Until 1832, the Cherokee, an Iroquoian-speaking tribe believed to have migrated in ancient times from the Great Lakes region, controlled a large territory that included this area of the state park.

That year they signed the Treaty of New Echota with the United States, which forced the Cherokee to remove into the Ozarks in Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.

They called their mass removal and overland journey the Trail of Tears, during which many people died of the thousands traveling.

Nearby settlers knew a Cherokee woman who lived in the area until the 1850s; she refused to leave when her tribe was removed.

In 2012, Amicalola Falls State Park was privatized and its operations transferred to Coral Hospitality, a Florida-based hotel and resort management company.