Raven Cliff Falls Trail

Hiking Raven Cliff Falls Trail with Dogs!

In late December, Jesse and I hiked our last hike of 2024. We traveled to White County, GA, to hike the Raven Cliff Falls Trail. This is a very popular trail, however the last time we went was in 2021. This time around, we brought our two dogs (we have an 8 pound Chihuahua and a 38 pound Pitbull). As any dog owner knows, taking your four-legged friends with you alters your hike in good and bad ways. In this article, I am going to be giving information on what this hike was like with two dogs. Be sure to view our photos from this adventure!

Raven Cliff Falls is part of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. A few factors make this trail popular: there is a waterfall, the trail is mostly easy, and it is only six miles away from Helen, GA. Even though we went on a chilly Monday, the trail was very crowded.

After parking, we got the dogs on their leashes and headed down the trail. The first challenge of the trail is pretty immediate: a creek crossing. Creek crossings are not normally that big of a deal for us. But before our hike, there had been some rain in the area, so the creek was a little higher than normal. The other problem is that the way most people were crossing was a few fallen trees that lay across the water. Many hikers were using the fallen trees, but they were skinny trees with mud on them from all of the foot traffic.

We watched a hiker and another hiker’s dog fall into the water while balancing on the logs.

As we were trying to figure out the best way across, we watched a hiker and another hiker’s dog fall into the water while balancing on the logs. I am always worried about falling, and I was not going to risk falling into the creek off a log with my chihuahua in my arms. Jesse had our Pitbull, and even though she is very athletic, she was not going to try to balance on a log. At this point, we decided to suck it up and walk across. We were able to step on a few medium size rocks in the creek, but even those rocks were completely submerged. After the creek crossing, our boots and socks were completely soaked.

Hikers crossing Dodd Creek along the Raven Cliff Falls trails.

After the creek, we persevered and kept hiking. This area of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest has many back country campsites. Not long after the creek crossing, we were able to find a campsite that had a large tree down. There, we were able to ring out our socks and continue on just a little less wet.

Along Dodd Creek there are rapids and small waterfalls.

The Raven Cliff Trail follows Dodd Creek. If you have spent any time in North Georgia, you know how beautiful the creeks and streams are in the mountains. Along Dodd Creek there are rapids and small waterfalls. Even if you can’t make the full hike, spending time along the creek here is still rewarding.

Dodd Creek along the Raven Cliff Falls trail near Helen, GA

On the trial, there are smaller creek crossings. Many of them have bridges that go across. The others that do not are very shallow and small. Our Pitbull can be goofy, and she did not want to cross the small bridges. Instead, she would walk down into the creek and get wet. Our Chihuahua on the other hand did not want to cross through any water. Eventually, she did start walking through the water when she realized I wasn’t going to pick her up every time.

Regardless of how much time they spent in the water, they both got so muddy! If you are bringing a dog with you, expect for them to be very dirty by the time you wrap up the hike.

Raven Cliff Falls is a tall waterfall and tumbles over a large rocky face.

The trail’s final destination is, of course, Raven Cliff Falls. Around 2.5 miles down the trail is where the waterfall is located. Raven Cliff Falls is a tall waterfall and tumbles over a large rocky face. You can continue the hike to the top of the falls. However, at this point of the hike, we were happy with seeing the base of the waterfall. It was also a pretty steep trail to keep going, and we did not want to take the dogs.

Our hike took 2 hours and 50 minutes. The trail is not very wide, and with how many hikers were out that day, we were constantly having to pull off to the side to let people walk around us. Our dogs are friendly, but you never know how dogs will react to strangers or other dogs. Having to pull to the side so much definitely added some time to our hike.

Even though this trail isn’t very hard, it is a trail that makes you feel like you hiked.

Even though this trail isn’t very hard, it is a trail that makes you feel like you hiked. We were exhausted and so were our dogs by the time we were done! This 5-mile hike is very rewarding, and we definitely recommend it!

Tips for your trip to Raven Cliff Falls Trail:

If you go during the wintertime, be aware of how long it will take you to hike. We started our hike at around 1:15. About ⅔ through our hike, the sunlight changed drastically because of the mountains blocking the sun. We recommend starting this hike earlier in the day if possible.
If you go in the summer or spring, take your boots off for that first creek crossing – you’ll be happy you did! If it’s too cold to take your boots off, bring another pair of socks!
This is a popular trail – even on a Monday it could be crowded!
This is an area with bears! Be mindful that you are in their habitat.
This is a dog friendly hike!
If you bring your dogs, they will most likely be very dirty at the end of your hike.
If you want to grab a beer at a brewery, many of them are closed on Mondays in the area.
There are bathrooms, but they are vault toilets. If you don’t like those, I suggest mentally preparing to go to the bathroom in the woods. You could also stop in Helen on the way to the trail.
Raven Cliff Falls is close to Helen! Drive through or grab a bite to eat after your hike! However, when we visited, the crowds were huge! We did not even get out of our car, but it was nice to see the Christmas lights all around the little German town.
The address to Raven Cliff Falls Trailhead is 3000 Richard B Russell Scenic Hwy, Cleveland, GA 30528. This address takes you to a scenic overlook. The road for the trailhead is right before (or right after, depending on which direction you are coming from) the overlook. But don’t worry, it is marked with a sign!

Happy Trails!
Jesse, Katie, Goldie (Chihuahua) and Invee (Pitbull)

Raven Cliff Falls Camping

Enjoy convenient stream-side tent camping right at the trailhead. It’s the perfect base for day hikes to the stunning Raven Cliff Falls. Campsites are at White Oak Gap Road, above the parking lot, and also along the trail after the first water crossing. For a more secluded experience, backpack deeper into the trail and discover picturesque campsites nestled along the creek.