Ravine Overlook Trail waterfall in Little Mulberry Park

Little Mulberry Park – Ravine Overlook Waterfall

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ocated in the northern half of Gwinnett County is a 890 acre park that sports in my opinion some of the best terrain for hiking, exploring nature and making nice photographs.

Little Mulberry Park features:

890 acres
Old growth woodlands
Two fish ponds
Play area
Second highest point in Gwinnett county
A central nature preserve
One 15 foot table top waterfall
One approx. 30-40 foot stair-step waterfall
Large open fields
Unique archeological stone formations
Deep woodland hiking trails

One of the many things that makes Little Mulberry feel so unique is the sensation of rustic mountain get-away that the park designers put together. When you’re at this park its easy to forget that you are in fact within one of the largest and most populated counties east of the Mississippi.

The many deep woodland trails affords the hiker or photographer the ability to seclude themselves and let their creative abilities get to work without the normal outside distractions of cars, city noise, pedestrian traffic and daily living. Each time I’ve visited the park its allowed me to mentally relax and enjoy the nature around me.

Finding a waterfall

To start 2011 off at least “interesting” I’ve planned one of my first outings at Little Mulberry Park. My destination is the table-top waterfall located at the base of a deep ravine in the old-growth section of the park.

This winter has turned out to be very cold here in the South. In fact for the first time ever I was forced to stay home for an entire week due to frozen roads. We had to trek out to the 7-11 to forage for food in fact! So, you can imagine my need and want to get out and do some exploring.

This is a pretty easy waterfall to reach in the park. The pathway is paved the entire way and the views are beautiful. Tons of old-growth hardwood to enjoy in the Fall and, tranquil quiet atmosphere in the Winter. Spring is also a pure joy in this section of the park – I’ll exclude Summer, I hate Summer.

Ravine Trail Video

Follow the Ravine overlook trail spur until you reach the actual overlook that peeks out of the ravine offering a great view down into the waterfall below. You can follow the trail along this ravine for a few hundred feet staying along the fence and getting some great views.

If you look across the ravine you can see the far side that can be reached by walking further down the ravine pathway. That side is where you will make your eventual descent into the ravine.

You might also want to check out some archeological oddities along the way. There are over 100 stone piles that have yet to be explained. Some say they are recent constructs by farmers. Others, say they date to the Cherokee and Creek Indian and, that this was at one time a ceremonial area. Still others think these pre-date modern times and are more closely associated with cave men.

Waterfall characteristics and photographing

Flow

I’ve descended to this waterfall only once. Since it was in the winter the water flow was descent but, I can recall from previous scouting expeditions that it was moving much poorer earlier in the year.

Due to this the best times to visit the waterfall is going to be in the winter and spring, normally in the wetter seasonal rainfall between November and April. If you are looking for something with fall foliage your best bet will be to try and capture some of the late fall color in early or mid November. For spring, try early April.

The waterfall itself is a table-top rock formation with spill that splashed to a pool below and has one additional stair-step into the stream basin.

I can say from experience that anything in the hotter months will most likely disappoint unless we’ve had an exceptionally rainy summer.

Approach

Warning: this particular waterfall is difficult to approach due to leaf covered rock formations and steep incline. There have been incidents that required air-lift due to falling so, take much care and observation both in descent and ascent.

They only way I’ve observed or attempted this descent myself is along the far side of the ravine opposite the trail. You will need to move slowly and watch for slippery leaf covered rocks the entire way down. Do not move too fast.

I’d also suggest wearing rubber boots, you’re most likely going to need to actually get in the stream to get in some of the positions available for this shoot.

Gear

This waterfall is located in a crease in the hillside at the base of a ravine so, you do have a little leeway with the light. To insure you have the right gear that allows you the most shooting time I’d carry the following items.

What I normally carry:

Sturdy tripod
Neutral Density filter
Rubber boots and waterproof emergency cover for the camera
Flashlight
Water
Cell phone
Camera release (or use timer)
Backpack

Technique

Your main concern in going to be too much light which could spoil a really good long-exposure. To prevent this equip you lens with a Neutral Density filter. This type of filter will add more stops allowing you to keep the shutter open much longer and, that allows for more silky water flow – the hallmark of any nice waterfall photo.

Do keep in mind that you want to control direct sunlight on the water as much as possible. Once you start getting direct light striking the water it will create too much contrast and can blow out all of your detail. You might want to also invest in a Circular Polarizing filter. This filter can be adjusted to reduced reflection on the water surface.

Due to this I’d suggest being in place in the morning hours by 6:30 – 7:00 AM at the latest. If you’re an evening shooter don’t arrive before 4:00 PM. These times are based for more colder months.

Little Mulberry Park – Ravine Overlook Waterfall

Ravine Trail Video

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