August 11, 2026
Hemlock Falls & Moccasin Creek Wildlife Trails
near Lake Burton, GA
Another warm, humid, sunny day (76°F to 86°F), though the extensive tree cover kept most of the hike comfortable. The Moccasin Creek Wildlife Trail was in good condition, with a soft forest-humus surface and minimal overgrowth. The more heavily used Hemlock Falls Trail had numerous exposed roots, a few short wet but passable sections from recent rains, and several rock-hopping crossings where extra caution was needed on slick rocks. Plenty of water was flowing in Moccasin Creek, and the constant views and sounds of the rapids along the trail more than compensated for the rougher footing. Hemlock Falls was also flowing nicely. We took a short side trip to visit the old Robert Gafton CCC camp and later learned there is much more to the site than we had time to explore. Only a few wildflowers were in bloom, but overall it was an enjoyable hike with excellent creek and waterfall scenery.
Today's Hikers: Beth Parmer, Paige Watson & Bear, Vic Robson, Jenny Bell, Londa Sprinkle, Angela Evans, Gerald Richardson, Bobby Grabiak, Lynette Huntley, Edwin Pruitt, Mike Bell, Jennifer Lazzaroni, Jane Voss, Heather Wall & Toby.
The route
4.2 mi · 387 ft climbing · 2h 41m out, 2h 22m walking · 1.8 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%
23 photos are shown on the map where they were taken — click one to see it full size.
Photos (26)
Hemlock Falls Today's Hiker's (L-R) Back: Beth, Paige & Bear, Vic, Jenny, Londa, Angela, Gerald, Bobby, Lynette, Edwin; Front: Mike, Jennifer, Jane, Heather & Toby Hemlock Falls Today's Hiker's (L-R) Back: Beth, Paige & Bear, Vic, Jenny, Londa, Angela, Gerald, Bobby, Lynette, Edwin; Front: Mike, Jennifer, Jane, Heather & Toby Our starting point, Moccasin Creek Wildlife Trail The trail is well marked and easy to follow. Jane Voss caught this picture of one of the calmer sections of Moccasin Creek as we got started. Wildflowers from the start: L: Morning Glory; UR: Spotted Jewel Weed; LR: Downy Lobelia We spotted these pretty, but invasive, Eastern Asian, Autumn Olives whose berries can be cooked down and eaten as jellies and jams. More wildflowers: Top: Evening Primrose Genus; LR: Red Morning Glory; LL: Daisy Fleabane We continue our hike on the Hemlock Falls Trail. This is one of the better parts of this trail. It gets a bit "rooty and rocky" as we continue further up the trail. Jane Voss took a liking to this mass of ferns along the trail. The quiet waters of the lower end of Moccasin Creek are replaced by numerous rapids and cascades as we proceed up the trail. An interesting flow of water from the rocks next to the trail. This is one of the large cascades heading toward the falls. Photo by Jane Voss We cross over that cascade on a very nice bridge. However, further up the trail is still another, and the largest, cascade of the hike. Photo by Jane Voss Jane scrambled down the embankment to get that previous photo. Angela and Jenny being cautious in climbing up these rocks to continue on. Photo by Jane Voss Finally at Hemlock Falls. A nice pool, but a bit too cold for a wade. A number of interesting fungi. We took a short side trail to visit the site of the Robert Gaften 1930's CCC camp. While we didn't spend the time to find them all, all that seems to remain are a number of foundations. So we continued on to rejoin the Moccasin Creek Wildlife Trail to finish our hike. We finish our hike with more wildflowers: Top: New York ironweed; LR: Asiatic dayflower; LL: Yellow star-grass