Tallulah Gorge

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 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. 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.

Location:
Tallulah Gorge is located in extreme northeast Georgia in the town of Tallulah Falls, between Clarkesville and Clayton, Georgia on U.S. 441

Directions
From Atlanta: take I-85 to I-985 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.

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*.

Gear
Standard rack and 2 ropes, a few aid routes. Bolts are rare. Pitches tend to be short, watch for loose rocks

Facilities
Tallulah Gorge State Park is Georgia's newest State Park, still growing and developing. The Park facilities are new. 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 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.

Miscellaneous
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. 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 no longer be possible. This has limited the climbing area to the North Rim, and climbers are not permitted in the gorge during water releases. 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. .