Whoever named this stream "Flat Branch" must have been out of their mind. One of the tallest waterfalls in Georgia, Flat Branch Falls is a spectacular 250-foot waterfall dropping into the Upper Tallulah River Gorge just south of the remote community of Tate City. The waterfall consists of several long sliding tiers dopping over spectacular exposed rock faces. Frustratingly, the full height of the waterfall isn't truly visible from the bottom, but what you do see is still impressive. 

Flat Branch Falls can be seen high above through the trees from Tallulah River Road, especially in winter or after heavy rain, where Flat Branch steeply tumbles into the Tallulah River. Many people fishing and swimming in the area prefer to settle for this distant view, as reaching the base of the falls requires an extremely steep, and at times annoying, 0.2-mile bushwhack. 

Flat Branch Falls was once accessed by a well-traveled scramble path from Tallulah River Road, but this path was all but destroyed in the 2016 Rock Mountain Fire. In my book, I wrote that the path became completely impassable and suggested climbing up the opposite side of Flat Branch, but I had not field-checked this approach. Here's some good news! In April 2025, I returned to Flat Branch Falls and was pleased to find a scramble path to the falls getting re-established in its original location, climbing the south side of Flat Branch from the Tallulah River bridge. The path is still faint and overgrown, especially in summer, with nasty undergrowth and briars. However, there is at least a passable route to the falls here, albeit it is best attempted in winter.

For detailed directions, see page 295 in Mark Ozboyd's "Waterfalls of Georgia" guidebook.