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Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge & Restaurant
Categories: Hotels & Travel Guest Houses Active Life Hiking Guest Houses, Hiking [Edit]
Hwy 52 WDawsonville, GA 30534
(706) 265-1353
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
7 reviews for Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge & Restaurant
7 reviews in English
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Review from Emily G.
1/19/2012 10 photos
Due to the large variation in yelp reviews, I will break down the experience into the following: 1) Amicalola Falls State Park, 2) Park Lodge, 3) Restaurant.
1) Amicalola Falls
5 stars all around. The visitor center is probably my favorite out of all the ones i've seen before. The ridiculous amount of stuffed animals (not teddy bears, actual taxidermy animals) was a little overwhelming at first, but hilarious immediately after. The areas created for them- like the bear forest and the 'night creatures' exhibition was pretty cool and extremely random. The live snake collection in the middle of the visitor's center was.... again, SUPER random but kinda cool to see.
Our 'guide' was super nice and talked to us for a bit to get an idea of what type of hike we were looking for before suggesting a route and explaining to us the easy and hard parts of it.
Finally, our hike was definitely a well needed exercise but so beautiful, so much fun and a great place to tan tons of pictures. The hike along the waterfall was pretty awesome but those 625 steps to the top tested every single ounce of fitness we had in. Even though we sang "Eye of the Tiger" the entire way up, when we finally made it I was ready to pass out and take a nap. Luckily the lodge was near by, just a couple more steps (ugh) away.
2) The Lodge at Amicalola Falls
4 stars for something so grand and beautiful in what I call 'the middle of nowhere'. As the hiking troopers that we are, we packed water, gatorade, fruit, nuts and sandwiches as well as layered clothing (it was 30F), gloves and hats... only to find after out hike that the lodge had a warm chimney fire and a restaurant with a buffet. Oh well, so much for going all G.I joe's on the hiking trip.
Being at the lodge was definitely a treat. Just hanging out by the fire or outside in the patio with friends and enjoying the beautiful views made my day. Now, note that I did not stay as a overnight guest at this place, so I can't comment on the rooms. However, I was pleased at the look and feel of this place and would definitely stop by again to hang out (and maybe smuggle in a bottle of wine) next time I am nearby.
3) The Restaurant - at Amicalola Falls
2 stars. Ok maaaaybe this place needs a little bit of help, but lets face it- how busy does it actually get? For a $7 unlimited soups and salads (and dessert) and $11 for the entire buffet, its not a terrible lunch.
It wasn't the biggest buffet in the world but out of their 3 entree items, the meatloaf (with jalapenos) was super tasty and the cheesy mashed potatoes were a definite win. I loved both their soups and although the salad bar was lacking, the desserts were very well done. I do wish they had a non-buffet option since we had just hiked, we really didn't feel like stuffing our faces and would have preferred a small meal instead. However, when you're paying for 'buffet' its kind of a stomach commitment, so there we were, stuffed.
So my advice? Go for a hike, work your ass off. Bring snacks and treats and eat them at the lodge instead of going out of your way to have a meal here. If you wanna be lazy, you can drive to the lodge instead of hiking to it... but rest assured that I will judge you for it. :) -
Review from Cary W.
Atlanta, GA
12/11/2011
This review is just for the Maple Room. We stayed overnight so we had both dinner and breakfast, and found the whole thing pretty decent. The steak and the fried fish on the dinner buffet were tasty. Breakfast was standard buffet fare (eggs, grits, bacon, and a waffle station); filling and nice variety. The only 2 things I can say negative is that our server was a tad slow getting our wine with dinner, and the biscuits on the breakfast buffet were really not tasty. But overall completely reasonable in terms of value and taste (after all, this isn't the Dining Room at the Ritz). It suited our purpose and satisfied our tummies. When we return to the Lodge, I won't have any issues about eating here again.
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Review from Kristin B.
Atlanta, GA
Updated - 7/19/2010
Unfortunately, it looks like the sour economy and budget cuts at DNR have forced the Amicalola Falls Lodge and Restaurant to take a turn for the worst. The view is still spectacular, and the building itself beautifully appointed on the hill, but the interior and overall quality is showing serious signs of wear and tear. The paints needs touching up through-out the lobby, and the whole place just looks tired.
