The water that becomes Anna Ruby Falls starts high atop Tray Mountain at 4430 feet. Underground springs combine with runoff from rain and melting snow to form two distinct streams - Curtis Creek with a vertical drop of 153 feet, and York Creek with its drop of 50 feet. After tumbling down the rock face of Anna Ruby Falls, they join at the base to form yet another creek - Smith Creek, which itself flows into Unicoi Lake and continues on down to the Chattahoochee River. Flowing south, the “Hooch” eventually joins the Apalachicola River in Florida and ends the 550-mile journey in the Gulf of Mexico.
The rocks we see along Smith Creek were not always the way the see them now. About 500 million years ago these rocks were almost two miles below the surface of the earth. Extreme heat and pressure changed their composition. Geologists call rocks that have been changed in this way “metamorphic". As the pressure squeezed them the rock cracked and quartz filled the resulting cracks. You can see the quartz in the thin lines on the surface of the rocks.
Along the trail you will see Hemlock which appears to be growing on the rock. Like all plants, its roots are “geotropic” which means that they seek the earth for nourishment needed to sustain them. As you continue your walk you will notice a feature called a “seep”. A seep is an underground spring, an important source for providing water to area vegetation during the dry months. Thankfully they are common in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
The falls are named after Anna Ruby Nichols, the only daughter of Captain John Nichols, who settled south of Helen in what is today the Sautee-Nacoochee Valley. His Victorian home still stands opposite the Nacoochee Indian Mound on Hwy 17. The falls were known as early as 1819 and are noted on survey maps of that era; long before Nichols owned the land. Following his death in 1898 the area was intensely deforested by the logging industry. The bare earth was purchased by the U.S. government in the 1920's and under the direction of Arthur Woody, was consolidated with portions of the Cherokee National Forest to form the Georgia National Forest. In 1937 the name was changed to the Chattahoochee National Forest.
We hope you have enjoyed your visit to the Anna Ruby Falls Earthcache and can take away some knowledge of how these lovely Falls and surrounding area were formed. So often we take for granted the beauty before our eyes. Thank you for taking the time to visit, to learn…. to leave nothing but footprints.
To receive credit for this EarthCache you will need to answer the following four questions "PRIOR TO LOGGING" it as found. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS DO NOT POST ANSWERS IN YOUR LOG. Send an email through this cache page by clicking on our name at the top of the cache page.
1. After reading the cache page and visiting Anna Ruby Falls, what role do you think underground springs and natural runoff played in the creation of these falls?
2. The water which created Anna Ruby Falls takes a very long journey that might come as surprise to many. What have you learned are the beginnings and ending of this journey?
3. 500 Million years ago heat and pressure changed the composition of rock in the area. What do Geologists call this change which occurred 2 miles beneath the earth’s surface and what mineral filled the resulting cracks?
4. As you approach the Falls there's a signpost that talks about logging. Name the feature on that sign, what it was used for, and why it failed.
Optional: Post a picture of yourself with your GPS in front of the Falls
Have fun and Happy Caching.
Open all year except Christmas 9:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. during DST) Gate closes 1 hour earlier
$3 per person 16 years and older
Anna Ruby Annual Pass - $20/person/year
Interagency Annual Pass, Senior Pass and Access Pass accepted
Georgia State Park Fee not needed at the 1st gate, tell them you’re going to Anna Ruby Falls