Tallulah Gorge

The Tallulah Gorge is a canyon in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the U.S. state of Georgia. Located near the town of Tallulah Falls in the northeastern part of the state, the gorge was formed by the Tallulah River as it cut through the Tallulah Dome rock formation. It measures approximately 2 miles (3 km) long and almost 1,000 feet (300 m) deep. Georgia's Tallulah Gorge State Park protects much of the gorge and its waterfalls. The Tallulah Gorge has been dubbed one of the "Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia".

Tallulah Falls Lake lies just above the gorge. It was created in 1913 by a hydroelectric dam built by Georgia Railway and Power (now Georgia Power) in order to run Atlanta's city streetcars. The dam still collects most of the water from the falls via a 6,666-foot (2,032 m) tunnel sluice or penstock around the falls. It then redirects the water to a 72 MW hydropower electricity generation station downstream. This station lies at an elevation 608 feet (185 m) below the lake, but a few days each year the dam releases water and the lake's water levels rise considerably. The days when water is released are especially popular for recreation, including kayaking and whitewater rafting.