 Georgia
- Tallulah Gorge
 Location
Tallulah Gorge is located in extreme northeast Georgia in the town
of Tallulah Falls, between Clarkesville and Clayton, Georgia on
U.S. 441.
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Description
The Tallulah Gorge was cut by the once mighty Tallulah River,
now tamed by a series of hydroelectric dams which have reduced it
to a trickle. Almost 1000 feet deep, this rugged quartzite landscape
provides intermittent rock faces on both the north and south sides
of the mile long canyon. The most popular climbing area is the Main
Wall on the North Rim. The routes at Tallulah Gorge tend be serious
trad leads with only a handful of climbs rated less than 5.10. Most
involve at least two pitches. Nice exposure, no place for newbies.
Some bolts.
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 Directions
From Atlanta: take I-75 to I-85 north (which becomes
23) to U.S 441 North.
From Greenville: take I-85 south to U.S. 441 North.
Tallulah Gorge State Park is on the north side of
the bridge over the Tallulah Dam in the tiny town of Tallulah Falls.
The park road leads back to the
Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center. There is a self registration
kiosk for the $4 per day parking fee (free parking on Wednesdays).
Park on the back side of the lot if possible. The visitor center
opens at 8 a.m. You MUST get a permit to enter the gorge at the
information desk in the visitor center. You are required to keep
the permit with you.
![[ Yahoo! Maps ]](http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/mp/gr/mplogo.gif)
Yahoo road map of Tallulah Falls, GA
 Topo
map (TopoZone.com link)
Show larger
view of cliffs
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 Cliff
Access
ONLY 20 CLIMBERS PER DAY ARE ISSUED PERMITS! To get to the climbers
access trail, start at the S.E. corner of the parking lot and follow
the path down to the main trail (starts with wooden stairs ). Across
the main trail is a prominent Climbers Access Only sign. The steep,
eroded, and slippery trail leads across a slick rock slope near
the edge of the wall, to a dangerous (4th class) 40 ft. scramble
down a small wall, crosses beneath a small waterfall, then follows
the base of the cliff to the center of the Main Wall. (You can sling
a dead pine tree and rappel down to protect the downclimb). There
is a switchback in the middle of the Main Wall with a trail leading
upward and ending near the top of the first pitch of Digital Delight
5.8*.
Show larger view
of Out in the Country
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Guidebooks 
The Dixie Cragger's Atlas by Chris Watford. 1999.
Published by Market Place Press, 425 Market Place, Roswell, GA.
30075.
The Deep South Climbers Companion
by Rob Robinson and Chris Watford is currently out of print, unavailable.
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Routes
Digital Delight 5.8*, Out in the Country 5.9**, Mescaline Daydream
5.8***, Flying Frog 5.10 b/c***, Punk Wave 5.10a***
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 Land
Manager:
You may contact the park superintendent at the address below:
Danny Tatum
Tallulah Gorge State Park
PO Box 248
Tallulah Falls, GA 30573
Phone (706) 754 7970
Fax (706) 754 7974
E-mail: tallulah@stc.net
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 Emergency
Information:
911, you are in Habersham County
Tallulah Gorge State Park: Phone (706) 754 7970
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 Gear:
Standard rack and 2 ropes, a few aid routes. Bolts are rare. Pitches
tend to be short, watch for loose rocks
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 Facilities:
Tallulah Gorge State Park is one of Georgia's newest State Parks,
still growing and developing. Terrora Campground, located in the
park, caters to the car-camping and RV crowd with full hookup sites,
hot showers, picnic tables, trash disposal, $11/night. There are
only 5 exclusively "tent" sites. This campground is almost always
full, don't count on just driving up and getting a site- call ahead.
There are several hiking trails and mountain biking trails which
are being developed and improved.
The
Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center has convenient bathrooms,
a small gift shop, and displays the history and biology of the famous
gorge. The once popular and prosperous town of Tallulah Falls is
little more than a sign. There are a few tourist shops on a loop
road along the South Rim with an overlook. No convenience stores
or fuel is available in town, best to head north to Clayton. More
commercial camping can be found north on 441. Clayton is about 10
minutes north of the gorge, the nearest town large enough to have
motels, fuel, grocery stores, and restaurants.
See larger
view of Digital Delight
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Seasons:
The cliffs here face south, making this a warm area in the late
fall and early spring, though it can be cold when the sun is low
in the winter. It is usually too hot for summer climbing.
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 Access
Notes
Because of it's rugged terrain, Tallulah Gorge has a history of
tragic and deadly accidents. Trails accessing the bottom of the
gorge are steep and involve some scrambling. Several hikers have
fallen to their deaths,and there have been several drownings in
the pools below the falls. Rescues are arduous. Because of this,
Park Service has instituted a permit system to control access to
the gorge. Permits are free, and are obtained at the Interpretive
Center (ask at the desk at the information desk). You'll receive
maps and a copy of the rules. You must have your permit with you
at all times. Rangers patrol the bottom of the gorge, there is a
$100 fine for not having a permit.
There are now more frequent water releases from the dam, in response
to both environmental and esthetic concerns. A dry crossing at the
falls from the south to north side may not be possible, though a
new bridge has been added recently. The climbing area is limited
to the North Rim, and climbers are not permitted in the gorge during
water releases.
Show larger
view of Oceana Falls
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Miscellaneous
The first three weekends in November and first two weekends in
April each year are scheduled for whitewater kayaking and gorge
access is restricted to boaters. I recommend you E-mail ahead to
avoid arriving during closed periods, usually the last weekend of
each month.
Tallulah
Gorge Water Release Schedule
Show large
view of overlook
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Links
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Tallulah Gorge Trip Reports
7/15/00 Opening
Day at Whiteside, NC - Almost - submitted by Wayne Busch - Jason
Hale and Wayne Busch try to be the first climbers on Whiteside only
to find the closure signs have not been taken down. They go to Looking
Glass, then Tallulah Gorge.
10/21/99 Climbing
Scared - Submitted by Wayne Busch - Wayne has a foreboding dream
prior to climbing The Original Route at Whitesides with Jason Hale.
We also visit Looking Glass Rock and Tallulah Gorge.
2/27/98 -
February 7 - March 1st - Mt. Yonah and Tallulah Gorge - Submitted
by Wayne Busch - weekend group trip to North Georgia
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