Tallulah Gorge State Park is a must see! The interpretive center is one of the best I've seen!! The views of the gorge from the multiple view points are breathtaking. The climb down to the suspension bridge is over 600 steps so the climb back up is no joke! Take your time and it's not too bad!
We went again, this time in January. So beautiful at all different times of the years. Both times we were there we weren't able to get a permit to hike down into the gorge but only to the bridge. We still had a great time and enjoyed the views.
This is a beautiful place to visit. There are several trails you can walk and if you think you can take the exercise go to the bottom of the steps and then but the t shirt once you have made it back up.
How can one improve on what has taken mother nature thousands of years to create? Beautiful views. We walked all the way to the bottom of Hurricane Falls, and my legs were shaking a bit when I reached the bottom. Climbing up the +500 steps to get back to the top was challenging, and I consider myself to be in average shape. Just pace yourself, take water to drink (yes, even in the winter) and enjoy your hike!
This is such a lovely place, everywhere you turn is something to see, NON COMMERCIAL! The shops are Mom and Pop places, which I love, and not a big company chain of any sort in sight. So if you arrive after hours, remember, you are left to your own devices and come prepared. We found this place completely by accident on our way to Gatlinburg from Atlanta (Airport), and I am so glad we did. We didn't have enough time here, so we took photos and bought books and searched the Internet (at a later date) and found all sorts of wonderful history. I suggest you do the research first, it will add to the already special experience you will have here.
We have driven by this place several times in the past and with no planned destination on our part, we decided to stop and check out the park and the water falls on this trip. We were not disappointed with the beauty of the park or waterfalls. Some of the spots weren't open for hikers due to weather conditions, so we will be back to see them. Some of the trials are easily accessible for strollers and wheelchairs while others require walking up and down stairs (a lot of them), but the views from the over looks are absolutely stunning and beautiful.
Get a permit to hike down into the gorge. Then cross the river and slide down Bridal Veil Falls. Great summer thing with the kids but wear very good shoes and be in decent shape, some rock crawling required.
Talulah Gorge State Park offers something for everyone. There are fantastic views of the Talulah Gorge, waterfalls and even Tallulah Lake. There are hiking trails that area easy to walk. Hiking trails for the die-hard hiker, leading in to the bottom of the Gorge. If history is your thing the exhibits in the visitor center are interesting and worth your time to see. There is access to two lakes, Tugalo and Tallulah. Both are gorgeous and perfect for canoeing, kayaking, fishing and Summertime swimming. The Tallulah Sortline Trail offers an incredible walking trail that is almost all gentle terrain. That is pretty tough to find in the mountains! There is a great campground with full hook ups or tent camping. Overall, Tallulah Gorge is one the nicest State Parks I have ever visited. Enjoy!
We visited labor day weekend and the weather was great! Sunny blue skies and not too hot. Unfortunately we didn't arrive early enough to get a 1 of the only 100 permits given per day to go down to the gorge, wish we could've :(. But we made the best of it and enjoyed the incredible views from different areas of the park. The stairs up and down were a bit of a workout and wouldn't be something I'd recommend for really small children as they'd have to be carried. It was pretty busy since it was a holiday weekend so we are planning to come back on a regular weekend some other time to get down to the gorge but all in all I would recommend visiting it is a beautiful sight to see.
The visitor center, rim trails, and the falls trails (down and up lots of stairs) were all excellent. Great views and sights from all different heights. Very unique place.