Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail

The 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.

One of my favorite waterfalls, and I've seen a lot! Make sure to go up this trail all the way to the falls, and go up the side of the falls. There's a little secret hidden behind.

Great little hike . Boardwalk a lot of the way . Very pretty waterfall at the end. Unfortunately flowers are not yet in bloom

Something to know before you go... you must have fishing and or hunting license or a GORP Pass (Georgia Outdoor Recreational Pass) to hike this along with the pocket trail.

nice little trail took my kids and dog beautiful views

Nice and secluded with a beautiful waterfall at the end!

I love the boardwalk!!! Easy hike. The waterfalls were beautiful!!

What a nice little hike. Only about a mile but the waterfall at the end is outstanding.

lovely wildflowers and other bonuses for the explorer...

Absolutely love this trail! We went Saturday 4/21... reading the other reviews I thought there would be a lot more flowers then there were. I would wait another week or two and it should be fully bloomed... but still beautiful! The best time to go is early am when the birds are waking. I love watching the sun rise through the canopy. Whole trail is well covered all the way back to the falls. Which we’re running quite well. Took a 4 year old and she did good, still learning to watch where she’s placing her feet so a few spills but nothing major.

Visited 4/11/2018. Stunning! Abundance of wildflowers, especially white trillium, phlox, bottlebrush, Virginia bluebells, celadine poppy, purple phacelia. Absolutely beautiful and so peaceful. At the end of the boardwalk, you may take the trail to the twin waterfall.

Hiked 11/4/17: Good trail. Pretty easy out and back. The water was very low, so not much of a waterfall but it was also fun to walk right up to the falls and explore the cave behind it. Fun for my puppy!

very kid friendly trail that leads to a falls you can go in. It was very relaxing.

Very short trail but very easy and well maintained

This trail is short to say the least,but to say the scenery is spectacular is an understatement. perfect trail for kids, lots of plants and animals for them to see. the walk is a little slick after a rain when the boardwalk ends. pure beauty.

God's garden. lush and beautiful on this early April day. so many natural flowers. overwhelms my soul!

takes your stress away...

most fabulous trail in the rainy season this waterfall is just amazing and very unique! keep in mind it is a seasonal fall.

4 stars for one of the most unique waterfalls I've ever seen! There are huge walkthroughs, almost cave like. Pictures don't do it justice... enormous! (I'll post a pic with my friend which will hopefully give some scale.) A really nice, peaceful hike! Pretty flowers too!

Hard to find. From intersection of 193 & Hog Jowl Rd drive about 2 1/2 miles south until you see Andrews Ln on your right. You want the next road to the left, but it"s hard to see and the road sign was down in mid February 2017. It's about 0.1 mile from Andrews Ln and changes from pavement to gravel to dirt with one shallow creek crossing. It's mostly one car width so watch & listen for cars coming the other way. Plenty of parking at the end (about one mile).

Even though it barely had any water running it was beautiful. I will be back once we are out of a drought.

Hiked this with my 9 year old son. The boardwalk is nice, but only runs 1/10 of a mile or so. After that, there is a decent trail, but when it's wet, expect quite a few slips and falls. The waterfall at the end of the trail is cool, but with little kids, you're going to have to work to get there.

I tried accessing the trail and found the road to be way too difficult and steep and absolutely treacherous for my VW Jetta even though I'm a crazy driver. pretty much only accessible via truck or jeep. Nice scenery though on the way is why i gave it 3 stars.

The boardwalk is a nice feature, but the hike gets SO much better once it ends.... keep going and you'll find a beautiful waterfall.

Honestly, this isn't a place I'd necessarily want to hike alone. It's really remote. And driving to the trail was an adventure that involved going down what appeared to be a one-lane driveway, across a rocky creek bed (in a car!) and finally into a seedy-looking dirt lot. Does anyone else hear banjo music? *nervous giggle* To say that this place was hard to find, is an understatement. My brother had heard of this place from a friend, so we both spent about an hour each on the internet, trying to find driving directions and anything related to the trail. It's VERY hard to come by.

Also, be forewarned that now you are supposed to purchase a Georgia hiking pass or something to that effect. It's not a big deal and can be purchased online for approximately $3... or at certain retailers, much like a fishing license. During hunting seasons, make sure you check online before heading to Pigeon Mountain; I'm told the entire mountain is closed off during certain days to allow hunters free run of the place.

The positive: It was a pretty easy hike, not a lot of chances to get lost either. And the waterfall at the end was breathtaking, and completely unexpected. Definitely worth a trip, at least once, even if I gave this trail a low score. ;)