Oceana Falls is the fourth of five waterfalls lying in North Georgia's Tallulah Gorge, famously known as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. This impressive 40-foot sliding waterfall is surrounded by giant slabs of sloping bedrock, with sheer gorge walls towering overhead. Oceana Falls is located 0.25 mile downstream from Hurricane Falls and can only be seen with a Gorge Floor Access Permit, which allows access to the Gorge Floor Trail. This is a technical, challenging rock scramble trail that starts with a river crossing at the base of Hurricane Falls.

Gorge Floor Access Permits are limited to 100 per day and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis at the interpretive center, where permit seekers must first undergo a 15-minute safety briefing. No permits are issued after 3 p.m., or 4 p.m. during daylight savings time. On good summer weekends, permits often run out instantly once the interpretive center opens at 8 a.m. I strongly encourage getting in line at least 30 minutes beforehand on such days. In addition, Gorge Floor Access permits are never issued on days with high rain probability or if rocks remain wet from rain during the preceding night. Finally, permits are never issued on water release dates, listed on the park website.

For detailed directions, see page 317 in Mark Ozboyd's "Waterfalls of Georgia" guidebook.