Cloudland Canyon State Park Campground

Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA

 Cloudland Canyon State Park Campground  is located in Rising Fawn, Georgia.  It is approximately 45 minutes south of Chattanooga, Tennessee and about 2.5 hours north of Atlanta, Georgia.  The campground is located on the western edge of Lookout Mountain and overlooks a deep gorge.  Elevation climbs from 800 feet to over 1,980 feet which makes driving to this park not for the faint of heart. We approached the park from Trenton, GA on route 136 which makes a long, twisting climb to the top of the mountain.

Cloudland Canyon State Park Campground

There are two different campgrounds within the park to choose from. However, you cannot reserve a specific site when making reservations.  The West Rim Campground has 43 RV sites (some pull-thru) with power, electric and sewer.  These sites are quite large with lots of trees and plenty of privacy.  The loop road was paved making it nice for our young bike riders.  The two bath-houses had showers and flushing toilets and were kept clean during our visit.

We camped here in a Pop-up camper in early April.  The trees were still bare and the weather was cool but not cold.  We purchased firewood from the camp hosts and were able to get ice from the ranger station/camp store located back at the front entrance. This campground was full the weekend we were here but it was quiet and relaxing.  Again, this campground was heavily wooded; therefore there was no view of the canyon below. The star gazing at night became the highlight of this trip! We walked every night around the loop road glancing up to view the gallery of stars! A short drive to the main overlook would have made for fantastic, unobstructed views of the night sky.

The second campground located here is the East Rim Campground.  It is located closer to the Interpretive Center and closer to the scenic overlooks this park offers.  East Rim Campground sites were much smaller with no privacy at all. The sites were closer together with unobstructed views of your neighbor’s campsite.  Now, this type of camping is not for me but these sites would be perfect for large groups of people traveling together or families that want to camp and be close to each other.  The best advantage of the East Rim is that you are only a few steps away from the amazing views!

Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA

There are miles of hiking trails here but I like this hike: From picnic Shelter #1, you can take a hiking path past the Interpretive Center and around the rim.  The views from here are breathtaking! And yes, you are very high up for those of you afraid of heights.  For those that are even more adventurous, stay on the path past the cottages and continue down into the canyon on the Waterfalls Trail.  Hiking down is strenuous and slippery at times.  This should only be attempted if you are in good physical health. Oh, almost forgot to mention the steps… That’s right, stairs! Sounds like an easy way to get down doesn’t it? It’s the getting back up that’s the challenge! At a point on the stairs you are given an option to see Waterfall #1 or #2.  #1 is the closest, therefore the easier of the two to see. But make no mistake, it doesn’t mean it is easy to get to.  Follow the stairs and stay on the path and you will be rewarded with a magical water fall! Remember, know your limits!  You need to get back up!

Lots and Lots of Steps!

Waterfall #1

The highlights of this trip:  amazing scenery, privacy of the campsite, star gazing, views from the rim and the magical waterfall that awaited us at the bottom of the canyon! This park was one of the most scenic we have camped at in Georgia!

For more information contact: Cloudland Canyon State Park,  122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road, Rising Fawn, Georgia  30738
Phone: 706-657-4050,  Reservations: 800-864-7275
Web-site: www.gastateparks.org

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