Cloudland Canyon State Park is located on the south end of Lookout Mountain in Georgia. The main park entrance boasts sensational views into the magnificent gorge from the rim, but accessing the trails to waterfalls 1,000-feet below, requires traipsing down 600 metal steps. After your day’s adventure, that’s another 600-steps up to get back to your vehicle.
We’ve punished our knees with the 1,200-steps plus hiking trails and chose to follow Sitton’s Creek into the Canyon from the south entrance. There is a small parking lot, with an “Honor Pay” kiosk for five bucks and no crowds. Sitton Creek splits and rejoins itself at the beginning of Sitton’s Gulch.
With the trees stripped of leaves, winter hikes offer much more visibility at ground level. Even trees without leaves can be very cool. What animal does this tree resemble to you?
The trail rises slowly along the creek in most places, with a few steeper sections to clear ridges. The beauty of the gentle two-mile hike in, is the mostly downhill lark on the return.
The Cloudland State Park area experienced lots of recent rainfall, turning the boulder-strewn creek into a two-mile run of endless cascades.
This twenty-ton boulder is precariously perched on the rootball of an overturned tree. It reminded me of a trap Wile E. Coyote might set for the Road Runner.
Zen Falls cascades off the canyon rim and becomes the only creek crossing near the end of Sitton’s Gulf trail. Even with the leaves gone, we failed to get a decent picture of Zen Falls. So, we climbed the 40-steps to reach the Waterfalls Trail and eat lunch at the park’s largest waterfall.
Daniel-Creek-fed Hemlock Falls plunges 90 feet, before cascading its way to join Bear Creek and pour into Sitton’s Creek. There’s a viewing platform with a bench that makes this a perfect spot to enjoy lunch, before making the downhill hike back to the car.