Steeped in rich history, Anna Ruby Falls is one of North Georgia's most spectacular and famous waterfall attractions for tourists. It could very well be the most photographed waterfall in Georgia, frequently adorning the pages of tourist brochures and travel magazines. The 0.5-mile paved walkway leading to Anna Ruby Falls is perfect for families, seniors, and beginner waterfall enthusiasts. For many visitors, Anna Ruby Falls is the first waterfall they've ever seen, often inspiring lifelong waterfall journeys to come. 

A truly unique twin waterfall, Anna Ruby Falls lies at the confluence of Curtis Creek and York Creek, where both streams form their own waterfalls before converging into the larger Smith Creek. The left side of the waterfall lies on Curtis Creek, tumbling down a towering series of sliding drops upwards of 150 feet in height. Meanwhile, the York Creek side to the right features a shorter but more vertical waterfall, a single-tier drop of about 50 feet. 

During the Civil War era, Colonel John H. "Captain" Nichols purchased 2,600 acres of land in the area, including Anna Ruby Falls and today's Unicoi State Park. Captain Nichols loved horseback riding to the waterfall and christened it in honor of his sole daughter, Anna Ruby Nichols. Six miles away to the southeast of Helen is the Hardman Farm State Historic Site, donated to the state of Georgia in 1999. The Nichols family constructed and lived at the estate, known as the West End, from 1869 to 1893. Today, visitors can tour the house and see Anna Ruby's own bedroom, where her portrait still adorns the wall.

For detailed directions, see page 189 in Mark Ozboyd's "Waterfalls of Georgia" guidebook.