| About 100HikesB4Kindergarten: We are a two-teacher family (Assistant Principal at a STEM school + a Middle School Biology Teacher), with a super awesome 3 year old daughter. We absolutely love getting out in nature and exploring new parts of North Georgia (+ more). We have a goal of taking our girl on 100 hikes before she enters kindergarten, and we started an Instagram as a great way to document her progress! Each post includes a detailed family friendly review including distance, incline, where the bathrooms are, etc. We also include our hiking “rules”, all about our journey with the Ga State Parks Junior Ranger Program, and tons of tips and tricks for getting your littles through the trails successfully! |
Below are our top 5 favorite hikes for families (so far):
#5 - Minehaha Falls
Off Bear Gap Road, Tallulah Falls GA 30573
Overall Ranking: 4 out of 5 stars
Minnehaha Falls spills over a cliff in a gorgeous, multi-tiered cascade before continuing downstream to the Lake Rabun shore. The trail is exceptionally short, and an easy one as well. This is a great first hike for families - it is short and has the “wow factor” to get you excited about hiking!
- 0.4 mi out and back
- 30 minutes on the hike
- Safety level (out of 10) - 9 - the base of the falls are wide open naturally and have lots of slippery rocks - trail has lots of roots
- Trail Surface - natural, moderate roots/rocks
- Incline - steady incline all the way up and steps at the beginning
- Waterfall - yes
- Summit view - no
- Water crossings - no
- Water play - yes - not really swimming, but you could totally keep a CLOSE eye on the littles and let them splash in the creek at the base of the falls
- Bathrooms on site - no
Other things to know: This hike is exactly how all the sites describe it- short, easy, and some of the most beautiful falls in the northeast. A good “bang for your buck” hike. We took Nonna and Poppop on this one and they loved it!
We (the parents) gave this a 4 star review because the hike is beautiful, the distance is perfect for all ability levels, and the falls are pretty gorgeous. The only reason it didn’t get five stars from us is because the hike is so short - wouldn’t be worth the drive if you didn’t have plans to do more exploring that day.
#4 - Stonewall Creek Falls
Overall Ranking: 5 out of 5
Rabun County, Georgia
B ranked this one 5 stars because “it’s so beautiful with the sand and the rocks and the water and all.”
- 1 mile out and back
- An hour on the trail (with lots of time at the falls)
- Safety level 10 (out of 10) - the water play at the pool is shallow and she had no problem with slippery rocks
- Trail Surface - old gravel service road no longer in use, wide, flat, no drop offs, a couple muddy spots
- Incline - flat
- Waterfall - yes
- Summit view - no
- Water crossings - yes but super small - jumped over it
- Water play - yes!
- Bathrooms on site - no
From 441 (going north towards Clayton) turn left on Tiger Connector (at Goats on the Roof). Go 1.1 miles, at the light turn left onto Old 441. Go 2.3 miles and turn right at the Stonewall Falls Mtn. Bike sign (small brown sign on left side of the road - watch carefully because it’s easy to miss). You will be turning onto a gravel road next to a water maintenance shelter - it looks like you shouldn’t be allowed down there. Continue on this gravel road 1.3 miles. You will see the old road to your left - it’s gated off now, but there are brown hiking signs posted. Go a few hundred feet past that and park in the large area ahead and walk BACK DOWN to the gated trail entrance.
Other things to know: Trail is shared with mountain bikers, but it’s super wide and easy to share. The trail had a couple of muddy spots but a determined parent and durable stroller could probably make it. Very shaded and cool. The pool at the base of the falls is large and very shallow, which made it awesome for little ones and water play!
We (the parents) gave this a 5 star review because it’s a true hidden gem! We had the entire place to ourselves for over an hour on a weekend! Probably could have had longer, but we had two other hikes scheduled that same day. It’s really an incredible water play spot for littles! The area around the falls is really pretty too.
#3 - Hemlock Falls in Moccasin Creek State Park
3655 Georgia Hwy197, Clarkesville, GA 30523
Overall Ranking: 4 out of 5 stars
B ranked this one 5 stars because “I liked playing in the rocks and water, and hearing the river on the hike.”
When you are ready for a slightly more challenging hike, Hemlock Falls is at the top of our list!