Additionally, the buffet at the restaurant is just not as good as it used to be either. Fun $15.95 for Sunday brunch, we had a rag tag bag of food items that did not go together at all. For example: turkey and dressing straight from a Stouffer's bag, cocktail shrimp, sweet scones, biscuits, pasta salad, mussels a la diavlo, and an overdone "roast beef." The selection was huge, but all of the items were lackluster: either overseasoned, underseasoned, or overdone. The selection was also so random. It used to focus much more on Southern food, which they could produce well. I would much rather have some fried chicken than an overdone roast. Also, the first keeps much better on a buffet line. Bring back the Southern favorites, and I will return. Keep it as is, and I will be packing a picnic lunch next time I visit Amicalola.Listed in: It's a Date, If you hear banjos, paddle…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/19/2008
If you are a serious camper, this review will not help you much. However, if you are an Atlanta… Read more »
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Review from Courtney R.
Decatur, GA
8/30/2009
Looking for a day trip from Atlanta? Amicalola Falls might be the answer. Less than a two hour drive out of the city, the park hosts a number of activities from fishing and hiking to camping.
On this particular day the weather in Atlanta was gorgeous. It was the perfect day to pull the top off the Jeep and road trip it. A friend and I headed up to Dawsonville via 400. It's self pay parking so remember to have a little bit of cash handy.
There are 3 different parking areas. One is at the top of the falls, one at the middle, and a lot at the base of the falls (with a short hike). Be warned should you walk the falls there are quite a few steep steps so make sure you have the right shoes on for the trip.
Amicalola Falls is beautiful. It's worth hiking and seeing. If you're trying to figure out what to do one weekend consider a trip up to N. GA to see the falls. -
Review from Shyam S.
2/7/2011
The lodge is a steal, especially if you go during the off-season (Nov to Feb). The price jumps almost $40 per night ($65 to $105) during the peak months when I'm guessing, it's just not as much fun to stay because it will be overrun with kids and families and resemble something like the resort in "Dirty Dancing." I liked my room, but the heater was incredibly loud and eventually, I just turned it off because the room held warmth well enough that I didn't need it. I really liked the layout of the lodge and it felt great to sit in one of the comfortable chairs and read with the huge windowns allowing sunshine into the room. The location is really convenient, especially for those exhausted after a climb up or for those returning from the 8.5 miles to Springer Mountain. The only that sucks about this place is the incredibly inconsistent food at the Maple Restaurant.
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Review from Bonnie P.
Atlanta, GA
7/22/2007
Good that they have this here, so people camping aren't FORCED to eat out of a bag. The lodge itself is comfortable, with clean bathrooms, a television, a fireplace, and best of all, a nice viewing patio outside of the basement level, perfect for watching the sunset while sitting in the row of rocking chairs. However, the Friday Night seafood buffet left a great deal to be desired. Admittedly, I don't eat much in the way of shellfish, but the entire thing just seemed a little Shoney's for me. The idea of a brunch-type buffet at the same restaurant excited me for some reason, but I never got the chance to try it, as it was just add water "huevos rancheros" this fine Sunday morning for me...
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Review from Victoria W.
Dawsonville, GA
5/9/2010
Hiked the falls trail on 5-7-10. Was hungry as a bear and decided to eat at the Lodge. Great service. Was seated by the window without asking. Buffet style with salad bar. Salad bar greens were OK. Iceberg with some DARKER leaf lettuce mixed in. Fresh vegetables to add to salad as well as canned beets. Potato salad and such as well. Hot bar had baked chicken with herbs shaken on prior to baking, tender and good. Ham (deli style) baked with pineapple chunks. London Broil that, to me, was EXCELLENT. Fresh coarsely ground black pepper and a light sauce. Hot vegs on hot bar were "just ok"...green beans (canned but good), frozen mixed squash, au gratin potatoes that had to be the boxed kind. Rolls were cold, multi grain and ok. Assorted little desserts and I chose freshly made strawberry cobbler. Nice. I love the view from the Lodge that overlooks N Ga mts. Budget cuts have hit here as well and it was not as "OK" as usual.
