CLOUDLAND’S STAIRWAY TO HIKER’S HEAVEN

by | Jan 31, 2021 | Uncategorized

Cloudland Canyon State Park plummets off the western edge of Lookout Mountain near Rising Fawn, Georgia. Biking, hiking, camping and fishing in the 3,538-acre park’s thousand-foot deep canyons are magnificent.

The east rim overlook is a short walk from the parking lot.
600 steps descend into the canyon to access the waterfall trails we sought.
Sandstone cliffs hang like the sword of Damocles over large portions of the trails.
Jagged stacks of layered rocks loom ready to fall at any minute.
The austere grandeur of the canyon’s steep sides compels us to forget the fear of being smushed.
With scant direct sun, waterfalls and cascading creeks the cloud trapping canyon is always moist.
Cherokee Falls is closest to the main trailhead and our first glimpse of water cascading 60 feet from Daniel Creek into the northwest corner of the massive trench.
We retrace our steps along the scenic Appalachian river to the Sitton’s Gulch Trailhead.
The geography enchants us as we hike further down the canyon to Hemlock Falls. We had the observation deck to ourselves and ate lunch watching the water’s 90-foot plunge into a blue-green pool. Arriving early in midwinter is key to enjoying one of Georgia’s most wildly popular parks that’s only 45-minutes from Chattanooga.