High Falls State Park, GA with Kids
High Falls State Park is a perfect stop for a quick hike and picnic on a drive through Georgia or a quick getaway from the city. High Falls State Park is about an hour outside of Atlanta. It is easily reachable and not terribly far off the highway.
The park is divided by the Dam, which makes it a bit confusing when you first arrive. Coming from I-75 the first turn onto Lakeshore Drive will take you to the visitors center. You can pop in here to pay your visitors fee and pick up the Jr. Ranger Packet. There is a small playground here as well for the kids to enjoy and clean restrooms.
To reach the rest of the park you pull back out onto the main road, drive over the falls and turn onto High Falls Pool Dr. There is plenty of parking here. This is also where the picnic area and a huge playground can be found.
To hit the High Falls Hiking Trail you cross the main road. There are two loop hikes here, both were well marked. We followed the boardwalk along the falls first and turned toward the Nature Trail at our first opportunity to take the smaller loop.
There is at least one Geocache on this route, which the boys easily found. It was nice that it was on the hike back to the parking lot, which is typically when the Littles need a bit more motivation.
The campground looks great. We did not camp on this trip, but have friends who have camped here. There is also a miniature golf course and great kayaking above the dam. We opted to picnic here and enjoy the playground before getting back in the car and continuing on our way.
High Falls is a great stop for any length visit. I highly recommend it if you are passing through and looking for a great place for the kids to play and burn off some energy.
Just don’t forget to head back to the Ranger Station to get your Jr. Ranger badge before you leave.
