cloudland canyon state park

If you like camping this place is cool. However, you gotta get here early enough to get in at the west rim campground. They are dramatically different. The west rim offers lots of space & privacy. The east rim might as well be a huge group site. The sites there are right on top of each other. Cool place though. Happy I'm currently on my 3rd day of 5 here.

I don't think I can add to all the superlatives already listed, it is a beautiful place from so many vantage points. I'm going to try and add some logistics and our experience in the campground. If you need something from a grocery store, drug store, or heaven forbid a doctor the town of Trenton is 10-15 mins away. Though the state park address is listed as Rising Fawn, the town of Trenton is closer. If you forgot to pack some camping equipment, there's a Wal-Mart about 25 mins east and it was right at the corner of the highway (136) that the state park is on. So, if you drive that way as soon as you "come out of the woods" boom, it's right there. No additional traffic. We camped an entire week end in February. The sites seemed well spaced to me, enough room between neighbors even though all the leaves are down. The bathroom was clean and WARM all weekend. Strong hot showers too. I think the bathrooms met and exceeded the expectations of the females present that weekend. (They said so.)I titled this "Stairs and Stares" because both are in abundance! If you camp and hike down to the waterfalls, from the campground rim you will descend and later climb a LOT of stairs. If you park near the learning center on the other rim, again mucho stairs. But, plenty of views ("stares") along the way, if you need to stop, just enjoy the views.There are 2 trails that everyone seems to do: the rim trail and the falls trail. If you're hiking with children or aging parents you may want to hike the falls in the morning and save the rim trail for the afternoon. The elevation changes on the rim trail are not too bad. Something neat I think most anyone could do and enjoy; pack a lunch or significant snack for the rim trail. Along the way there are many spots you can have a seat and eat near the rim's edge. I packed a backpack stove and on a cold day made soup on a rocky ledge. It was a beautiful scene to take in while the food was cooking. And eating there was awesome too. I saw people snacking with toddlers so don't let the "cliff talk" scare you. You just have to keep a watchful eye like you always do anyway....

This is an amazing park! The canyon and waterfalls look like something from a movie set. The decent into the bottom of the canyon provides views from rim to rim that are awe inspiring!

This is my favorite place that I've ever been to. I've been hiking all around Kentucky, Northern Georgia, and Southern Illinois. So my traveling isn't extensive, but this place is amazing. If you get there at Sunrise you can see how the light changes against the trees, rocks, leaves, and the mist hanging in the valley. It's just an absolutely beautiful sight. You have to go to the overlook which is just off of the parking lot. I've hiked down to the bottom before and there is a beautiful waterfall. I believe there are actually two waterfalls, one on each side. The bike back up was rough. Lots and lots of stairs. Be sure that you bring water and are ready to take some rest periods on the way up,. The hike down was worth it though.

This is a great state park for hiking and waterfalls. The trip up and down to the falls is not long, but it is steep. A great day trip just south of Chattanooga. Be wary if you have very young children, unless you want to carry them back to the top. In warmer weather the Cherokee falls would be a great picnic spot.

I have been to Cloudland Canyon a few times now and the trails are beautiful. My wife and I have stayed in the Yurts that last two visits and they are an experience that everyone should try at least once. It's basically car camping with less hassle and more comfort. The one tip I will give is that while the yurts are heated and insulated if you go in the winter prepare for the cold. We had water freeze in the tent but it was 12 degrees outside so go figure. As long as you prepare for the cold it's not an issue. I assume the heat of summer would have similar challenges. In my opinion the West Rim Loop Trail is the best in the park due to the wonderful views that can only be accessed from the trail. The Waterfalls Trail is also nice if there is plenty of water for the falls.

This state park has some great views. The best part though is the extent to which the geology of a series of parallel plateaus is exposed to even a rookie geologist. Spend an inexpensive night in a yurt if you like.

We stayed at the campground for one night. The park ranger and staff were very friendly and helpful. Awesome views on the trails to the falls. The campground however needs some serious upgrading and cleaning of their showers and restrooms. We only used the one bathhouse closest to our campsite but it was not in the best shape. The campground hosts were very friendly and helpful. A ranger rode through the camping area a couple of times patrolling so that was reassuring. Would recommend staying here and hiking if the bathhouses are not needed.

Beautiful state park with great hiking trails. We stayed at the West Rim campground and loved it. Our campsite was remote and peaceful. The campground host and his wife were helpful and friendly. The canyon itself wasn't packed and had amazing views of the waterfalls. Highly recommended!

Got there late in day because of fog in the morning. Loved the viewFrom the lookout. Haven't stayed there but looks nice and clean

We spent two nights camping in mid November, and I wish we had been able to stay longer. The campground and bath-house was clean and well maintained. We were only able to hike a couple of trails. They were fairly easy and well marked. The scenery on the waterfalls trail was gorgeous. If Georgia would let you book specific campsites online like Florida and South Carolina, I would say this park is perfect.

My husband and I went with a group in early November. Frankly, I was expecting the leaves to be over, as they were back home. To our pleasant surprise, the colors were spectacular. We hiked all of the trails, except the one requiring a permit. The trails were well maintained. If you are seeking a not-too-tough hiking trip with beautiful views, I recommend Cloudland.

We camped for 3 nights here in November. It is very beautiful and has great views from the top of the canyons. This is a nice place but for tent camping you definitely have to get there early and obtain a spot in the west rim campground. The other campground, on the east rim is like a wal mart parking lot. No trees, all the sites close to each other. They don't take reservations for camping - first come only. Some people rented multiple spots and put a chair or something to reserve it for friends, which isn't supposed to be allowed but they don't enforce it. The west rim campground is nicely wooded and our site, number 30 was very private. There is a hiking trail around the west rim and it leads to most of the other trails so you don't have to drive to get to the trails or waterfalls. The trail and steps to the waterfalls are difficult and you should not try to take pets, unless you want to carry them back up. We saw some elderly people on it and they looked like they were having a lot of trouble because some of the trail is washed out. The view from the point where the two canyons meet, at the day use parking lot is very nice. Be sure to see it. They sell bags of firewood at the visitor center and hosts site in the campground. A better deal is calling the guy who supplies the park. They have his phone number at the visitor center. He will deliver and it is cheaper than the individual bags.The bath house is very clean and they have a washer/dryer if you need it. Even a rocking chair and magazines to wait on your stuff. There is a small store and restaurant near the park entrance so you don't need to drive down the mountain to find supplies.

We spent about 9 days here and enjoyed it very much. Lots of beautiful fall scenery, hiking trails, waterfalls and CCSP is so close to Chattanooga that we were able to easily visit Rock City, Ruby Falls, and even took in a fun ghost tour at Chattanooga Ghost Tours, Inc. We were there during the annual Mountain Arts & Crafts Festival which was terrific. We appreciated that the park allowed geocaches and we were able to do several of those during our stay. Thanks CCSP!! Great park, we had lots of fun!

I visited this state park a week ago to go geocaching and begin my Canyon Climbers Club trek. The views of the canyon are absolutely fantastic, it is about a 600 step climb to the bottom of canyon and then some short hikes to the water falls. Absolutely amazing loved every minute of my visit, yes even the 600 step climb out of the canyon. I got there early enough in the day that I had the canyon all to myself for about an hour and a half. My only regret was not having a hammock with me to stretch out and take a nap on, it is that restful, with the sounds of nature and Daniel Run. I hope to get back next year maybe camp and do more hiking.