The bear had come and gone, but left ample evidence of its passing – a yard-wide swath of garbage, strewn from the gravel parking lot of Raven Cliffs, across a gravel road, and up a steep bank before disappearing into the dark forest.
Evidently, someone had left a bag of trash outside the bear-proof garbage cans, and the bear had taken advantage of the opportunity presented.
Despite the scattered trash, however, bears are rare at the Raven Cliffs trail head. The trail is near Helen, Georgia, and most weekends the parking area is filled with the cars of folks enjoying this popular day hike.
Wilderness Hiking the Easy Way
According to the website Georgia Trails, Raven Cliffs Trail lies within the 9,600-acre Raven Cliffs Wilderness Area. To access the trail, start at the parking area off Ga. 348 (Richard Russell Scenic Highway). There are restrooms with chemical-flush toilets available at the parking area, but no sinks. Hikers should carry wet wipes or sanitizer to clean their hands.
Close by the restrooms is a kiosk posted with information about the wilderness area and the trail. Hikers should take a look at this before starting, as rangers generally post details about changing trail conditions and regulations here.
Follow the gravel drive to where the trail enters the forest. The trail is an easy to moderate 2.5 mile hike to Raven Cliffs falls, with only a few short, steep sections to negotiate. There are plenty of roots criss-crossing this early section of trail, however. Wear good hiking boots with study ankle support and nip foot trauma in the bud.
The Waterfalls of Dodd Creek
The trail parallels Dodd Creek, a scenic, tumbling mountain stream which originates in the wilderness area. Dodd Creek joins smaller Bear Den Creek to form Dukes Creek, famous with eastern trout fishers.
Dodd Creek is a beautiful stream, and hikers will enjoy several cascading waterfalls along its length. Many are hard to reach from the trail due to the steep terrain and are best viewed from the path. Further along, several rustic foot bridges cross the stream, some made from logs cut lengthwise.
Raven Cliffs Wildlife
The trek winds through a mostly hardwood forest, abundant in wildlife. Lucky day-hikers may spot an elusive whitetail deer. Wild flowers abound in season; keep an eye out for ferns, Jack-in-the-pulpit, wild geraniums, and several species of asters.
Birds are abundant. Hikers may see vireos, grosbeaks, and others, including the ravens the area is named for.
Eager to cool off? There are several easy places to reach the creek. Find a spot to sit, shuck the boots and dangle tired, hot feet in the stream. The water is cold and refreshing. Many of the best spots on the water are available for overnight primitive camping, with flat sections for tents, and fire rings already in place.
Dodd Creek is also popular with trout fishermen. The stream is fishable up to the cliffs, and wild rainbow trout can be found in the deeper pools.
Raven Cliffs Falls
Hikers are rewarded at the end of trail with the rock towers of Raven Cliffs. Here, Dodd Creek plunges approximately 80' between two great slabs of rock, a grotto within the cliff face. Hikers will hear it as they get close, but won't see it until they're almost upon it.
The trail gains elevation sharply here. Hikers seeking to enjoy a view of the waterfall will need to negotiate a steep pitch with lots of loose rock littering the slope. It's easy to take a spill, so step carefully.
Past the falls, a very steep ascent will get explorers to the top of the cliffs, where the views are fantastic. This is a dangerous area, however, not recommended for kids, and hikers should exercise extreme caution.
Hikers will need both feet and hands to negotiate this section. Going up is bad. Descending is harder and more hairy. If a hiker has any doubts about his abilities, he should stay at the base and enjoy the falls from there.
Once at the cliffs, hikers can relax on one of the many huge rock slabs at their base – perfect temporary picnic sites where they can enjoy a pre-packed lunch, rest tired legs, and take in the magnificent views downstream.
And who knows, they might even spot a bear, rambling up the creek, on its way to play in the cool waters falling from Raven Cliffs.
Richard Freeland - Hi! Glad to meet you. I'm a registered landscape architect in Georgia, specializing in sustainable land planning, garden design, and ...
Join the Conversation