Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail [PRIVATE PROPERTY] is a 0.9 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Chickamauga, Georgia that features a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is best used from March until April.
Note: All visitors must have a Georgia DNR Hunting, Fishing or Lands Pass License. See www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com
December 20, 2020
December 13, 2020December 6, 2020Great short walk on the boardwalk. The stream is beautiful. The path to the waterfall was slick.
November 30, 2020Waterfall was activated! The sound and sight of running water the entire way!
October 5, 2020Awesome find. Nice walk up to the top of the pocket on gravel drive came back down and took the boardwalk to small trail to climb around at the bottom. Found the tunnel thru the rock.
August 29, 2020Love it and some parts were slippery
August 9, 2020It has been dry lately, so the falls were more of a trickle. That said, we still thoroughly enjoyed this little walk. We brought our clumsy greyhound and he was perfectly ok navigating the terrain. We sat and ate lunch at the base of the falls. Didn't see anyone else in the two hours that we were there. It was delightful! The rock formations alone were worth the trip!
June 28, 2020Awesome short hike, beautiful at the falls. Great for all ages!
June 8, 2020Almost nothing blooming at this time, but lush and green and beautiful and serene.
May 7, 2020Great trail we had 4 children with us and they breezes through the trail with no problem. They loved climbing all the different levels of the waterfall.
April 26, 2020Great little trail for a quick trip. Waterfall was great today. Took Max, the dog, and the family. My 3 & 7 year old loved it. Quite a few people there, so don't expect to be alone.
April 23, 2020We walked this trail yesterday. There was evidence of flooding, probably from the Easter storm as there was a lot of debris on the boardwalk. The boardwalk was clear however and there were still some trilliums that were blooming. The trail up to the falls from the end of the boardwalk has a number of roots and rocks exposed yet passable. Warning! Hog Jowl Rd is closed if coming from Davis Crossroads (341&193) and Andrews Ln but detour is well marked.
April 6, 2020The private property part made me nervous for a 2 hour drive up to this spot, but it is OPEN to the public. It is also adjacent to the Pocket Loop Trail which is well marked and beautiful!
March 22, 2020I went with my son March 22cd and most of the flowers were in bloom and so gorgeous! The boardwalk is fixed. There is a detour on Hog Jowl Road that will add about 5 minutes to your trip. The trail to the waterfall is muddy right now but worth the walk!! We recorded 2.2 miles to do the waterfall and back meandering along the boardwalk. They also have a close handicap parking area if you want to bring friends that need that accessibility.
March 21, 2020Great short hike with beautiful waterfall.
March 15, 2020I walked this in the middle of March and it was absolutely beautiful. All sorts of wildflowers were blooming - Yellow Trout Lilys, Virginia Bluebells, Star Chickweed, Wild Geraniums, Heartleaf Foamflowers, Dutchman’s Breeches, several types of Trillium... The boardwalk was fixed and you can again get all the way to the waterfall.
March 6, 2020While damage from last spring's flood and fallen trees remains evident, the boardwalk has been replaced. Many wildflowers are already blooming or about to bloom, including cut-leaf toothwort, trailing trillium, spring beauty, yellow pansies, trout lily, sharp-lobed hepatica, Virginia bluebells, star chickweed, Dutchman's britches.
February 16, 2020This trail is open and the boardwalk has been repaired. We came here in mid February, but there were still some small wildflowers peaking out. I'm sure its beautiful in the spring when the flowers are in full bloom. Keep following past the boardwalk to the pocket loop trail and the falls are beautiful.
April 13, 2019nice for my first hike. the only problem was getting off the trail. I wish it was labeled a little better. the fast were beautiful and the weather was great
March 6, 2019This is a favorite trail. Easy, and so delightful. Went today to view emerging wildflowers, of which there are many. Many more to come over the next several weeks. Virginia bluebells were just beginning to bloom. Toadshade trilliums were numerous and budded. Not yet opened. Some delicate white flowers (unsure of name) were pretty. BUT, halfway into the raised boardwalk, there is a large barricade with sign indicating the remainder of the trail, which includes access to the waterfall, is closed indefinitely due to instability. Ahead I could see a very large tree had fallen across the boardwalk. Then walked on the gravel path parallel to the creek. There has been a large landslide, leaving a huge crater in the path and continuing down the hill toward the creek. From this vantage point, I could see the damaged boardwalk in two places. I'm rating this 5 stars because typically it warrants that rating. I just can't bring myself to rate this anything less, even with half the wildflower trail closed.
January 26, 2019Trail is currently closed and it looks like there’s a fallen tree passed where they closed the trail. Disappointed they didn’t update their website.
January 1, 2019Fun scamper past the boardwalk to a pretty waterfall.
October 22, 2018The Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail is a short drive from my home in North Georgia, so it’s a great local hike for me, regardless of the season. As its name suggests, the prime time for this hike is in the spring, when the wildflowers are in full bloom. The trail is known to have one of the most diverse offerings of wildflower species in the Southeast. It’s a well-done boardwalk that weaves through the forest floor, minimal in its construction so as to not take too much away from the natural environment. It follows a stream, and there are several platforms with benches–a good spot for a picnic or a long read or chat. However, there is so much more beyond the canopied boardwalk, when the trail turns to dirt. It leads up a narrow canyon to an impressive, moss-covered falls, which is best viewed after a heavy rain. It’s a very amphitheater-like environment, with natural stairs leading all the way up to the base of the falls, where one can access a cavernous pass-through that isn’t visible until you get right up to it. From there, one can traverse up a trail that lines the canyon wall, hiking up the the top of the falls, and then following an old road to the North and South Pocket Loop Trails, which offer nice elevation changes as one heads up Pigeon Mountain, passing through forests and meadows, old barns and springs. Navigational notes: The access road is gravel, but passable for any vehicle. There is handicapped parking right at the trailhead, and the boardwalk section of the trail is wheelchair accessible. Nearby: Rock Town and Zahnd are both great for bouldering and general rock maze exploration. The nearby Pigeon Mountain Grill is your best bet for lunch.
