Anna Ruby Falls

Lower Falls
Waterfall in Georgia, United States
34°45′27″N 83°42′37″W / 34.757552°N 83.71022°W / 34.757552; -83.71022TypeTiered, twinWatercourseCurtis and York Creeks

Anna Ruby Falls is located near Unicoi State Park in White County near Helen, Georgia. The waterfall is accessible via a half mile (800 m) paved trail from a public use area with a small admittance charge. The Anna Ruby Falls Trail is designated a National Recreation Trail in Georgia.[1]

Anna Ruby Falls is actually twin waterfalls created where two separate streams- Curtis Creek and York Creek- join at the base of the falls to form Smith Creek, which flows into Unicoi Lake. Both Curtis and York creeks begin on Tray Mountain, Georgia's sixth-highest peak: Curtis Creek drops 153 feet (47 m) and York Creek drops 50 feet (15 m). The falls are named after Anna Ruby Nichols, the daughter of an early settler.[2]

The Anna Ruby Falls Scenic Area is a 1,600-acre (6 km2) area around Anna Ruby Falls and is part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, though access is only through Unicoi State Park. The U.S. Forest Service leases it to the non-profit Cradle of Forestry. The Cradle of Forestry accepts the "Golden Age" pass allowing seniors in free, with pass. There is an entry fee for the parking area, and a Georgia ParkPass (required for parking at Unicoi) is not honored, as it is on federal land rather than state.

Anna Ruby Falls is one of four popular waterfalls located in the Forest near Helen, Georgia. Two of the other water falls, Dukes Creek Falls and Raven Cliff Falls, are also in White County, while the third waterfall, DeSoto Falls, is in neighboring Lumpkin County

  • Cascade below Anna Ruby Falls
    Cascade below Anna Ruby Falls
  • Falls on Curtis Creek side
    Falls on Curtis Creek side
  • Falls on York Creek side
    Falls on York Creek side
  • Anna Ruby Nichols for whom the falls are named, 1865
    Anna Ruby Nichols for whom the falls are named, 1865

See also

References

  1. ^ Bartram Trail entry in National Recreation Trails Database
  2. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 194. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anna Ruby Falls.
  • Anna Ruby Falls Virtual Tour
  • Photo of Anna Ruby Falls
  • Georgia Trails - Anna Ruby Falls
  • Visiting Anna Ruby Falls
  • History of Anna Ruby Falls (video)