Banning Mill Shoals
Waterfall Info: To the southeast of Carrollton, Snake Creek flows through an anomalous rock gorge on its way to the Chattahoochee River. The gorge occurs here because the creek cuts its way through the Brevard Fault zone. For over a mile, Snake Creek flows over numerous cascades and rapids surrounded by expansive gneiss bedrock and steep gorge slopes. The most significant drop occurs next to the ruins of the red brick textile mill, which is the most notable mill site in the Banning Mills historic area. Although the drop is more a series of powerful rapids than a true waterfall, it is quite noteworthy for this region of Georgia.
Landowner: Banning Mills Resort
Height: 12 Feet
Type: Rapids (Multi-Tier)
County: Carroll
Access Info: Banning Mills Resort is a private adventure resort with ziplines, cabins, lodges, suspension bridges, ATV buggy tours, and miles of nature trails. Although the property is not officially a park, the trails are often open to the public for a $7 per person fee. Otherwise, staying overnight on the property or booking one of the adventure tours affords access to the trail system. The best way to reach the shoals is to park at the lodge, located at the end of Horseshoe Dam Road off Banning Road.
Be sure to register and pay the fee at the lodge office. Then, take the paved trail to the left of the lodge. Shortly descend a wooden staircase to a low bridge over Snake Creek (below a much higher suspension bridge). On the other side, turn right on the Creek View Trail and follow it closely along the creek for 0.5 mile. After passing underneath a second suspension bridge, reach the terminus of the Creek View Trail, where the Laurel Ridge Trail turns to the left. The shoals are located straight ahead, and you can scramble along the bedrock for a closer view. Along the trail, you'll also pass the ruins of a paper mill and several millpond dams. The Snake Creek gorge once harbored the town of Banning, at one point home to as many as ten mills.
Waterfall Location: 33.528639, -84.918861
Landowner: Banning Mills Resort
Height: 12 Feet
Type: Rapids (Multi-Tier)
County: Carroll
Access Info: Banning Mills Resort is a private adventure resort with ziplines, cabins, lodges, suspension bridges, ATV buggy tours, and miles of nature trails. Although the property is not officially a park, the trails are often open to the public for a $7 per person fee. Otherwise, staying overnight on the property or booking one of the adventure tours affords access to the trail system. The best way to reach the shoals is to park at the lodge, located at the end of Horseshoe Dam Road off Banning Road.
Be sure to register and pay the fee at the lodge office. Then, take the paved trail to the left of the lodge. Shortly descend a wooden staircase to a low bridge over Snake Creek (below a much higher suspension bridge). On the other side, turn right on the Creek View Trail and follow it closely along the creek for 0.5 mile. After passing underneath a second suspension bridge, reach the terminus of the Creek View Trail, where the Laurel Ridge Trail turns to the left. The shoals are located straight ahead, and you can scramble along the bedrock for a closer view. Along the trail, you'll also pass the ruins of a paper mill and several millpond dams. The Snake Creek gorge once harbored the town of Banning, at one point home to as many as ten mills.
Waterfall Location: 33.528639, -84.918861
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