Hurricane Falls is one of the most popular features in Georgia’s spectacular 1,000-foot-deep Tallulah Gorge. Photo credit: Allen Cressler
Not into heights? No worries. Rim trails lead to several overlooks that offer excellent views of the action below. Visitors also can obtain a permit to hike down the Sliding Rock Trail to the bottom of the gorge. This half-mile route is rugged going but rewards hardy visitors with a fun opportunity to slide across smooth river rocks and swim beneath Bridal Veil Falls. Permits are limited to 100 per day and are given out each morning (free) on a first-come basis. Permits are not issued on certain days when high volumes of water are released from a Georgia Power hydro dam above the park to serve kayakers and rafters who get their kicks skittering through the 2-mile gorge. Campers can choose from 57 tent, trailer, and RV sites, plus a couple of backcountry sites. See the park website for reservation information.
Law Olmstead, the famed architect of New York’s Central Park, designed the beautiful gardens and walkways throughout the park. In the hustle and bustle to catch boat rides and visit attractions, many visitors miss out on the peaceful beauty of the park itself—which is free to enter. One of the first things you should do is to purchase a $3 ticket to ride on the park’s trolley, which will take you on a circular route that stops at all the major attractions.
A must-do among those attractions is a Maid of the Mist boat ride. The Maid’s journey begins at the
www.gastateparks.org | 770-389-7286
Niagara Falls State Park, New York/Canada Established in 1885, Niagara is America’s first state park, and it should be first on your bucket list if you travel anywhere in the northeastern U.S. You simply can’t imagine the beauty, power, and grandeur of the park’s three waterfalls until you see them for yourself.
The park sits on 400 acres of lush land on the border of upstate New York and southern Ontario. Frederick
A boat ride on the Maid of the Mist is a must-do activity at Niagara Falls State Park, NY/Canada. Photo credit: Unsplash
STATE PARK STAYCATION
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2025 | 32
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker