Waterfall Hero Hikes: Angel Falls (Lake Rabun)

Angel Falls is a 90-foot waterfall on Joe Creek in Rabun County, Georgia. There are several smaller waterfalls downstream of the falls. The waterfalls are located in Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area in Chattahoochee National Forest.

Hike Length: 1.8 miles
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

Location: Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area (Chattooga River District of Chattahoochee National Forest)

Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (4)
Crowds: Moderate
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery.

Trailhead GPS: 34.76130,-83.47283
Waterfall GPS: 34.76175,-83.47309 (First Falls), 34.76814,-83.47720 (Panther Falls), 34.76867,-83.47760 (Middle Falls), 34.77129,-83.47837 (Angel Falls)

Directions:

From Clayton, head south on US-23/US-441 for about 6 miles and turn right on Wiley Connector. Make an immediate left on Old 411 and go 1.5 miles to a right turn on Lake Rabun Road. Follow this for 4.7 miles and turn right into Campground Loop 2 and drive to the trailhead at the back of the campground. If the campground is closed, there is a roadside trailhead on Lake Rabun Road just before the turn for the campground.

Map:

Hike Description:

Angel Falls Trail (#55) starts from the back of the campground loop 2 at the trailhead parking. If the campground is closed, there is a trailhead on Lake Rabun Road. Hiking this section adds about 0.4 miles one way. The trail follows Joe Creek upstream, immediately passing by Joe Creek First Falls, a 20-foot stairstep falls.

The trail follows the creek upstream for about 0.5 miles to the base of the 50-foot Panther Falls.

The trail then makes a steep climb to get to the top of the falls, where the upper section is visible.

At about 0.7 miles, the trail passes by Joe Creek Middle Falls, a 15-foot waterfall.

At just under a mile, there is a split where either way heads up to the falls. As the trail approaches, there is an obstructed view of the falls of the upper section of the falls.