The Falls on Warwoman Dell

Chasing Waterfalls 2010 Episode 3 Map

From Becky Branch Warwoman Dell

Heading North to the mountains earlier this year on a hot summers day, a day in which the combination of temperature and demands of life had made us a bit uninspired and lethargic, we decided to make a pit stop to see a waterfall in hopes that the experience might just recharge our internal batteries. We had targeted a site about three miles off Hwy 23 about 2 hours outside of Atlanta on our way to Dillard, Georgia. The place we visited is part of the Warwoman Dell Recreation Area, which has its own small waterfall.


The hike was short, but that’s what we wanted. From parking lot to the falls is an easy walk of about .4 miles. It’s easy but not simple as there is an elevation change of about 300 feet over the course of the trip. We you get to the end, you can’t help by being taken in by the falls, which can best be described as cute. It’s a small 20 foot cascade placed in a little rock nook in the Warwoman Dell Wildnerness. It is a very intimate and pastoral setting. You can literally stand under it in a pool of water not 10 inches deep. The coziness and the tactile possibilities of these falls made this visit very enjoyable.


You can extend the hike by walking the nearby Warwoman Dell Nature Trail that begins on the West side of the parking lot. It takes you in a loop about .4 miles through some pretty trees and has plenty of signs describing and identifying the local flora and fauna. As Warwoman Dell is actually on the Bartram Trail, you could extend your outing by continuing onward to Martin Creek Falls, which lie about .5 miles up the Bartram trail on the West side of the creek. The falls also sit about 12 miles up the trail from the previously posted about Dicks Creek Falls.


Along the Trail, you will walk very close to a Spring house, where it almost seems like your trespassing through their backyard, but rest assured it is the public trail. There is also the beginnings of a railroad that was never finished, which was intended to connect Atlanta to Midwest markets in places like Cincinnati. The work was cut short by the outbreak of the Civil War. What remains are basically rock steps and a flat bed path, which is what I suggest for you walk back from the falls to complete a .8 mile loop. There is also the Indian History of the Warwoman herself, who was said to have lived in the Area. There is some debate over whom the Warwoman is, being either Nancy Hart of Revolutionary war fame or as the signs on the trail suggest some one of Indian Descent, possibly Nancy Ward (Indian Name Nanye-hi). Or some suggest another unknown Cherokee woman of some stature.


I truly enjoyed my half an hour at the falls and hour on the trails. That being said, I would think this spot would be best enjoyed as part of a serious of short outings in the area, as we did that day. My experience is that my time on or near the Bartram Trail is among the most pleasant , beautiful, and serene of all my jaunts. The Warwoman Dell area is certainly no exception.



Trail Essentials
Approximate Time: 1 hour
Approximate Distance: .8-1.2 miles
Features: Waterfalls, Nature, Railroad Ruins

Overall Rating: B+

Scenic Quality: A-
Athleticism: C
Solitude: A
Value: A
Parking: Free
Hours of Operation: Daylight Hours
Facilities: Outhouse at Trailhead
Maps: Green Blazes, In this Google Book
County: Rabun County