April 14, 2026
Smith Creek Trail South from Anna Ruby Falls
near Helen, GA
Another beautiful hiking day with clear, sunny skies and temperatures between 58°F and 81°F. The trail "along the Sautee Ditch, which was a waterway dug-out during the gold rush in the 1800s" was in fair conditions with several blowdowns, all of which were passable. As in the past much of the first third of the hike was along narrow ledges, initially a rocky path. The latter two thirds of the hike was mostly a gentle downhill on a cushioned, earthy path with some exposed roots. Anna Ruby Falls at the start of our hike was impressive with more water flowing across the two falls (150-feet & 50-feet) than expected. The twin waterfalls are created by the merger of Curtis and York Creeks. The unexpected surprise today was the large number of wildflowers in bloom with Dwarf Crested Iris dominating much of the trail in places. This continues to be an easy to moderately difficult hike. Today's Hikers: Beth Hawkins, Charles Hawkins, Jim Driggers, Lynn Steele, Ken Pardue, Claudia Pardue, Edwin Pruitt, Jenny Bell, Gregg Nuessly, Julius Bryant, Angela Evans, Matt Henderson w/Toby & Mike Bell.
The route
6.0 mi · 820 ft climbing · 4h 33m out, 3h 32m walking · 1.7 mph moving
Elevation
Hover over the profile to see the elevation and steepness. Your position will be shown on the map.
- Steepness
- Gentle under 5%
- Moderate 5–10%
- Steep 10–15%
- Very steep over 15%
22 photos are shown on the map where they were taken — click one to see it full size.
Photos (22)
While Anna Ruby Falls was beautiful, Smith Creek Trail was lined with Dwarf Crested Iris in numerous places today. Today's Hikers (L-R) Back: Beth, Charles, Jim, Lynn, Ken, Claudia, Steve, Jenny, Edwin, Gregg, Julius & Angela. Front: Mike & Matt w Toby. Our starting point for today's hike It's 0.4 miles up a paved path to Anna Ruby Falls. Smith Creek is really beautiful along the path to the falls. Lots of wildflowers along that path too. Clockwise from 10 o'clock: Dwarf Crested Iris, False Solomon's Seal, Foamflower & Bearded meadow-parsnip. Lots of water across Anna Ruby Falls despite a regional drought. From the falls, it's a rocky climb along a ledge for 1.8 miles. One of our first Toadshade Trillium today. But wait, there are more wildflowers; L-Star Chickweed, UR-Canada Violet, LR-Perfoliate Bellwort. What's a hike without a blowdown? But, there were several more today. And a few easily crossed wet branches. A few views along the ridgeline before we started our descent. Dr. Gregg Nuessly spotted this "bumblebee mimic robber fly" having a meal. Speaking of a meal, let's take a break. Continuing down toward Unicoi State Park, we saw this Pink Ladyslipper and Mayapple in bloom. Jim Driggers took this photo of a black snake Ken Pardue noticed along the trail. Catesby’s Trillium (top) and Vasey's Trillium (bottom) Smith Creek Trail kept on "giving" with a hillside mass of Cinnamon ferns showing their "specialized fertile fronds or spore-bearing stalks." Another surprising find along this trail, Showy Orchis. Yes Julius, this is why we carry a small roll of duck tape. Shoe Goo will do a great job of making a permanent repair. The end of the Smith Creek Trail. Just a short walk back to Unicoi Lodge.