Cloudland Canyon State Park

After bidding farewell to F.D. Roosevelt State Park, we set our sights on our third stop in Georgia, the renowned Cloudland Canyon State Park. Nestled on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, this park promised beautiful landscapes and abundant hiking. It is one of the largest and most scenic parks in the state, with thousand-foot-deep canyons, waterfalls, sandstone cliffs, wild caves, cascading creeks, dense forests, and abundant wildlife. It is a bucket list park for us.

Our journey there was smooth. However, arriving well after the published check-in time, we discovered our designated campsite was still occupied. Perhaps the previous campers were entranced by the park’s beauty or simply savoring every last moment in nature. Maybe they hoped we were going to be a no-show so they could stay another night. Either way, their time had expired, and we sat idling in front of the site. Patience is a virtue, they say, but I’m convinced that was said by someone who never had to wait for a campsite after a long day of driving. I felt little sympathy as they scurried to toss their tent and camping gear in the back of an SUV.

Once the squatters vacated, we swiftly set up our camper, turning the site into our home for the next few days. Deciding to explore the park, we went to the Interpretive Center. It’s a museum and educational building where the trailheads for many of the hiking trails are located nearby. Hint to the geocachers: there is a geocache in the area, TFTF.

From the Interpretive Center, we embarked on a short walk to the main overlook. The view was nothing short of spectacular, with sprawling vistas of the canyon layered with shades of green and jagged cliffs, making us forget all our earlier inconveniences.

The following morning, our daughter, her husband, and the baby set off for Chattanooga to meet a coworker for breakfast. In today’s day and age, when working from home, it’s not uncommon to never meet the people you work with face-to-face. My daughter was excited about the opportunity to meet someone that she works with every day.

Taking advantage of our alone time, Grammi and I ventured into the nearby town of Trenton, where we wandered through the antique shops and thrift stores while talking with the friendly locals, asking them for tips on must-see places to visit and where the best restaurants to dine are located. Interacting with the townspeople helps us absorb the small-town atmosphere and is an intricate part of our journey.

By the time our daughter’s family returned, we were ready for another adventure and decided to hike along the Rim Trail. Well…I say all of us, but actually one of us was carried in a backpack, and it wasn’t me. The baby was wide-eyed and certainly enjoyed the journey in the outdoors. The views along the Rim Trail seemed to get better with each step, each turn revealing more of the canyon’s majestic scenery. We came to an overlook where two canyons merged, giving us a grand view.

Energized and eager for more, we decided to tackle the Waterfall Trail next. Leading us down to Cherokee Falls, the descent was steep and challenging, but the falls greeted us with a refreshing cool mist and a picturesque scene that made every step worth it. The falls, dropping sixty-five feet into a serene pool, looked like something from a postcard. Another waterfall, Hemlock Falls, lies further down the canyon. We didn’t go down to that one. The hike out of the canyon from where we were was already going to be challenging enough.

That evening, after our hike, we gathered around our campfire for a taco night, setting up a taco bar on the picnic table. Tacos may not be your typical camping food, but I love tacos. Having a variety of ingredients makes for endless possibilities—beef tacos, chicken tacos, bean tacos, shrimp tacos, sweet potato tacos—you get the point. Besides, anything that is eaten outdoors seems to taste much better. Perhaps it’s the fresh air or the slight hint of campfire smoke.

The next morning, our daughter had a mid-morning work meeting. We decided to stay put and enjoy the peaceful campground. Grammi even managed to get some laundry done at the bathhouse. They have a coin-operated washer and dryer. Since we are on the subject of food {wink}, I might as well tell you what we had for breakfast. From the start of this trip, we have dedicated one morning at each stop to cook a big breakfast. This was the perfect time to do that here. We set up the Blackstone griddle and cooked bacon, sausage, pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns—the works. Cooking and eating outdoors is a fun activity when camping. It’s like I was saying, it just makes everything taste better.

Later that afternoon, we decided to go on a picnic and a hike. We picked up some sandwiches from the local Subway and headed for a spot we saw on the map located in an area of the park we had not been—the end of Sitton’s Gulch Trail. Well, the spot turned out to be less than we imagined. The trail was muddy, leading toward a dense forest. There were no picnic tables or benches at this trailhead. We made do with a tailgate picnic, enjoying our sandwiches among the trees. Oh well…not every picnic could be Instagram-worthy.

Back at the campground, we took a hike around the campground loop road, pulling the little one in her wagon. As the evening settled in, we found ourselves around the campfire once again. This fire, with damp green wood, was stubborn to get lit. That is, until our son-in-law brought out a blow torch and leaf blower. Just as the fire finally began to take off, we heard a distant rumble of thunder. Soon the rain came and put the fire out.

The weather alerts came next—a severe thunderstorm warning and tornado watch blared across our phones. A tornado warning soon followed with the news that tornados were to the north and south of us. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, we headed to the bathhouse for shelter. Huddled there for a couple of hours, we experienced a camaraderie with other campers that only nature’s fury can forge. Once the warnings expired, we bid farewell to our newfound friends and returned to our campers for the remainder of the night.

A light rain greeted us in the morning. Facing a muddy task, we donned our raincoats and went outside. It was time to hook up the camper and leave for our next destination. As we pulled away from the campground, we discovered a tree had fallen across the road, blocking our departure. As we waited for crews to clear the way, we reflected on our time at Cloudland Canyon State Park. Despite the delays, the weather, and the disappointing picnic, Cloudland Canyon’s stunning overlooks and majestic waterfalls delivered on its promise of beauty and adventure. We leave with hearts filled with wonderful memories and a vow to return one day soon.

Until next time—happy days and safe travels.