Tallulah Gorge State Park’s approach to climbing management and policy is restrictive and inconsistent with modern climbing management practices across the country. Learn how we’re approaching this challenge.

Get in the Gorge Survey

If you visit Tallulah Gorge, please take a moment to fill out the SCC’s Get in the Gorge Survey after your trip. This survey is meant to collect responses from climbers about their visit and to help with data collection on the park's climbing permit system.

Tallulah Gorge: An Advocacy Timeline

For more than 30 years, the climbing community and organizations like Southeastern Climbers Coalition, Access Fund, AAC-Atlanta Chapter, and the Atlanta Climbing Club have taken a proactive role in advocacy, stewardship and climbing management at Tallulah Gorge.

Early Access Fund and SCC volunteers fought for and maintained access to the gorge, despite periods of closure, proposed trail closures, and an extremely low cap on permits. Today’s advocacy work at Tallulah stands on the shoulders of these past advocates and efforts. They stopped the climber access trail from being moved to the other side of the gorge, fought back the threat of losing permits and access completely, and led the earliest proposals for a climbing management plan with the park.

This timeline includes highlights and milestones, and is not a comprehensive description of the many years, days, and hours local climbers, SCC, and others spend working to improve Tallulah access.

1990s
In the early 90s, Access Fund participated in the federal hydropower relicensing process for Tallulah Gorge, a pivotal moment for Tallulah’s future as a state park and climbing area. In 1991, Georgia Power filed for a new license to generate hydropower from Tallulah Gorge, triggering a public planning process. 32 agencies, governments, non-governmental organizations, and 740 concerned citizen lodged comments, including Access Fund. In a letter filed March 26, 1993, Access Fund requested that Georgia Power continue to allow access to climbers in Tallulah Gorge. This foundational piece of advocacy is why the final hydropower license, which still governs today, allows climbing: ”Other activities to be permitted in the gorge—in designated areas only and under controlled circumstances—include rock climbing, rappelling, and whitewater boating.” No further climbing policy or guidance was offered and management was ultimately deferred to the state park. The relicensing process also authorized the creation of Tallulah Gorge State Park, through a lease from Georgia Power to Georgia Department of Natural Resources. 

2001
Another early, positive milestone in the gorge was one of the very first Adopt a Crag trail days in the country. In 2001, as part of a national Adopt a Crag campaign, SCC and Access Fund led this volunteer stewardship event in partnership with Tallulah Gorge State Park. The event laid the groundwork for future volunteer climbing stewardship events in the park, which continue today.

In the decade that followed, climbing management and access has been up and down. SCC and Access Fund led more Adopt a Crag stewardship events, while the park and climbing community maintained communications and a relatively good working relationship. For reasons that are not completely clear, open, accessible climbing days began to decline, further limiting access in a park with many prime season weekends already closed for water releases or other reasons. Climbers increasingly reported the park denying permits for wet or inclement weather conditions or general safety reasons, often on days and in conditions climbers’ deemed very reasonable and passable. For a time park staff would also inspect climbers’ gear and inquire about experience and training before providing a permit. The general lack of clear policy, inconsistency and unpredictability of access, alongside climbing management that’s out of step with other places in Georgia, other state parks in the region, and public lands across the country, further increased climbing community frustrations.

2015
In 2015 a peregrine falcon was reported in Tallulah Gorge and the park temporarily closed the gorge to climbing. The park and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) were very concerned because the peregrine was potentially Georgia’s only wild, natural cliff nest, and the first observed in Tallulah in many decades. While Access Fund and SCC support seasonal, adaptive, science-based closures for raptor nesting—and made it clear to both GA DNR and Georgia Power that we are committed to protecting the peregrines in Tallulah Gorge—the additional closure further restricted the amount of time climbing could be open in the gorge, exacerbating frustrations.

2016
In early 2016, Access Fund worked with American Whitewater (AW), the national whitewater paddling advocacy organization, to understand management authority and structure for Tallulah Gorge. AW provided Access Fund the FERC license governing Tallulah Gorge, which outlines GA DNR and Georgia Power management, and management for recreation and climbing.

