Cupid Falls Park at Corn Creek Preserve
Location
To get to Cupid Falls, take Maple Street in Young Harris and continue through the Young Harris College campus. The road becomes Thomas Town Road. When parking at the first lot on the left, turn left towards picnic tables to take the short walk to the falls. View the signage on the way to learn the history of the Corn Creek Preserve and how to create a rain garden. This is an easy walk that is great for kids. Leashed Pet friendly. Coordinates: 34.9350125, -83.8403023
History of Cupid Falls
The little city of Young Harris lies at the foot of Georgia’s highest peak in Brasstown Valley, an area within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. There are many reasons the area is often referred to as enchanting, but probably first and foremost is our Cupid Falls.
Cupid Falls is a 13-acre park with trails, a boardwalk, two pavilions, restrooms, a rain garden, and, of course, a beautiful waterfall. The waterfall is 10 to 15 feet and the trails could take you 10 to 20 minutes to walk; most of the trails are easy and level. If needed, you can also view the Falls from the car.
Following the Cherokee land lottery in 1832, the white settlers poured into the area to mine for gold and to farm the available land. One pioneer settler was John Bryson (1800-1874) who acquired sizeable holdings in Brasstown Valley. It was he, no doubt, who built the first grist mill in the community to grind the corn into cornmeal. Later, in 1892 after the college's founding, J. D. Cooley, a miller, moved to the area. It was he who constructed the cement dam at the top of the falls and built a flume to route the water to the mill, a good distance away.
Around the 1930s with the availability of commercial milling products in grocery stores, the Mill operations ended, and the Mill was torn down around 1950. For nearly two centuries, Cupid Falls and Corn Creek have been a family and kid-friendly recreation area. Remembering earlier times before modern technology of televisions, cell phones and the internet, local residents fondly remember the Cupid Falls area as their neighborhood playground. As for the Young Harris College students, it is a beautiful setting for “Cupiding”, the appeal of seclusion and natural surroundings. It is unknown how Cupid Falls got its name, but it seems appropriate that it started with the Young Harris College students.
The Enotah Garden Club takes great pride in supporting the City of Young Harris by helping maintain the Cupid Falls recreation area. The Enotah Garden Club actively promoted the concept of and in 2024 sponsored for installation of a new bridge to connect the trails. For more information about the club, contact us at enotahgardenclubyh [at] gmail.com (enotahgardenclubyh[at]gmail[dot]com) or visit the facebook page. The Mountain Beautification and Revitalization Association has completed the construction of the bridge, pavilion, and gazebo. Cupid Falls also receives support from students at Young Harris College and the Towns/Union Master Gardeners.
Purpose
This park was created by the City of Young Harris for the community to enjoy. The park consists of 1 mile of trails, bathrooms, boardwalks, rain garden, walking bridge, gazebo overlooking the falls, and a pavilion.
