Hurricane Falls on a rainy, autumn kayaking day.  These photos were taken from an overlook near the Interpretive Center on the east side of the gorge.  The footbridge in the previous photo had not yet been constructed. Kayaks are not allowed on these falls.  Put in point is about 200 yards further downstream.

This is put in point for kayaks. Note kayak in calm water. Another kayaker in red jacket and yellow helmet is standing on a rock above the river.

The small blue dot on the white water (seen through the trees) is a kayaker who has just started the trip down the gorge. The opportunity to kayak TF is very coveted. One must make application and then selection is done by lottery. The Dept. of Natural Resources strictly limits the number of kayaking weekends and the number of people allowed on the river.

The local merchants and clubs were having a festival for the kayakers and visitors. Booths were set up in the area across from the old Stuckey’s location.  A blue grass band was playing some pretty good music. The hill over looked the dam and the lake. 

This is the first lookout on the west side trail.  We were wondering if this might have been the old "Lover's Leap" lookout.  When Stuckeys was there, you had to go though the store and pay to get to this overlook. Most of us did not, for obvious reasons, and bypassed this in favor of the free lookout up the road. At this point, you look directly down into the gorge and the top of Tempesta Falls. 

The west side trail is well maintained and easy to walk.  Many interesting woodland plants line the walk. Overlook#7 is across from Tempesta Falls and offers a spectacular view of the gorge and it is so easy to reach.  The hardest part is getting across the road.

On the path to Lookout #7 is this wonderful mural done by the Tallulah Falls School 
depicting the four seasons in the mountains.  Dale is trying to decide which season is which.

We went back to the picnic area before we left and enjoyed a peaceful moment.  Dale was feeding my pork rinds to the Canadian geese.  I think one of them was a southern goose because he was gobbling down those pork rinds.

The beautiful setting offered many photo opportunities but my battery
died in the digital and I kept putting the spare in upside down. Funny, I don't remember being blonde.

The trip was most enjoyable and offered a view of something we thought we would never see - the Tallulah River as it was before 1913.  This is a sight worth seeing and come this fall, we will return.
 

Photos  2002 by Beverly Guthrie Lougher
and J. Harold Thurmond