Much like a rumpled green quilt, the land where Georgia tucks in against the two Carolinas rises and falls in peaks and valleys that hold a variety of outdoor surprises. Some of nature's most delightful beauties are the waterfalls here.

Cool and clear, waterfalls sparkle throughout the Three Corners like gemstones on a patch of velvet. One, Whitewater Falls, sits on the border between North and South Carolina and plunges 411 feet to become the longest drop in the Eastern United States. The drive to get there twists through a forest of mixed pine and hardwoods south of Sapphire, North Carolina.

From the Whitewater Falls Recreation Area parking lot, a wheelchair-accessible blacktop path rises a short distance to a sheer dropoff with a spectacular view of the falls. From there you can descend a steep flight of stairs to a lower observation platform.

Follow U.S. 64 west from Cashiers, North Carolina, and you'll find Bridal Veil Falls, and Dry Falls, where you can go behind the water without getting wet. Or, dip down into Georgia and visit Toccoa Falls, which is higher than Niagara Falls. Then slip over to the area north of Helen for a look at Anna Ruby Falls, a beautiful double waterfall.

Amicalola Falls State Park, near Dawsonville, Georgia, claims the highest cascading waterfall in the state. From it you can take an 8-mile trail to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. If you're a fisherman, be sure to take your gear along and try your skills at catching trout in the swift mountain streams.

Amicalola Falls State Park: 240 Amicalola Falls State Park, Dawsonville, GA 30534; (706) 265-4703.