Saturday’s rescue of a hiker from Tallulah Gorge marks the latest in a series of gorge rescues by local and state personnel. Tallulah Gorge State Park Manager Lieren Merz was recently recognized for her continuing efforts in coordinating rescues at the popular Northeast Georgia park.
“Tallulah Gorge State Park and DNR take visitor safety quite seriously, which is why we have a permit system that limits the number of guests who can hike to the gorge floor each day,” explained State Parks and Historic Sites Public Affairs Coordinator Kim Hatcher in June. “Hikers are required to attend a safety briefing which stresses dehydration, recognizing physical limitations, staying on trails, and other concerns.”
Hatcher says dehydration is the number one problem hikers face, followed by twisted ankles and bruises. She urges anyone considering hiking into the gorge to carry plenty of water and be prepared for the heat.
“It can be easy to forget that taking more than 500 stairs down means you also have to hike more than 500 stairs up,” Hatcher says.
Hazardous trek
The Tallulah River runs through the bottom of Tallulah Gorge, and rocks can become slippery. Drowning is also a potential threat. For their safety, pets are not allowed on the gorge floor trail.
Tallulah Gorge State Park does not issue hiking permits if it is raining or if Georgia Power is working on the Tallulah Falls dam. DNR Law Enforcement patrols the gorge, and unpermitted hikers face possible fines.
Despite the seemingly high number of rescues at the gorge, it can be difficult to quantify. According to DNR Law Enforcement Division Public Affairs Officer Mark McKinnon, “We don’t track rescue operations by location, so I don’t have the number that have occurred in the gorge.”
DNR also does not track the cost of such rescues since, as Hatcher explains, such functions are “part of employees’ job duties.”
Still, even those trained for such duties face a potential personal cost. Now Habersham was at the gorge in 2018 when a DNR helicopter rescued a rescuer injured in a fall.
Officials continue to urge hikers, campers, and general outdoor enthusiasts to be mindful of their limitations and surroundings and to properly prepare for any potential weather threat.