- 2.12 miles out and back
- 3 hours on the trail (with lots of time at the falls)
- Safety level 7 (out of 10) - steep drop offs from trail, wet/muddy slippery rocks to climb
- Trail Surface - fair amount of rocks/roots, natural surface
- Incline - most of the trail is a low steady incline, a couple of steep parts but they are super short
- Waterfall - yes
- Summit view - no
- Water crossings - yes - very shallow but you will want to be wearing water proof shoes
- Water play - yes
- Bathrooms on site - no
Other things to know: Super popular trail (we passed 17 other groups and we got there early!) lots of gnats at the beginning of the trail (annoying). A couple of spots were a little treacherous- be cautious with toddlers and elderly. When we were there today, there was a downed tree across the trail that you will have to navigate over. The trail begins on the right as you enter the parking area - follow the sound of the river. The trail is very rocky and can be very muddy. Bring bug spray! There are lots of little off-shoots that are great for more experienced hikers to get a great view of the river. They were steep - we only let B go on one of them, but daddy explored a lot. Very shaded and cool. We heard lots of birds on this hike! The falls are great for bigger kids to play in the pool of it, and there are a couple of little shallow spots for the itty bitties to have water play too! Follow the trail to the right of the falls for a cool view from the top!
We (the parents) gave this a 4 star review because it’s probably one of the most beautiful trails we’ve ever been on, running right next to a gorgeous section of the river! We deducted one star for the gnats and the business!
#2 - Yellow Branch Falls
SC Hwy 28 (at the picnic area) in Walhalla SC, 29691
Overall Ranking: 5 out of 5 stars
This ranks as one of our favorite hikes of all times!
- 3 miles round trip
- 2 hours on the hike
- Safety level (out of 10) - 6 - the trail skirts on the edges of deep ravines, is covered in roots and rocks, and has multiple high river crossings. The trail can be pretty narrow at times too, which doesn’t allow room for parent to block a child from the edge.
- Trail Surface - natural trail, moderate roots and rocks
- Incline - Avg Grade: 8% (5°); Max Grade: 26% (15°) overall the inclinces were slow and steady, there are a couple of steep sections, but they are short.
- Waterfall - yes - a BEAUTIFUL one!
- Summit view - no
- Water crossings - yes - we crossed three fairly high river crossings that involved crossing on a fallen tree or over rocks.
- Water play - yes, there were people climbing in the water right near the falls and you are near the creek much of the hike
- Bathrooms on site - no
Other things to know: This hike is all downhill going in, and all uphill going out. We do not recommend this hike for novice kiddos. We took B in the pack for this hike. In order to hike successfully here they would need to be aware of good hiking etiquette such as not running, finding sturdy footing, watching for trip hazards, etc. They also have to be able to walk a fairly strenuous 3 mile hike. There is plenty of room to sit and enjoy the falls at the bottom, so bring lots of snacks and some water shoes!
We (the parents) gave this a 5 star review because of its overall awesomeness! The challenges on the trail of the river crossings, and the spectacular 50 falls at the end make this one rise to the top of our MUST DO list. The vegetation on this hike is also so beautiful!! We consider this a “real mountain hike”!
#1 - Preacher’s Rock
Appalachian Trail, GA-60, Dahlonega, GA 30533
Overall Ranking: 5 out of 5 stars
Fun Fact: When we got to the summit, B’s exact words were “Wow, this is a great hike with a great view. It’s beautiful mommy.” This was also B’s most difficult (elevation, distance) hike to date. There was enough challenge in the hike to keep her interested the whole way!
With stunning views from multiple overlooks on this two-mile round trip, it’s also one of the most rewarding, mile for mile.
- 2 miles out and back
- 3 hours on the hike - with rest time at the summit
- Safety level (out of 10) - 5 - trails with summits make me nervous with littles, we love them but have to keep a close eye on B. Also there are really steep parts to the trail and LOTS of roots and rocks.
- Trail Surface - natural trail with lots of rock climbing steps and roots
- Incline - score of 112 = rated “moderately strenuous” by the National Park Service
- Waterfall - no
- Summit view - yes - one of our favorites!
- Water crossings - nope
- Water play - nope
- Bathrooms on site - yes
Other things to know: This is a popular trail, and parking at the trailhead is extremely limited, so be sure to hit the trailhead early on weekends and in peak seasons. It’s especially busy in the fall, for obvious reasons. We would NOT recommend this for novice hikers. At this point we have hiked with Blake for over two years, and she has been hiking on her own for 3 months now. During this time she has been learning hiking “rules” and was ready for this challenge! When you are done, take the short drive to Hiawasse and visit the Trailful Outdoor Company and get you some fun new gear to celebrate your accomplishment!
We (the parents) gave this a 5 star review because of the beauty of the summit, the challenge of the trail, and the workout! We took our time and really prepared to be out on the trail for a while. We also packed a lot of snacks and water, and took a nice long break at the summit. Gosh, we loved Preacher’s Rock and can’t say that enough!
We are currently on hike number 48! Follow along on our Instagram page for more fun: https://www.instagram.com/100hikesb4kindergarten/
