Tumbling Waters Nature Trail Carters Lake Recreation Area, GA
miles
LENGTH 1.1 MILES
DIFFICULTY 1.9 Easy
DURATION 30 minutes
ELEVATION GAIN
250
feet
TRAIL TYPE
There And
Back Again
Tumbling Waters Nature Trail

Enjoy a birds eye view of tumbling cascades to then cross the river and get a close up view on this short hike at Carters Lake Recreation Area just outside of Ellijay, Ga. Good for kids and dogs, this easy trail is an excellent way to explore this scenic waterway.

The large parking lot should be more than enough except on the most busy days. The trailhead is about halfway down the lot on the opposite side from the restrooms and pay area, marked with a large sign.

This trail is like most in Georgia, rocky and rooty, but not so much that it's a burden. At .2 miles cross a gravel road, continuing straight. At .3 miles you'll come to one corner of a triangle intersection where the path splits but the two trails connect to each other by connector trail just a few steps further.

Staying to the right will take you to the upper observation deck with an excellent view of the multi-tiered cascades along Tails Creek. Head back to the intersection taking the other path to cross the creek by way of a long wooden bridge.

The trail heads away from the water, then makes a sharp turn to the right. Immediately after this is a 4-way intersection. Uphill to the left is the only direction that is not a part of this trail and eventually leads to a private property sign. Head down to the right to chill by the water or head straight to arrive at the lower observation deck for a close up view of Tails Creek tumbling over the many cascades.

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Elevation Map Length (miles) by Elevation (feet)
Slope Breakdown
Elevation Gain
Elevation Range
Grade Range
Length
Elevation Gain
0 - 250 ft/mi
~ 0 - 5 %
0.2 mi
24 ft
250 - 500 ft/mi
~ 5 - 10 %
0.2 mi
57 ft
500 - 750 ft/mi
~ 10 - 15 %
0.1 mi
61 ft
750 - 1000 ft/mi
~ 15 - 20 %
210 ft
34 ft
1000+ ft/mi
~ 20+ %
285 ft
84 ft
For out-and-back hikes, elevation loss is the same as the gain.
Terrain Map Click to control map
Details
length1.1 miles
difficulty1.9 Easy
duration30 minutes
trail typeThere And Back Again
blazeBlue
elevation gain250 ft.
state Georgia 
park/forestCarters Lake Recreation Area
ranger districtUS Army Corps of Engineers (Carters Lake)
1850 Carters Dam Road (Visitor Center)
Chatsworth, GA 30705
706-334-2248
parking fee$5/Day, $40 Annual Pass
trailhead coordinates 34.650259, -84.609093 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 34°39.02, W 84°36.55 (Degree Minutes, MinDec)
N 34°39'01'', N 34°39'01'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
Trailhead Directions
34.650259, -84.609093 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 34°39.02, W 84°36.55 most GPS units use this one
N 34°39'01'', N 34°39'01'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
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Notes
At the time of this report, there were a few trees down with one obstructing the trail but was easy to get around.
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Reviews / Comments
Average Review Rating
4 (2)
Rmurdock-3 years ago
Anyone know the coordinates for the upper observation deck. We got engaged there and I want to use them for a gift
Smokey-5 years ago
Easy and scenic
An easy hike with some great views. I did it in late fall so some of the trees still had color. Love standing on the bridge taking it all in!
Easy | Hiked Fall 2018
hikethesouth-6 years ago
Nice Short Easy Walk
This is a really nice hike for those not looking for an all day adventure. Multiple observation decks and a scenic wooden bridge along the "tumbling waters" of this creek give it enough features to be worth a little bit of a drive.
Easy | Hiked Summer 2018
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