Mountain Treasure

Irealize that my good friend Peter McIntosh just did an article on Tallulah Gorge State Park in last month’s issue. But there is another reason beyond its beauty and magnificence, that our own amazing natural wonder, the Tallulah Gorge, is one of our most prized “Mountain Treasures.”

It’s obvious that Rabun County’s Tallulah Gorge State Park celebrates the splendor of nature, with its stunning views of sheer quartzite cliffs towering over the torrents of water falling over the rocks below. Also clear is the fact that hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the park each year to avail themselves of these spectacular views, unparalleled hiking trails, and world class white-water sports and climbing opportunities. And it’s generally known that the Tallulah Gorge and its waterfalls have been a tourist attraction since at least 1882 when the Tallulah Falls Railway was built, increasing the accessibility of the area to people traveling up from Atlanta and South Georgia. But it may not be as well-known that the park is also a testament to two Georgia women pioneers in environmental conservation, Helen Dortch Longstreet and Jane Hurt Yarn.

Known as the “Fighting Lady”, Helen Dortch Longstreet was an American social advocate who earned her nickname for being a champion of causes such as the preservation of the environment and civil rights. The second wife of Confederate general James Longstreet, she was the proprietor and editor of two weekly new publications, Vice-President of the Georgia Weekly Press Association, Secretary of the Woman’s Press Club of Georgia, and Assistant Librarian of the State of Georgia. She was also the leader of the movement to have the University of Georgia opened to women and was an advocate of modern industrial education. In 1911, Dortch Longstreet took up the cause of creating a state park at Tallulah Gorge to protect the area from the potential impact of Georgia Power’s plan to build a series of hydroelectric dams along the Tallulah River. Although unsuccessful, her campaign was one of the first conservation movements in Georgia. When the Tallulah Gorge State Park was finally created in 1993, it was done in her honor and the trails in the park were named the Helen Dortch Longstreet Trail System in 1999.

Another “trail-blazing” woman, Jane Hurt Yarn was a pioneering conservationist and environmentalist who single-handedly helped save thousands of acres of wild land in Georgia and around the nation. Among her many accomplishments, she founded Save Our Vital Environment (SAVE), the first full-time environmental lobbying organization in the state, she received the American Motors Conservation Award in 1971, and was inducted in to the Georgia Women of Achievement in 2009. As a tribute to her efforts, Ms. Yarn was posthumously honored in 1995 with the dedication of Tallulah Gorge State Park’s 16,000 square foot environmental education and visitors center by Governor Zell Miller. According to Governor Miller, “No other single individual has done as much for conservation in Georgia as Jane Yarn.”

Today, as you marvel at the gorge’s splendor while hiking the rim trails or watching the kayakers brave the torrents from the swaying suspension bridge, remember that the everlasting beauty of the park is also a tribute to the vision of these two women, whose passion for environmental preservation helped ensure that the treasures of our mountains will always be here for us to enjoy. And we would remiss if we didn’t also express our appreciation to Peter and his students for doing such a great job capturing that beauty in their wonderful photographs so that others can marvel as well. There are so many treasures to be found in the mountains of Rabun County… come explore them all!