The best historic waterfalls in Georgia are High Water Falls, Amicalola Falls, Cochrans Falls and 2 more. Falls with a written record: a USGS naming history, a gazetteer description or older recorded names.
See every waterfall on the Georgia waterfalls page or the Georgia waterfall map, or browse by town: Blairsville, Dawsonville, Clayton.
How we picked: We took the 5 publicly accessible Georgia waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
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1. High Water Falls
High Water Falls is a named waterfall about 11 miles south of Blairsville. USGS notes: approx. 500 ft. high; in Chattahoochee National Forest, a series of falls on an unnamed tributary of Frogtown Creek, 0.8 mi. SSE of Neels Gap
Lumpkin County, GA (GPS 34.7233, -83.9202)
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: approx. 500 ft. high; in Chattahoochee National Forest, a series of falls on an unnamed tributary of Frogtown Creek, 0.8 mi. SSE of Neels Gap. Name history: The name refers to the long drop of the falls and its prominence after heavy rainfall. The nearest town is Blairsville, about 11 miles to the north. The nearest other named waterfall is DeSoto Falls, about 0.4 miles to the south.
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2. Amicalola Falls
Amicalola Falls, near Dawsonville, is next up, rated 4.9 out of 5 from 465 reviews.
Dawson County, GA 30534 (GPS 34.5640, -84.2396)
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Older records also call it Amicolola Falls and Armacolola Falls. Visitors rate it 4.9 stars across 465 Google reviews. The nearest town is Dawsonville, about 12 miles to the southeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Cochrans Falls, about 1.8 miles to the northeast.
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3. Cochrans Falls
Cochrans Falls, near Dawsonville, is next up, rated 4.2 out of 5 from 20 reviews.
Dawson County, GA 30534 (GPS 34.5795, -84.2138)
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Older records also call it Cochrans Creek Falls and Cochran Creek Falls. Visitors rate it 4.2 stars across 20 Google reviews. The nearest town is Dawsonville, about 12 miles to the southeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Amicalola Falls, about 1.8 miles to the southwest.
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4. Wilson Falls
Wilson Falls is a named waterfall about 12 miles west of Clayton. USGS notes: located at the head of the Right Fork Soque River, 2 mi W of Lake Burton
Habersham County, GA (GPS 34.8181, -83.5952)
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: located at the head of the Right Fork Soque River, 2 mi W of Lake Burton. The nearest town is Clayton, about 12 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Hemlock Falls, about 2.5 miles to the north.
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5. DeSoto Falls
DeSoto Falls near Blairsville is worth the drive, rated 4.6 out of 5 from 215 reviews. Visitors come here for creek, upper falls, and easy hike.
Lumpkin County, GA 30528 (GPS 34.7170, -83.9194)
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Older records also call it De Soto Falls. Visitors rate it 4.6 stars across 215 Google reviews. The nearest town is Blairsville, about 11 miles to the north. The nearest other named waterfall is High Water Falls, about 0.4 miles to the north.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best historic waterfall in Georgia?
High Water Falls tops our 2026 list. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: approx. 500 ft. high; in Chattahoochee National Forest, a series of falls on an unnamed tributary of Frogtown Creek, 0.8 mi. SSE of Neels Gap. It is near Blairsville in Lumpkin County.
How many historic waterfalls are in Georgia?
5 of the 36 waterfalls we track in Georgia qualify. This page ranks the top 5; every waterfall in the state is on the Georgia waterfalls page.
How was this list made?
We took the 5 publicly accessible Georgia waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
Which counties are they in?
The 5 on this list are in Lumpkin County, Dawson County, and Habersham County.
More Georgia Waterfalls by Type
- 6 Best Hidden Gem Waterfalls in Georgia 2026
- 8 Best Waterfall Hiking Locations in Georgia
- 10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Georgia
- 5 Most Visited Waterfalls in Georgia
- 5 Must-See Waterfalls in Georgia
Or browse every type on the historic waterfalls by state page and the waterfall types hub.