Where? Dekalb county copy and paste coordinates into maps on your phone, but take out the comma and (). (34.2877423, -85.9306859) When I searched Griffin Falls, Al on my iPhone maps, it took us to a random field and we wandered through it for 10 minutes before realizing we were in someone’s yard. ?? Use Google Maps for this one. It’s accurate.
Trail Length? Super short. You can hear the falls as soon as you step out of the car, therefore the length is not worthy of mention.
How hard are we talkin’? It’s not. The hike is easy although it is slightly uphill. If you want to venture on top of the falls for the most beautiful view of the sunrise you’ve ever seen in your life, you must a climb a 20 foot metal ladder to get to the trail. I don’t know who put it there, but it’s secured by a nylon rope and Jorge, who we met on the way up, said it was safe, so I guess it’s safe. We didn’t fall. 🙂
Can I swim there? No.
Any other details? This is a BEAUTIFUL place to watch the sunrise. There is a group of Hispanic people who go here 3x a week to worship by the waterfall. They are very nice people, so don’t be afraid when you hear loud singing in another language. Jorge is typically with them. He is very friendly and showed us around. The metal ladder seems safe to me, but there is also a rope ladder that clings to a rock. This looked safer to me, but since it’s directly up against a rock I couldn’t get a foothold to climb. Gold star for you if you make it up that ladder. Send me pics. Y’all know I like taking my crew everywhere but I would NOT NOT NOT take small children to the top of that ladder. That’s just my opinion, but I have anxiety just thinking about it. That’s a 100 plus foot straight drop if you get too close and slip. The trail at the top is close to the edge in many places. I leaned in away from the edge the whole time I walked, but I am ridiculous like that. A typical hiker could likely walk upright without their knees knocking.
Leave no trace: This location did not pass the dirty diaper challenge. We have this game we play everywhere we go called: Spot the dirty diaper. Y’all, EVERY TIME we visit a location close to the road we see one. Like, who leaves a dirty diaper laying around next to a beautiful waterfall? Good job teaching your kids to explore at an early age, but take the diapers with you. This place has it’s fair share of litter. Please take your trash with you. 🙂
