Georgia trails · Smith Creek Trail
Smith Creek Trail
A 4.5-mile out-and-back in Georgia, with 957 ft of climbing. Reaches Anna Ruby Falls and other viewpoint/waterfall destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 58% of the ascent, between mile 1.5 and mile 3.0. It gives back about 557 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Anna Ruby Falls (waterfall)
- Waterfall view (viewpoint)
Heads up
Getting there
Smith Creek Trail access — parking nearby. About 55 min drive (35 mi) from Toccoa. 34.72670, -83.71597 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:14 a.m., the sun rises at 7:39 a.m. and sets at 7:01 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:27 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 22 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 8.9-mile round trip takes roughly 4 h 15 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:54 a.m. — 7 h 07 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Old FSR 690 / No Trail Access + Smith Creek Trail — 2.7 mi loop, 701 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Oakey Mountain Orv Trail — 10.1 mi
- Jacks Knob — 11.3 mi
- Wagon Train — 11.3 mi
- Arkaquah — 14.1 mi