DO IT: Hiking - Mountain Laurel Loop Trail – Amicalola Falls

With access points on the Spring Trail and Creek Trail, Mountain Laurel Loop Trail runs through the western slopes of Amicalola Falls State Park on the ridge above Amicalola Creek.

About the Park

Few parks provide a wider variety of hiking options than Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge. With 10 trails and one amazing waterfall, it’s easy to see why this 829-acre reserve outside of Dawsonville is among the most popular Georgia State Parks.

An excellent example of the North Georgia mountain wilderness, the park’s key feature is Amicalola Falls. Amicalola, a Cherokee word meaning “tumbling waters,” is an appropriate name for the 729-foot falls, the third highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River and the tallest in Georgia.

The premier path in the park is the Appalachian Approach Trail, an eight-mile path that leads from the park entrance to Springer Mountain, the southern end of the 2,150-mile Appalachian Trail (AT). Many other beautiful and diverse trails wind through the park and two trails – the Approach Trail and Len E. Foote Hike Inn Trail – enter the Chattahoochee National Forest. Activities are abundant at the Visitors Center, while overnight guests can choose to tent or RV camp, rent a cottage, or stay at the modern, resort-style Lodge.

The park hosts an annual Appalachian Trail Kick-Off Weekend, a three-day celebration that marks the start of the thru-hiking season, typically the first weekend in March. Thru-hikers are encouraged to register with the park’s rangers before heading to Springer Mountain to begin the 2,150-mile journey to Mt. Katahdin in Maine.

Amicalola Falls State Park is accessible year-round during daylight hours. All vehicles are subject to $5 GA State Park Pass. Frequent park visitors can save money with a $50 Annual Park Pass available at the Lodge or Visitor Center. Passes are good for one year from purchase date.  Pets are permitted in both the state park and national forest; however, they must be leashed in the state park.

The Visitor Center is open 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.