Cloudland Canyon State Park has been a popular destination with my family and friends for as long as I can remember. Nestled atop Lookout Mountain, about eight miles from Trenton, Georgia, it offers gorgeous scenic views, intense hiking, and a variety of camping options. There are plenty of pavilions for rent, free picnic tables, and playgrounds. Plus, it’s pet-friendly! When I was a little kid, we’d take our dog to the park and hike down to the falls, where I would wade in the water. This ended when we got a dog who was afraid of the metal grating that makes up the stairs, and dad had to carry him up and down the whole 1/2 mile trail. This was no small dog, either.
This week, nostalgia and our remembrance of “free day” Wednesday at the park, combined with the nice weather, got us headed up Lookout Mountain for some hiking and picture taking. Even though it turned out that Free Wednesdays at the state park were a thing of the past, it was worth the five dollars for our vehicle. The view from the top is gorgeous, and well worth the hike around the seven-mile rim trail if you’re up to it. Once you’ve ascended to the top of the canyon, it’s a fairly smooth walk around the top.
We weren’t up to a seven-mile hike, so we headed down into the canyon to check out the waterfalls. The first waterfall, Cherokee Falls, is the waterfall in most of my childhood memories. It was also our first stop, as the walk to it is much easier than the descent to Hemlock Falls. The hike was shorter than I remembered, at .3 miles from the descent point, and a pretty easy trail to follow. There are stairs, but the downward trek is pretty easy. The upward trek is a little harder! We made it to Cherokee Falls with no problems and spent a while hanging out. There were kids playing in the water like I did at their age, a professional photography shoot, and plenty of hikers just taking in the scenery.
I walked out into the little creek connecting the first (top) falls to the second (lower) falls and spent some time resting on a rock. It was a gorgeous day, and the sun was in the perfect spot to cast some rainbows through the mist from the waterfall. After a while, I couldn’t resist dipping my toes in. The water was cold, but it was refreshing. In some places in the creek, there were fish darting among the rocks.
After resting at Cherokee Falls for a while, we decided to try to hike down to Hemlock Falls to spend some time. The hike to Hemlock Falls, while short at another .5 miles, is almost entirely steep stairs, and is not recommended for people with heart conditions or poor health. We got about a third of the way down when I had to stop because of myasthenia gravis. Who knew that a form of muscular dystrophy wouldn’t get along with hundreds of stairs?
It didn’t matter though, almost everyone taking the stairs wound up winded and regretful. The view is worth it if you can make it down, but this may not be the hike for your small children or your disabled friends. We had a great time communing with nature and spending time as a family. If you’d like to check out any Georgia park for free, libraries used to rent out park passes for a week at a time with your library card. This may also be a thing of the past, but it’s worth looking into.
Do you have a favorite hiking spot?
Cloudland Canyon State Park looks like a really fun place to visit. And so pretty!
I’ve never heard of this place before, but it looks beautiful! I would love to visit someday.
Cloudland Canyon State Park looks like a great place to visit! Those falls looks pretty awsome.
I love amazing view! This looks like a great hike!
This park is gorgeous!! I would love to visit there someday. Now I just need to plan a trip to Georgia…LOL!
Oh that looks so beautiful!! I love camping ad hiking.
I wish I lived close to there! That waterfall is so mesmerizing.
That looks like an excellent camping or hiking spot. I haven’t been to a park as big as this one. It looks amazing.
This looks like such an amazing place to hike! I like that it is pet friendly too. We love taking our dog with us when we hike. I will have to put this on our list of must see parks. It is so gorgeous!
Hiking is one of the things that I enjoy doing with my husband especially when we’re on vacation. I think this place is worth the hike especially when you see the view.
Colorado is packed with hiking spots but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy hiking when I’m in a different place. I think this one’s worth it. I do love hiking, it helps my mind relax.
I really need to get out West. There are so may beautiful parks to explore.
This looks like a beautiful park to visit with my family! We plan to visit one day soon. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.
I would love to take some photos here! The views are absolutely breathtaking!
The Cherokee Falls were really impressive! Spending some time exploring out there would be so nice!
This is such a beautiful place to hike and that waterfall picture is amazing. We don’t really do any hiking here in Florida. Every once in a while we will take a walk or bike ride at the nature park down the street.
Wow, your photos are beautiful. I would love to visit this park and see for myself.
Wow what an absolutely beautiful looking place to go and visit, the views are just breathtaking and that waterfall WOW!
I love relaxing and breathtaking adventures like these. I especially love the make of the landscape, as they make for such beautiful shots, like the ones you have featured here!
That waterfall is absolutely beautiful! I would love to explore such a wonderful place. So pretty.
What a gorgeous destination and one that would be an easy road trip for us once my little one arrives! I’d much rather check out a park than someplace touristy.
Looks like a beautiful park to visit and enjoy the wonderful outdoors. Love the beautiful waterfall and the pretty trees and bushes.
Such a pretty spot. There are a bunch of hiking spots where we live now and my daughter keeps saying she wants to go hiking. I told her once fall finally gets here we can.
I have quite a few fave hiking spots ESPECIALLY this time of year when the weather is cooler. Our state is home to lots of state parks and we made it a point to visit every single one and we often visit state parks when we travel to other states.
I have been to many places in Georgia but never here! This totally needs to be added to my list of to-dos. I have family all over Georgia so there is no reason I can’t plan a trip here! Thanks for sharing. It looks beautiful
This is such pretty scenery! I would love to check out this spot. I’ve actually never gone hiking before.
Look at those amazing views! This sounds like such a cool place to visit and explore.
What a great park! I’d love to hike the 7 mile rim trail! Looks like a great place to visit. I was born and raised in GA and have visited many parks but I think I somehow missed this one.
I love going to parks where I live, too. I try to go to all of them.