Tucked away in the far Northwest corner of Georgia, near the Alabama state line, near the Tennessee state line and about as near to heaven as possible for a lover of fall colors in the South, sits Cloudland Canyon State Park.
Two hours North of Atlanta, 40 minutes South of Chattanooga and tucked between the converging routes of I-75 North and I-59 North, signs of creeping civilization surround Cloudland, but there’s nothing near Cloudland. And that’s perfectly OK for those who love nature, appreciate natural beauty and dislike hordes of visitors posing for ridiculous selfies instead of pointing their cameras at the spectacular scenery surrounding them.
The fact that it takes some forethought, planning and time to visit makes Cloudland all-the-more-special. Unlike Stone Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain or Red Top Mountain parks which are in easy reach of metro Atlanta and thus always crowded with day users, Cloudland retains a remote and rural vibe. Yes, the trails and campsites are busier on weekends – and even more so on fall weekends – but it’s not the same as bumping into the stranger in front of you at Stone Mountain when that person makes a sudden trail stop.
We chose a crisp, clear fall day in early November for our second visit to Cloudland. This was the first time we actually had enough time to explore. Our first visit was a quick stop on the way back home from Chattanooga when we miscalculated both our travel times and the bathroom needs of our passengers. Instead of taking a scenic route and enjoying a short walk along the canyon rim on the long way home, we drove through the park, saw little, paused briefly, and jumped back in the car.
This time, we planned to spend the better portion of the day, and that wasn’t enough time either as we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the changing leaves and constantly stopping for the next great pictures. Our priority for the trip was to visit the rain-rejuvenated waterfalls set amidst changing fall leaves. After a quick pit stop in the visitor’s center, we headed down into the canyon – meaning those infamous Georgia State Park stairs would extract their revenge on my knees on our ascension to the canyon rim starting point.
Often, when hiking with a goal in mind, I’m so focused on the destination that I miss the surrounding wonder. That was impossible at Cloudland. While the occasional imbalance caused by vertigo forced me to look down at the steps and the muddy, rooted, rocky trail, descending into and through the surrounding colorful canopy filled my eyes with glimpses of gold, yellow and red that I virtually was required to stop at red. At every turn in the trail, each platform on the stairway, or around the next boulder, nature’s kaleidoscope presented an ever-changing array of leaf colors highlighted against the natural white and grey walls of the canyon.
Nearing the canyon floor, we chose the trail’s North fork, heading first to Hemlock Falls and then a bit further on the Sitton Gulch Trail. Thanks to recent rains, a strong flow poured a broad stream of water over Hemlock Falls, then flowing downstream over several smaller cascades and falls into Sitton Gulch. Just past the falls, a high bridge provided a great overlook into the gulch and the smaller falls.
After a few minutes and many photos at each of the falls and overlooks, we turned back up the canyon trail, then down the shorter fork to visit Cherokee Falls. Here, we had the deserted falls to ourselves, and we took the opportunity to view and photograph from different vantage points while listening to the water plunging into the pond as the falls’ base. A nosy beagle arrived to sniff our legs, a sure sign that inconsiderate pet owners were approaching, empty leash in hand and in violation of park regulations, perhaps assuming everyone would love their dog or that basic rules of human behavior didn’t apply to them.
With that nudge, we began the second half of the ascent – already having climbed nearly 250 feet back up trails and Georgia State Park stairs from the base of Hemlock Falls and Sitton Gulch to reach Cherokee Falls. Another 250 feet of switchback trails returned us to the canyon rim and the spectacular overlook viewpoint.
For the record, the official park brochure lists the waterfalls trail as a strenuous 1.8-mile roundtrip with 600 stairsteps one-way. My Garmin Vivoactive HR recorded our hike at 2.54 miles, which included the extra distance into Sitton Gulch, and 577 feet of elevation gain. My heartrate averaged 91 bpm during our 90-minute hike, with two peaks at ~120 bpm and a maximum spike to 132 bpm when climbing the main stair sections. I’ll be sure to send a thank you note to exercise bike 59 at the Dennis Kemp YMCA in Acworth for preparing me well for the uphill hike.
If you’re traveling with less-mobile companions or young children, it’s possible to enjoy some of Cloudland’s natural wonder without too much wandering. Overlook views can be enjoyed with very little effort. From the main parking lot, it’s less than 100 yards of flat-but-bumpy walking to the canyon’s edge and an expansive view. From there, you can follow signs and reach the main overlook, again bumpy with a little elevation change, but less than ¼ mile away.
For the more adventuresome, Cloudland offers several longer trails. The 5-mile West Rim Trail is a lollipop-style, moderately strenuous route, once rated as one of the Top 10 hikes in the US by Backpacker Magazine. It’s on our agenda for a winter visit. The Backcountry Loop, Sitton’s Gulch and Bear Creek Trails are more remote and rugged, and best done in a pair or a group. If that’s not challenging enough, new areas along the 14-mile one-way Cloudland Connector Trail offer multi-use options that include hiking, trail running, single-track mountain biking and horseback riding.
My wife has taken yurt camping off our couple’s agenda, but says I’m welcomed to take the grandsons if their mom and dad agree. We might be tempted to rent one of the 16 spacious cottages for a long weekend with some of the kids and grandkids, too. Or, once our youngest is college bound, we’re thinking a 7-to-10-day, multi-location Georgia State Park cottage and hiking trip is a must-do late-fall activity.
More Hiking Adventures
If you enjoy hiking, exploring parks and waterfalls, here are a few more of our adventures you might like:
Short Hikes to Tall Waterfalls. Some of our favorite Georgia State Park waterfalls and hiking, good for all ages and abilities. We’ve updated this post several times.
Walks in the Woods at Red Top. This state park is just far enough outside the Atlanta perimeter that it’s not as busy as those closer in. We enjoy year-round hiking here, though summer breezes off the lake make it perfect for warmer months.
Check Out KEMO’s Backside. Most visitors to Kennesaw Mountain take the paved road or front-face trail to the peak. We enjoy the longer circle trail.
Cooper’s Furnace and Allatoona Dam. Closed in the late fall and winter, this short walk in the woods features Civil War history and a great view of a hydropower dam.
Idyllic Weekend in Clayton. We enjoyed a fabulous state at the Beechwood Inn, and great hiking at Blackrock State Park.
