The Dead Man Branch Trail is a hidden gem in Northeast Georgia. Beginning at the Toccoa Falls College campus, it offers nature immersion, a little history, and moderate exercise.

Details:

• Name: Dead Man Branch Trail
• Specs: 3.5 miles total, 442 ft. elevation gain, moderate.
• Address: 938 Forrest Drive, Toccoa, Georgia
• Parking fees: $0, there is a fee of $2 per person to see Toccoa Falls
• Facilities: There are restrooms at the Visitor Center near the trailhead.
• Traffic: We hiked on a Thursday morning in late September and did not see another hiker on this trail. The visitor center/gift shop and the falls had several visitors during the lunch hours.
• Cell Service: Excellent at trailhead. Seemed to be decent over the entire trail though I did not check it often.
• Conditions: LOTS of downed trees. Weeds encroaching onto trail. Multiple easy water crossings (see journal below).

Journal

We park in the Toccoa Falls Visitor Center parking lot. The trailhead is behind the Nature Center; walk around the right side of the building and toward the woods.

It becomes immediately obvious that this path is not frequently travelled as the weeds are encroaching on the path. However we have no trouble identifying and staying on the trail. The surface is sandy with some small rocks. There is a stream running parallel to the trail on our left – but not for long.

This trail seems to play hopscotch with Dead Man Branch Creek, hopping from one bank to the other. At each stream crossing, we easily step across on rocks without getting our feet wet. The water is only inches deep as there is little rain this time of year. Only one crossing is even somewhat precarious, requiring a little more balance as we walk across on logs. Even there, the water is not deep or fast moving.

There are countless downed trees. Many are quite large and some are in groups. They provide interesting obstacles to climb over, duck under, and navigate around. We are reminded that we are out here to get some exercise.

As we hike the gentle incline, the trail surface becomes less rocky/sandy and is covered with soft pine needles. Various mushrooms stand beside the trail. The scent of damp moss fills the air. The woods are quiet, peaceful.

Turn Around?

We reach Locust Stake Road. It is a rocky surface and difficult to walk on (compared to the soft forest trail we just left). It is wide, though, and looks like it might be a fun, relatively easy Jeep trail. Hmmm… Another day.

We consult our maps to determine how far we are from a local train trestle. The Trestle Loop trail is wide and softly compacted where it connects with Locust Stake Road, near the end of Dead Man Branch Trail. Unfortunately, the trestle is too far away for us to visit today. So we make a note to research that trail for future hikes and begin retracing our steps to the college.

The Return

As we hike back, we discover two things we did not see on our way up. The first are tiny, little bugs dancing merrily on sticks and leaves. A quick internet search tells us they are woolly aphids. The little fluffs of white are their tails. There are literally millions of them on certain tree branches. How did we miss them on our way up?

Nearer the trailhead, we spy a blue heron fishing for his lunch. We quietly inch nearer to get some pictures. He stands majestically, posing for the camera, though he is difficult to distinguish in the forest. Then he stretches out his wings and glides off to a better location.

The Falls

When we reach the parking lot, we decide to visit the restrooms, gift shop, and the famous Toccoa Falls. There is a $2 fee per person to visit the falls. They are behind the gift shop, requiring a very short walk along a wide, gravel path.

I can see why this is a popular location for weddings.

We spend some time enjoying the sunshine in a bright blue fall sky, the occasional spritz of water drifting in the breeze, and the sounds of the falls and the creek.

We observe a monument erected in memory of those who lost their lives in a flood back in 1977. I recall reading a book about this event: Dam Break In Georgia. That book was heartbreaking yet inspiring. It was not the first flood here, either. Another plaque tells about a mill which was destroyed in a flood in the 1890s. I ponder the juxtaposition of such beauty with such destruction.

After a short visit to the old power station, we all leave refreshed – from our hike, from the beauty of the falls and this entire area, and from fellowship.

Where have you hiked lately? Please share in the comments.