Date: 09/01/2026
Name: Mud Creek Trail from The Sky Valley Overlook
Distance: 3.2
Difficulty: Easy
Total Climbing Elevation: 305
Type: Out & Back
Notes: We started this easy hike in the late morning after visiting the Tessentee Bottomlands Preserve Trail. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and mid-70s temperatures as we followed Mud Creek toward Mud Creek Falls near Sky Valley, NC. To find the entrance, look for a faint path along GA 246 N. Be very careful to avoid the yellow jacket nest in the ground right by the highway railing at the start! The trail begins with a short, narrow descent off the roadway but it quickly opens up into a wide, pleasant old road bed with a high canopy. Along the way, you will pass an interesting abandoned covered bridge. A resort developer built it in 1980 for the Sky Valley Stables development, but the GA DOT denied the road permit, leaving the bridge completely cut off. Mud Creek parallels the trail for the entire hike and you can take several short side paths to access its small cascades, rapids, and pools. You will pass near the 160-foot-high Estatoah Falls near the beginning, but it is located on private land so it is unfortunately not visible or accessible. However, the main attraction is Mud Creek Falls at the end. This cascading waterfall is 75 to 100 feet tall, which was much larger than expected and absolutely beautiful. Today's hikers: Edwin Pruitt, Beth McDonald, Pam Hembree, Matt Henderson & Toby, Ken Pardue, Claudia Pardue, Lynn Hotle, Beth Hawkins, Charles Hawkins, Jenny Bell & Mike Bell.
AllTrails Link: Helen to Unicoi LodgeTrail near Sky Valley, GA
Additional Search Terms: September