Hiking Project Logo

The hike from Unicoi State Park to the alpine village of Helen, GA. This is a great family hike!


Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List
Zoom in to see details
Map Key

3.0

Miles

4.8

KM

Point to Point

1,683' 513 m

High

1,491' 455 m

Low

232' 71 m

Up

423' 129 m

Down

4%

Avg Grade (2°)

14%

Max Grade (8°)

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly The distance is reasonable, and the trail is mostly descending. With a little planning, a family can hike to Helen and then a parent can hike back, get in the car, and pick up the family members.

Description

This trail starts just east of the bottom of Unicoi Lake and winds along Smith Creek, with several crossings, and eventually leads to the north part of Helen, GA on White Strausse (Street), which is right beside a very nice park. From here, downtown Helen can easily be accessed.

The initial trail is mostly a descent, but it also has a decent climb about 1.5 miles in. Expect to see rhododendron, mountain laurel, ferns, wildflowers and hardwoods as well as many birds.

While mostly through woods, there are two sections that pass through open clearings. The hike, one-way, is moderate. With much encouragement, my 4 1/2 year old daughter was able to complete the trail without being carried and in under 1.5 hours. If a hiker plans to return to the State Park via this trail (which I did, but did not record), this difficulty would become intermediate due to the increased length.

Flora & Fauna

Rhododendron, mountain laurel, ferns, wildflowers and hardwoods.

Contacts

Shared By:

Henry Little

Trail Ratings

  3.6 from 5 votes

#23509

Overall
  3.6 from 5 votes
5 Star
0%
4 Star
60%
3 Star
40%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#375

in Georgia

#23,509

Overall
7 Views Last Month
1,997 Since Apr 3, 2017
Intermediate Intermediate

0%
25%
75%
0%
0%
0%

Photos

A sturdy bridge crosses a feeder stream that eventually joins Smith Creek.
Apr 3, 2017 near Cleveland, GA
The Unicoi/Helen Trail is beautifully built.
Apr 3, 2017 near Cleveland, GA
Smith Creek flows alongside the trail.
Apr 3, 2017 near Cleveland, GA

0 Comments

Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.