9 DeSoto Falls

Astonishing! Twice the pleasure here, with both the Lower and the Middle Falls of DeSoto Falls to visit on the same trail. Despite being only 30 feet tall, DeSoto’s Lower Falls creates a lot of sound for a smaller waterfall. Like a younger child trying to speak up for itself, this one demands the attention it deserves.

See map on 8 Little Ridge Creek Falls

Height: Lower Falls, 30 feet; Middle Falls, 90 feet

Beauty rating: Very good

Distance: 2.6 miles out and back

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail surface: Hard-packed dirt with a short section of paved road

Approximate hiking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Blaze color: No blazes

County: Lumpkin

Land status: National forest

Trail contact: Chattahoochee National Forest, Chattooga Ranger District; (706) 754-6221; www.fs.fed.us

USDA Forest Service DeSoto Falls Campground; (706) 745-6928

FYI: Recreation area is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; small day-use fee

Maps: DeLorme: Georgia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 15 E8

Finding the trailhead: From the junction of US 129 and GA 180 east, drive south on US 129 for 8.9 miles. Turn right into the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area at the sign and head down the hill. Take the first left into the large parking area.

From the junction of US 129 and US 19 at Turner’s Corner, drive north on US 129 for 4.0 miles. Turn left at the sign into the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area and follow the directions above.

The trailhead is at the northwest corner of the parking area, next to the self-pay station and the restrooms. GPS: N34 42.395 / W83 54.916

The Hike

Follow the wide gravel path past the restrooms and head into the picnic area. After passing through the picnic area, the trail leads you to a T junction at a paved road. Go left here, entering the campground. A short distance into the campground, you will see a wooden footbridge that heads over Frogtown Creek.

After crossing the footbridge, immediately come to a T junction. The left leads downstream toward Lower Falls; the right leads to Middle Falls. Head left and the trail takes you up and around several switchbacks for 0.3 mile to where it dead-ends at the base of Lower DeSoto Falls. Backtrack to the T and head the other way toward Middle Falls. While this is a longer trek, I personally feel that Middle Falls is worth the extra work.

Symmetrical and sophisticated, DeSoto’s Middle Falls creates a perfectly planned path as it flows down the mountainside. From the T junction, follow the wide and well-maintained trail upstream. The relatively flat path meanders through the forest and takes you to a small wooden footbridge. Cross the bridge and in a short distance you see some side trails on your right heading to the creek. Bypass these, continuing straight ahead (north) on the main unblazed trail.

Upper DeSoto Falls sits tucked away from the crowds.

The trail now begins to rise and fall before leading to another wooden footbridge. A short distance after crossing this one, a trail forks off to the left (west) and up. Take this left fork and follow the path west to where it dead-ends at the base of Middle DeSoto Falls.

Some of you may remember the time when you could also visit the Upper Falls here. The trail to Upper Falls, however, is now closed due to erosion. Once again, this is why we do not shortcut on trails.

DeSoto Falls Scenic Area is named for the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Hernando was the first European to explore the interior of Georgia, which he did in the late 1530s. The falls got their name when some early settlers found a piece of armor near the falls and attributed the relic to de Soto and his men.

Miles and Directions

0.0Follow the wide gravel path northwest into the picnic area. Head right (north) through the picnic area, passing more picnic tables.

0.1Come to a T junction at a paved road. Go left (west) at the T and head into the campground.

0.2Inside the campground, you will see a trail information sign and a wooden footbridge over the creek on the left. Cross the footbridge (north-northwest) and immediately come to a T junction. The right leads east to Middle Falls; the left leads west to Lower Falls. Go left (west) for now and follow Frogtown Creek downstream. The trail begins its ascent as it takes you around several switchbacks.

0.5The trail dead-ends at the base of Lower DeSoto Falls (N34 42.440 / W83 55.061). Backtrack to the T at the footbridge over the creek.

0.8Arrive back at the T, and hike straight ahead (east) toward the Middle DeSoto Falls, following the wide and well-maintained trail upstream.

1.0Cross a small wooden footbridge and continue hiking north. Bypassing the side trails that lead to the creek, stay on the main path as the trail begins to rise and fall.

1.5Cross another wooden footbridge and continue hiking northeast. Shortly after crossing this footbridge, follow the trail that forks off to the left (west) and up.

1.6The trail dead-ends at the base of Middle DeSoto Falls (N34 43.017 / W83 54.934). Retrace your steps to the T junction at 0.8 mile.

2.4Arrive back at the T junction, and go left (south) over the footbridge and return to the trailhead the way you came.

2.6Arrive back at the trailhead.

Hernando de Soto: Explorer

Hernando de Soto was born sometime around the year 1500 in Spain. His parents were “hidalgos,” Spanish nobles who did not hold a title. They lived modestly, and their status in society exempted them from paying taxes.

As de Soto grew from a boy to a young man, so did his ambitions, and in 1514 Hernando de Soto was off to explore the New World. Under the leadership of the governor of Panama, Pedrarias Davila, de Soto and hundreds of other men embarked on a journey across the ocean. This group proceeded to explore and conquer Central America.

During this conquest, Hernando de Soto gained a reputation as a brave leader, excellent horseman, and ruthless tactician. He soon had the confidence and leadership skills to guide his own explorations and headed out to find a passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. If he could find such a passageway, he could open up a trade route between Spain and the riches of the Orient.

Failing to find a passage, de Soto sailed south. In 1530 he joined forces with Francisco Pizarro, who made him a captain in the Spanish army. De Soto played an active role in the Spanish conquest of the Inca in Peru. As a conquistador, or conqueror, de Soto returned to Spain a very wealthy man, with shiploads of gold and other treasure pillaged from the Inca.

De Soto’s thirst for gold and glory never waned, and in 1537 he was granted permission by the King of Spain to conquer Florida. Although Florida had been discovered earlier by Juan Ponce de León, it had never been conquered, colonized, or ruled by Spain. So de Soto set sail once again, leading his own expedition with hundreds of soldiers, some priests, and ten ships across the ocean.

His party first landed in Cuba, and after conquering and governing it, de Soto and his men spent the next several months preparing for the invasion of Florida. They gathered soldiers, armor, equipment, and livestock prior to making their way north. In 1539, with nearly a thousand men and hundreds of horses at the ready, they embarked on the next leg of their journey to the western coast of Florida.

In Florida de Soto quickly gained the reputation of a brutal conqueror, savaging everything in his way. His explorations expanded throughout the Southeast, and he is credited as being the first European to explore west of the Mississippi River.

Hernando de Soto died in 1542. His remains are buried somewhere near the banks of the river he explored centuries ago.