 miles to the Rabun Beach Recreation Area sign, left on Old 441 for 2.5 miles, then left on Lake Rabun Road to a point 1 mile past the recreation area. At the Flat Creek Community sign, turn left on Low Gap Road and keep left onto Bear Gap Road for 1.5 miles; the trailhead is on the right. Parking is a small roadside pull-off beside the lake, and there is no fee.
The trail is 0.2 mile each way, 0.4 mile round trip. It opens with a wooden staircase and is rated moderate.
When to go
The walk works in any season, and the rhododendrons that line it keep their leaves through winter. They bloom in May.
On site
A smaller waterfall along the path is not Minnehaha; keep climbing to the main falls. Roots are underfoot along the way, and dogs are allowed. The walk is suitable for families.
History and name
The falls take their name from Minnehaha, a character in Longfellow's poem The Song of Hiawatha. The site is managed by the Chattooga River Ranger District.
Nearby
Panther Falls and Middle Falls, both on Joe Creek, are about 1.5 miles away, and Angel Falls is about 1.7 miles. Rabun Beach Recreation Area sits on the drive in.
Distances are straight-line.