What if I called you and said I had reserved a cabin for the weekend at Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge – and your dog is included. We’ll go hiking, eat seasonally fresh American Southern cuisine, and relax at night by the firepit ablaze with the day’s memories. Are you coming?

Some of the coziest cabins near the entry point to the Appalachian Trail are at Amicalola Falls. I surprised my friends for Spring Break by reserving one of the 14 cabins available at the park. Two of the cabins are pet friendly.

• Wooded Mountain Top has 9 cabins above the falls. These are ideal for groups planning to trek along the park’s hiking trails and beyond into the Chattahoochee National Forest.
• Creek Side Below the Falls has 5 cabins that have recently been upgraded with more modern furnishings and amenities.

Stepping inside, our cabin had wooden floors, and smelled fresh, with clean, mountain air coming in through the windows that we opened on that Friday afternoon as we settled in.

The cabins are open-concept living rooms with adjoining full kitchens. You can choose 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom options as the cabins accommodate singles, couples, and groups. Each of the cabins are just steps from the trails and minutes from the highest cascading waterfall in Georgia: Amicalola Falls.

Did you know? Cascades Restaurant at the lodge serves a highly reviewed buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner with fresh, seasonal menus daily. It’s the ideal way to bring in the whole family and everyone chooses what they desire – no waiting! Breakfast is 8-10 am; Lunch is 11:30 am-2:30 pm; and Dinner is 4:30-8 pm.

Most of us spent the weekend lounging and reading and it was quiet! Two of us arranged to meet an Activities Attendant to challenge our skills in 3-D Archery. I had not touched a bow and arrow since elementary school camp! We were first taught the basics of handling the bow before we took aim at the three-dimensional targets in the outdoor range (I’m more skilled than I realized!). You can do a session that is up to two hours – ours was 90 minutes – and now we have bragging rights to bring back to the cabin.

Amicalola Falls is one of the biggest natural attractions in North Georgia. It holds the record for being the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River.

Reserve cabins as early as you can because they are popular. There are also rooms with mountain views at the lodge, and camping options. Check it out here.

I had the kind of rejuvenating weekend everyone needs: reconnected with friends, got exercise in the beautiful outdoors; and relaxed in fireside comfort as much as we could, indoors and out.

By Phoebe A. Keys