Читать книгу Afoot & Afield: Atlanta. 108 Spectacular Outings in North-Central Georgia онлайн

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From the day-use parking lot, walk to the canyon overlook for an excellent view to the north, down a long stretch of the gorge. Distinct bands of rock in the limestone and shale walls denote various periods of sedimentation, and the soils here were deposited at the bottom of a sea more than 250 million years ago. After the sea subsided, two streams—Bear Creek and Daniel Creek—cut into the soil, forming two great canyons. Facing the overlook, go to the left (southwest) end of the overlook and enter the Upper Waterfall Trail (Waypoint 1). Follow yellow blazes along a wood-and-stone railing, with the canyon formed by Daniel Creek close on the right. After a tenth of a mile, the trail turns sharply to the right; take the next left down the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs (Waypoint 2), turn right to go to the waterfalls in the bottom of the canyon or turn left to continue to the West Rim Loop Trail. If you turn right for the waterfalls, you’ll descend another set of stairs and, at the bottom, turn right to go northeast. The trail runs beneath a massive, undercut rock that has a bench beneath it, and then turns left and descends more stairs. At Waypoint 3, you can turn left to go to Falls #1 or turn right to go to Falls #2. Falls #2 is the more difficult hike, so you may want to tackle it while you’re fresh. After turning right, the path becomes a long boardwalk within reach of a dripping wall of stone. Then, several flights of metal-and-wood stairs wind down, with landings along the way allowing views of the canyon.