In April 2016, working in coordination with SCC, Access Fund spoke with the GA DNR wildlife biologist and provided resources and examples of adaptive, science-based peregrine falcon closures. Two months later, Access Fund met the GA DNR biologist, a Georgia Power natural resource specialist, and Tallulah park manager, and staff at the park to discuss the issue and observe the peregrines. Other meeting topics included climbing management plans, the park’s permitting process and apparent climber safety certification, and climbing’s explicit inclusion in the FERC agreement. In October, SCC led a trail day at the park with park approval. 

2017
In 2017, the park instituted a temporary peregrine closure. After reporting four successful eyries, they lifted the peregrine closure in June. SCC representatives also talked to the Habersham County Search and Rescue about Tallulah Gorge and climber rescue planning.

In December 2017, SCC, Access Fund, and park staff met at the park. SCC and Access Fund submitted a comprehensive document describing Tallulah Gorge climbing history, issues, goals, and potential solutions. The park manager said the park did not have a Climbing Management Plan. Other topics discussed include climbing management planning, a separate climbing permit, installation of a climbing information kiosk, and rescue procedures and support.

2018
The park institutes the seasonal peregrine closure. After reporting a nest and unsuccessful fledglings, they lift the closure in May. In February 2018, after drafting with SCC and Access Fund teams, SCC formally submitted a draft Tallulah Climbing Management Plan and climbing permit to the state park manager for consideration. The park ultimately did not adopt the CMP or climbing permit. 

2019
In early 2019, SCC was invited to submit comments and climbing information to the Georgia State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). SCC and Access Fund drafted a comprehensive climbing submission for the new state outdoor recreation plan.

2020
In July 2020, SCC secured a meeting with the Director of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. Access Fund and SCC met the director on a video conference call. Meeting topics included our climbing information for the SCORP, improvements to Tallulah climbing management, and other Georgia climbing sites under GA DNR management like Rock Town, Lost Wall, and Cloudland Canyon.

In August 2020, Access Fund and SCC encouraged the Georgia climbing community to provide input and support for a new SCORP that included climbing with an Action Alert, and formally submitted a joint comment letter to the SCORP planning process. The comment letter included an inventory of Georgia climbing areas, including Tallulah Gorge, and climbing management recommendations.

In October 2020, SCC and Access Fund met with park staff, Georgia State Parks regional manager, and Georgia State Parks Director at Tallulah Gorge. Highlight meeting topics included COVID-based management and closures; rescue support and vertical rescue alternatives; installation of a new climber kiosk; and climbing management planning and a separate climbing permit. A stewardship/clean up event was also proposed; following the meeting SCC, Access Fund, and park staff visited the proposed site for the service project.

2021
In February 2021, Access Fund and SCC signed on to an American Whitewater proposal to change water releases in Tallulah Gorge, increasing the number of potential whitewater paddling and climbing days. The proposal was ultimately rejected by the park, GA DNR, and Georgia Power.

In July 2021, SCC attended a Friends of Tallulah Gorge meeting to build support for climbing. SCC also met with park staff and guided them down the climbing access trail. SCC and Carolina Climbers Coalition (CCC) submitted a joint rescue support letter to Habersham County Search and Rescue, to offer support and vertical rescue alternatives for climber rescue in the gorge. 

In November 2021, SCC, AAC-Atlanta Chapter, Atlanta Climbing Club, and Access Fund’s Conservation Team joined together to dedicate a new climber kiosk at the gorge and host a trail day. The kiosk, which is dedicated to the memory of local climber and advocate Greg Allen, was funded by grassroots donations through the AAC-ATL chapter. Remaining funds from that campaign have been reserved for future support and access work at Tallulah Gorge.

2022

In December 2022, SCC and Access Fund provided a support letter for a proposed Georgia Office of Outdoor Recreation (GA H.B. 314), supported by a large coalition of organizations and a bipartisan group of state representatives. SCC and Access Fund pursued funding for county search and rescue training, however the park communicated that alternative climber rescue plans will not change how permits are issued.

2023
In January 2023, in coordination with SCC, Access Fund talks with Georgia Power about management relationship, structure, and coordination with Tallulah Gorge State Park, reconfirming that the park has management discretion and authority within the park. Access Fund renews discussion with park staff and Georgia State Parks Region 2 Director about climbing management and seasonal peregrine falcon closures.