How to Plan and Photograph a Frozen Waterfall Adventure in Georgia

Georgia's tallest waterfalls create the best frozen surroundings, thanks to the interaction of water, wind and temperature in the canyons.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Since the official start of winter, I’ve been waiting for a prolonged Georgia cold snap to explore and photograph nearby winter waterfall wonderlands. With the weather finally in winter mode, below are a few tips on how to anticipate and plan a frozen waterfall adventure.

(For an extended discussion on photographing frozen waterfalls, visit our blog.)

Watch the Weather

From our home in Cobb County, we always keep an eye on the North Georgia weather report, an essential step to “enjoy” enough subfreezing hours to produce and sustain outdoor ice. I intentionally put “enjoyed” in quotes, because while freezing Georgia weather is good for my frozen waterfall photography purposes, a cold snap or severe winter storm can create misery, heartbreak, and hardship for others.

Count the Days

A prolonged cold snap of several day below freezing is best to catch the falls in their most-frozen state. These usually occur mid-January through mid-February here in Georgia, when the state -- and most importantly, the North Georgia mountains -- get their coldest weather. But even a single day when the mercury remains below freezing, followed by a night when the temperature gets down to the low 20s, can produce a spectacular scene at the falls. That's because the tumbling water constantly creates a light airborne mist, which coats the stream banks, foliage and trees around the falls. The small water droplets freeze quickly, creating a white winter scene that easily fills your camera shots. And since falling water creates its own wind currents around the falls, the drops can be carried along the valley for several hundred feet.

Wind currents carry small water droplets hundreds of yards, where they freeze and create a winter wonderland.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Depart Early

To experience the best of these frozen landscapes, depart early and reach the falls shortly after sunrise. Once the temperature reaches 30F degrees or the sun reaches above the tree line, the combination of air temperature and sunlight may melt away your best experience. Even when the mercury remains below freezing, the sun's radiant energy is hard a work, and nature's defrost begins.

Go Big or Small

Smaller falls with lower water volume freeze fastest. Thus, you're most likey to find a fully-froze fall at sites like the mine at Sloppy Floyd State Park or the hidden falls near Woodstock's outlet malls.

Interestingly, Georgia's tallest waterfalls create the best frozen surroundings because of the interaction of the water, mist and wind currents in the valleys surrounding them. While the main falls may not freeze, these factors create wonderful white winter scenes extending up, down and around the surounding canyon walls. Amicalola Falls, and the falls at Cloudland Canyon and Anna Ruby's "double falls" provide great frozen canyon opportunities.

More from DeanLand

If you enjoyed this article, see others on similar topics by DeanLand. Simply use the "follow" button, located before and after this article on your phone, or on the left side menu on your computer. You can also see extended posts on family-friendly activities by DeanLand at OurTravelCafe.com. Be sure to check out the posts below by DeanLand on Newsbreak:

Follow DeanLand at Newsbreak, or visit our blog at OurTravelCafe.com for morePhoto byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

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