Today we hiked up to Long Creek Falls near Ellijay, Georgia.

I’ve been dragging my kids on hikes since they could walk. I’ve found that there are a few things that help keep them interested in hiking. First, a waterfall. They like some kind of view at the end, some sort of pay off. Second, bringing a friend. This makes it more fun for them, especially since many of their friends don’t do much wilderness adventuring with their families and the friends are usually pretty stoked to come along. Third, snacks. Everyone likes snacks.

We covered all the bases and brought a friend and snacks and our chihuahua. Even the chihuahua liked the snacks.

We took a Forest Service Road to a spot where it crosses the Appalachian Trail and headed for the falls. There are plenty of signs to tell you how to get there, and it’s only 2 miles round trip, so this hike is suitable for just about everybody.

The trail follows Long Creek along a particularly pretty section of the AT, and it actually converges with the Benton Mackaye Trail, so you’ll see both blazes, the white rectangle for the AT and the white diamond for the BMT.

The side trail to the falls branches off to the left. Don’t worry, there’s a sign!

There are big rocks to climb on and a small pool to play in at the foot of the waterfall. We had lunch on a big rock overlooking the falls. It’s a very short hike with a big pay off, totally worth doing if you’re in the area!

You can find directions on All Trails, here!