Forest Road 90 to High Shoals Falls Backcountry Access

Forest Road 90 punches deep into the South Mountains of Chattahoochee National Forest, delivering you to High Shoals Falls—Georgia’s tallest cascade at 100 feet of thundering whitewater over bare granite. The final three miles turn nasty: loose rock, deep ruts, and creek crossings that’ll scrape your skid plates. This old logging road predates the national forest, originally cut in the 1920s to harvest the massive chestnuts that once dominated these ridges before the blight wiped them out.

Difficult terrain demands serious 4WD capability, recovery gear, and someone who knows where their differential sits. Trail damage from heavy rains closes sections periodically—check with the Tallulah Ranger District before heading out. Best accessed March through November when ice doesn’t turn the granite slabs into skating rinks. No facilities whatsoever, pack everything in and out. The reward justifies the beating: standing at the base of Georgia’s most powerful waterfall with granite walls towering overhead and not another soul in sight.