There are three ways to enter the trail system: (1)Amicalola State Park Entrance (2)Nimblewill Gap Entrance
and (3)FS357 ORV Entrance. The official entrance that is maintained by the Forest Service is FS357.
Directions to FS357 Entrance
From GA 400:
Take Hwy. 53 west from the red light beyond the Premium Outlet Mall.
You'll see the McDonald's on the left.
Follow Hwy 53 West into Dawsonville until it T's by a used car lot.
Carefully turn left, go a short distance and curve to the right around
the old Courthouse, then continue until you reach a fork in the road.
Turn right onto Hwy 183 (towards Amicalola Falls State Park). Eventually
you'll see a Texaco station on the right and Hwy 136 comes in from the right.
Ignore it and bear left, staying on Hwy. 183.
Take Hwy 183 until it intersects Hwy 52 at a three way stop sign.
(Note: To go in via Amicalola State Park take a right at this intersection
and follow Hwy 52 East to the Park entrance).
Turn left and follow Hwy. 52 passing several apple houses and then the Oakland
Elementary School (on left).
Soon you'll see high voltage power transmission station on the left.
Almost immediately you'll see the Cartecay United Methodist Church on the right.
This is the intersection with Roy Road. Stanley's Chevron / convenience store is there.
Turn right onto Roy Road. Go roughly 6 miles to a stop sign.
Turn right onto Old Bucktown Rd., cross the bridge and follow this road for 3.1 miles
to the intersection with Tickanetley Road. Continue straight ahead onto the gravel road.
You are still on Old Bucktown Road.
Go 1.7 miles on this good gravel road. You'll see the Anderson Creek ORV area sign
on your right. Turn right and go uphill for 1.8 miles (FS357) to the clearing with
several trails branching out.
From Rt. 5 North in Ellijay:
Go to the second traffic light and turn left by the Hardees. Cross the bridge and
turn right onto Hwy. 52 East.
Go 6.2 miles to Roy Road. Roy Road is on the left and
Stanley's Chevron station is at this intersection.
Turn left onto Roy Road. Go roughly 6 miles to a stop sign.
Turn right onto Old Bucktown Rd., cross the bridge and follow this road for 3.1 miles
to the intersection with Tickanetley Road. Continue straight ahead onto the gravel road.
You are still on Old Bucktown Road.
Go 1.7 miles on this good gravel road. You'll see the Anderson Creek ORV area sign
on your right. Turn right and go uphill for 1.8 miles (FS357) to the clearing with
several trails branching out.
Directions to Amicalola State Park Entrance
From GA 400:
Take Hwy. 53 west from the red light beyond the Premium Outlet Mall.
You'll see the McDonald's on the left.
Follow Hwy 53 West into Dawsonville until it T's by a used car lot.
Carefully turn left, go a short distance and curve to the right around
the old Courthouse, then continue until you reach a fork in the road.
Turn right onto Hwy 183 (towards Amicalola Falls State Park). Eventually
you'll see a Texaco station on the right and Hwy 136 comes in from the right.
Ignore it and bear left, staying on Hwy. 183.
Take Hwy 183 until it intersects Hwy 52 at a three way stop sign.
Bear to the right at this intersection and follow Hwy 52 East to the Park entrance.
Enter the park, don't forget the $2.00 entrance fee, and take the first left at the
main ranger station.
Follow the road uphill toward the Lodge and camping areas. Once you reach the parking
area for the Top of the Fall viewing area make a left towards the Cabins and Campground.
Make a right turn at the cabins. Do not enter the campground. The paved road will turn
into gravel. This is now High Schoals Road. There will be an intersection with Nimblewill
Road. Continue straight on High Shoals Road toward the Anderson Creel area. If you turn right
at Nimblewill Road you will eventually exit at Nimblewill Gap. See next section...
From Rt. 5 North in Ellijay:
Go to the second traffic light and turn left by the Hardees. Cross the bridge and
turn right onto Hwy. 52 East.
Go 6.2 miles to Roy Road. Roy Road is on the left and
Stanley's Chevron station is at this intersection.
Turn left onto Roy Road. Go roughly 6 miles to a stop sign.
Turn right onto Old Bucktown Rd., cross the bridge and follow this road for 3.1 miles
to the intersection with Tickanetley Road. Continue straight ahead onto the gravel road.
You are still on Old Bucktown Road.
Go 1.7 miles on this good gravel road. You'll see the Anderson Creek ORV area sign
on your right. Turn right and go uphill for 1.8 miles (FS357) to the clearing with
several trails branching out.
Directions to Nimblewill Gap Entrance
Follow directions to Amicalola State Park. Do not enter the park but continue east
on Hwy. 52 for approximately 6 miles until you reach Nimblewill Church Rd.
Turn left and follow this road to the church. At the church turn left on Nimblewill gap Road.
The road will turn from paved to gravel after several miles. There are numerous very nice
campsites along the creek.
After approximately 5 miles of gravel road you will reach a clearing with several trails. This is
Nimblewill Gap. Here, the approach trail to the Appalachian Trail crosses (blue blazed footpath.)
There is also a historical marker as this is the site of a small plane crash many years ago.
As you enter the clearing there are two roads you can take. The road to the Amicalola/Anderson Creek
trail system is to your left, uphill over some moderate rocky ledges. The road that is straight
ahead (and downhill) comes out somewhere near Old Bucktown Road. There is no further information
available for that road.
Nimblewill Road will eventual run into High Shoals Road behind the State Park. Take a right onto
High Shoals Road.
