guided day hiking
This hike starts at the end of Tate City Road. Start following the old road uphill along the Tallulah River, which is pretty small here and only the size of an average stream. Immediately enter Southern Nantahala Wilderness. The trail you are currently on Beech Creek Trail. After undulating above the banks of Tallulah River, the trail passes through an overgrown field at 0.3 miles. This is the site of a former Girl Scout Camp. At 0.4 miles, reach a junction with the Deep Gap Branch Trail. Here, the Beech Creek Trail angles right and continues following the old road on its way to Case Knife Gap and the Beech Creek watershed. You’ll eventually return to the Beech Creek Trail much further down in the Beech Creek watershed, but for now, continue straight on the Deep Gap Branch Trail. Make a crossing of Chimney Rock Branch and continue through dense rhododendron that is choking the trail. At 0.5 miles, Thomas Creek flows into what is now Deep Gap Branch on the left. Crossing the stream and going off-trail up Thomas Creek will take you to Thomas Creek Falls. After this, the trail continues to follow closely Deep Gap Branch. There are blue blazes here and there, but the condition of the trail is still not very good. There are a lot of blowdowns and some overgrowth. Pay attention to the trail for the next half-mile, as there are several places where it seems to disappear. At 0.7 miles, the trail steeply climbs around a small cliff at the creek. A small creek drops off another cliff on the right, creating a wet-weather waterfall. At 0.8 miles, Wateroak Creek drops into Deep Gap Branch on the left. An overgrown trail crosses the stream and climbs up Wateroak Creek to a waterfall. If you have extra time, both this waterfall and Thomas Creek Falls might be worth a try. Around here, there are also some scenic cascades on Deep Gap Branch. At 1 mile, the trail enters a flat area. By now, I was thinking “where the heck is the over 1000-foot climb when I was already nearly halfway to Deep Gap?”. I would find out shortly. After the flat area, at 1.1 miles the trail crosses Deep Gap Branch (a normally dry crossing), and after briefly following it, begins an arduous climb.
Here is a great winter hike, suitable for the shorter hours of daylight and for all weather conditions. It is lies at a low elevation, the trail has a secure tread, getting there involves relatively little driving, and it is varied and pretty, featuring two waterfalls and a lookout.
We park at Warwoman Dell, 3 miles from Clayton on Warwoman Rd. Almost immediately upon leaving the trailhead (1884 ft), marked by a plaque to William Bartram, we come to the first of the two waterfalls on this hike, a two-level cascade on Becky Branch. For the next half hour we hike roughly parallel to Warwoman Rd, then swing north and soon pick up Martin Creek, a picture-book creek with grassy banks and pebbly riverbed as well as swirling rapids and a spectacular falls, viewed from a platform. Leaving the creek, we steadily ascend through open woods to somewhere close to Courthouse Gap and take a side trail to Pinnacle Knob (3141 ft), which offers a splendid 180-degree view. The Forest Service is supposed to be rerouting the access trail to the top. If the new trail is finished, we will look for it at Courthouse Gap. Otherwise, we will take the old trail up. We’ll have lunch on top. At this point we either retrace our steps to the cars, making it an 8.5-mile hike, or, if we want to add another 1.5 miles, we descend via an old logging road on the west side of Pinnacle Knob to make a 10-mile hike.
Victoria Bryant State Park is a 502-acre (2.03 km2) Georgia state park located near Franklin Springs.[1] Nestled in the rolling hills of Georgia’s Piedmont plateau, this park offers facilities ranging from picnic sites and a swimming pool to an 18-hole golf course. The North Fork of the Broad River flows through the park, adding several water hazards to the course. The park also offers a short nature trail plus a long perimeter trail that takes hikers through hardwood forests. In addition, the park is home to many species of birds, plants, and reptiles. Nestled in the rolling hills of Georgia’s upper Piedmont, this is one of northern Georgia’s best kept secrets. A beautiful stream flows through the park, providing the perfect setting for an after-picnic stroll. Hikers can follow either the short nature trail or the longer perimeter trail that travels through hardwoods and crosses creeks. Animal lovers should keep an eye out for wildlife while passing food plots along the perimeter trail. Two small ponds are open for public fishing, and a swimming pool is open during summer.