Join GeorgiaTrails or login to add comments about this trail.

Stone marker at the start of the Hemlock Falls trail

The road to the trail begins just south of the entrance to Moccasin Creek State Park. Wear your wet hiking shoes for this one. There are two ways to hike this trail, and both have benefits. You can park your car at Moccasin Creek State Park and walk, or you can drive to the trailhead, down a bumpy, narrow, poorly maintained dirt road. Walking from the state park adds about 2 miles to the hike, which doesn't add much to the difficulty.

We walked this path last in May, '97, and it is a good hike. Although frequently hidden by the brush, the soothing gurgle of the river is always nearby. The path has evolved from an old roadbed to a series of hiker created paths around the wetter parts of the road. The path rises subtly, at times quite high from the creek leaving the hiker wondering how they got so far up. During the bare of winter another falls is visible from this trace. The wet hiking shoes comment is a caution because a number of side rivulets cross the path making shoes wet, and although we consider the path safe, this may pose a minor problem for less experienced hikers. About a mile down the treadway a wooden bridge crosses the river and you continue the final few feet on the other side of the river. Hemlock Falls are pretty, and were full flowing.

Older hikers remember when the trail continued on to Moccasin Falls. Damage to the path from hurricanes and snowstorms have made this trek difficult at best. This path also connects to the Appalachian Trail at Addis Gap, and portions of the trail to Addis are still hikable.

Join GeorgiaTrails or login to add comments about this trail.

Hemlock Falls Trail
Hemlock Falls Trail maps and directions
Trail reports for Hemlock Falls Trail
Historic reports for Hemlock Falls Trail