Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge is an Georgia state park located between Ellijay and Dahlonega in Dawsonville, Georgia. The park's name is derived from a Cherokee language word meaning "tumbling waters". The park is home to Amicalola Falls, a waterfall that is the highest in Georgia. However, an analysis conducted by the World Waterfall Data base suggests that the main part of the falls is in height, followed by a prolonged gently sloping run in which the flow drops another . It is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. An trail that winds past Amicalola Falls and leads to Springer Mountain, famous as the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, begins in the park. Amicalola Falls State Park also offers many hiking trails, a guest lodge, restaurant, cabins, a shelter for long-distance Appalachian Trail hikers, a campground, and access to the eco-friendly Len Foote Hike Inn.

History

thumb|right|200px|View from the Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge

Little was known by European Americans about the falls before the 19th century. Until 1832, the Cherokee, an Iroquoian-speaking tribe believed to have migrated in ancient times from the Great Lakes region, controlled a large territory that included this area of the state park. That year they signed the Treaty of New Echota with the United States, which forced the Cherokee to remove into the Ozarks in Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. They called their mass removal and overland journey the Trail of Tears, during which many people died of the thousands traveling. Nearby settlers knew a Cherokee woman who lived in the area until the 1850s; she refused to leave when her tribe was removed.

The first written account of the falls was by William Williamson, who was exploring the area seeking land to claim in the Sixth Georgia Land Lottery. Williamson wrote:

An unknown settler was given this land after the lottery. He decided not to live on it because the terrain proved to be too rugged.

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File:Amicalola-Falls Main Dawsonville-GA 02.jpg|Lower cascades

File:Amicalola-Falls Lodge.jpg|Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge

File:Amicalola Falls looking down on stairs.jpg|View looking downward showing the stairs of the trail alongside of the waterfall

File:Amicalola Falls stairs.jpg|Series of stairs to an observation overlook

File:Amicalola Falls trail bridge.jpg|An observation bridge spans across the waterfall

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Notes

References

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