Cloudland Canyon's Colors Don't Require a Long Walk

Even if you choose not to hike those infamous Georgia State Parks steps to the waterfalls, Cloudland Canyon State Park offers spectacular fall foliage views for visitors of all ages and abilities.

Located in the far corner of Northwest Georgia near Chattanooga, visitors to Cloudland Canyon get a panoramic view of the canyon and brilliant fall colors from overlooks reached 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. Most popular is the waterfalls trail down into the canyon to visit two large of other smaller falls. 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.

For more information, visit https://ourtravelcafe.com/clou...