Suches sits inside one of the best dog-hiking regions in the Southeast. The Chattahoochee National Forest surrounds the area on all sides. The trails are good, the elevation keeps things cool even in summer, and most of the best destinations are within an hour of the cabin. We have taken our own dogs to all of the places on this list. If you're looking for a place to stay whose backyard is literally the forest, Headwaters borders the Chattahoochee National Forest directly.
A note that applies everywhere on this list: leash rules in Georgia state parks and national forest are not optional. Six feet maximum. It protects your dog from wildlife — black bear, wild turkey, and coyote are all present in this area — and it protects wildlife from your dog. Bring a leash you trust.
The closest waterfall hike to the cabins and one of the best. Sea Creek Falls is a short, easy trail near Suches — half a mile out and back — that leads to a waterfall with a swimming hole. Dogs love it. The water is cold, the trail is shaded, and the crowds are a fraction of what you find at the bigger state park falls.
This trail starts at the end of Sea Creek Road and is not a maintained Forest Service trail, which keeps the foot traffic down. Go on a weekday morning if you want it mostly to yourselves.
Georgia's oldest state park, tucked in a valley at the base of Blood Mountain. Vogel has some of the best hiking in the state — the Coosa Backcountry Trail is a serious 13-mile loop, and the Wolf Creek Waterfall Trail is a good option for a shorter day with a waterfall payoff. Dogs are welcome on all trails on a leash.
We have taken our dogs here and it is a full day. The elevation change is real and the forest is dense. High-energy dogs leave exhausted.
One trip we will never forget: my husband was walking our dog Duke — a 100-plus-pound chocolate lab who had lost both eyes due to glaucoma — along the path near Lake Trahlyta. Duke had no vision whatsoever, but his nose was working just fine. He caught the scent of the lake, made a hard left, and before my husband could stop him that enormous blind dog had walked straight into the water. Duke was completely unbothered. I was in the gift shop and came out to a soaking wet, tail-wagging chocolate lab and a very surprised husband. Dogs find their way.
Amicalola Falls is 729 feet of cascading water — the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. It is also the approach trail gateway to the Appalachian Trail for southbound thru-hikers. On any given day you will see day hikers, weekend backpackers loading up packs, and thru-hikers who have just finished Springer Mountain starting their journey to Maine. Dogs bring their own energy to all of it.
We have taken our dogs here. The falls are stunning and the trails surrounding the main falls are worth the drive. A few things to know before you go:
Start at Sea Creek Falls if you want something close. Work up to Vogel or Amicalola for a full day. Either way, your dog is going to sleep well tonight.