Bridal Veil Falls, Georgia

Bridal Veil Falls, also known as Sliding Rock, is a fantastic hidden gem in the U.S. state of Georgia. The name Sliding Rock is given to Bridal Veil Falls during the summer when daring tourists slide down the slide-type rocks of the waterfall into a gorge below.

Geography Of Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is located in the town of Tallulah Falls in Rabun County, Georgia. It is the fifth and last major waterfall along the Tallulah River between Tallulah Falls Lake and Lake Tugalo (aka the Tallulah Gorge), counting from the top. The Tallulah River starts in Clay County, North Carolina, close to Standing Indian Mountain, and flows south into Georgia. It passes through a valley called the Tallulah Dome rock to create the Tallulah Gorge. The river drops into this gorge to form the waterfall. 

The other four waterfalls along the Tallulah River are L'Eau d'Or, Tempesta, Hurricane, and Oceana. From rim overlooks, all are visible except the Bridal Veil. Water flows over Tallulah Lake's dam at 35 to 40 cubic feet per second (CFS) most of the time. Bridal Veil Falls descends 20 feet into the Tallulah Gorge, which is surrounded by Tallulah Gorge State Park. On the Gorge Floor Trail, one can find the Bridal Veil Falls. To hike this trek, you need a free Gorge Floor pass. The Sliding Rock Trail also provides access to these falls, but a permit is still needed.

History

Tallulah Gorge and its waterfalls have drawn visitors since the early 19th century. The Tallulah Falls Railway was constructed in 1882, making the region more accessible to visitors from Atlanta and south Georgia, and the gorge turned into North Georgia's first tourist destination. To accommodate the growing tourist industry, which grew to as many as 2,000 people on any given Sunday following the railway construction, resort hotels and pubs sprouted up. Georgia Power and Governor Zell Miller worked together to develop the Tallulah Gorge State Park 

Visiting The Bridal Veil Falls 

Gorge Floor Trail

A permit system is in place for the strenuous Gorge Floor Trail, and only 100 permits are issued daily. If you want a chance of receiving the permit on good summer weekends when hundreds of tourists trek the Gorge Floor to swim at Bridal Veil Falls, you must be at the park entry when it opens at 8 AM. Choosing the optimum path on the Gorge Floor Trail might take a while, which consists of simple to difficult boulder scrambles. However, there are often a couple of additional sections of trail below Oceana Falls. The Gorge Floor Trail ends at the summit of Bridal Veil Falls after 0.85 miles of travel. This is where you may cross the river again and join the Sliding Rock Trail on the opposite side. The edge of Bridal Veil Falls is the ideal place to cross.

Sliding Rock Trail 

The trek starts at the Tallulah Gorge State Park interpretive center, and at the first trail intersection, take a left to explore the north rim of the gorge. At viewpoints 1A and 1, where hikers may glance down into the steeply walled depths that the Tallulah River has carved down far below, they get their first glimpses of the gorge's sheer walls. The journey continues eastward from Overlook 1, where the Wallenda tower was fallen. The route ascends in height to Inspiration Point, where there are views of the Bridal Veil Falls' lengthy whitewater tendrils below. The whole trail is 3.4 miles and takes around one h 8 min. 

This breathtaking waterfall pours over the mountain above like a seamless translucent veil. It's a fantastic location for a scenic trek with spectacular landscapes. Anyone who has the chance to visit the falls should not pass it up.