Toccoa Falls
Encyclopedia
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
is located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls College is a fully accredited, Christian liberal arts, bible college, located in Toccoa, Georgia, on the edge of the Piedmont region and in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The campus occupies , bordering the Chattahoochee National Forest and is home to Toccoa Falls a high...
in Stephens County
Stephens County, Georgia
Stephens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 26,175. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 25,268. The county seat is Toccoa.-History:...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Toccoa is the Cherokee Indian name for "beautiful".
Some claim that Toccoa Falls is the tallest free-falling waterfall in the Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
, however, the waterfall does not hold that title. Crabtree Falls
Crabtree Falls
Crabtree Falls is located in the George Washington National Forest in Nelson County, Virginia, and is one of the tallest sets of waterfalls in the United States east of the Mississippi River. The name of the falls is thought to have come from William Crabtree, who settled in this part of Virginia...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(cascading 1000 feet (304.8 m), including one 400 feet (121.9 m) drop), Fall Creek Falls
Fall Creek Falls
Fall Creek Falls is the highest free-fall waterfall east of the Mississippi River. The falls are located near Spencer, Tennessee in Fall Creek Falls State Park. A short trail leads from the parking lot atop the plateau down to the base of the gorge, giving access to the waterfall's plungepool. ...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
(256 foot sheer drop) and Taughannock Falls in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(215 foot sheer drop) are all taller. In addition, one other Georgia waterfall includes a drop that is taller: Cascade Falls includes a 262 feet (79.9 m) drop.
During the early morning hours of November 6, 1977, after five days of almost continual rain, the dam that impounded the waters of Kelly Barnes Lake (located above the Toccoa Falls College campus) burst, and 176 million gallons of water surged through the campus below in the space of a few minutes. Most of the college personnel who lived in the path of the flood were asleep at the time, and 39 of them were swept to their deaths in the raging waters of Toccoa Creek. The dam was not rebuilt.