Cloudland Canyon State Park is in Rising Fawn, Georgia on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. The park is an easy 30 minute drive to Chattanooga, Tennessee. In this post, we explore the state park and nearby Chattanooga.
Cloudland Canyon
Cloudland Canyon is known for its beautiful canyon views, waterfalls, caves, hiking, and trails. The canyon plunges 1,000 feet giving hikers a strenuous but rewarding experience. We visited in winter and enjoyed the peacefulness of the off-season.
West Rim Hike
We found the path to the East Rim main overlook a short distance from the parking area. We soon discovered that all the trails in the park connect at one point or another. We decided to hike the West Rim loop trail.
We followed the West Rim loop trail as it descended down to Daniel Creek and passed by an interesting cave. Wonder who lives in there?
The West Rim overlook area features many large rock formations. The views from this side are just as rewarding as the East Rim.
The hike was strenuous (as promised) but well worth it for the amazing views.
West Rim Campground
We stayed at the West Rim Campground. The trail system is connected to the campground making it easy to hop on the trail and explore the canyon. We stayed at site #40 which included water and electric.
Chattanooga Tennessee
Just 30 minutes north of Cloudland is Chattanooga. We took the opportunity to explore this picturesque city. First, we walked over the Walnut Street bridge towards the Hunter Museum of American Art.
Tennessee Aquarium
Next, we visited the Tennessee Aquarium. The aquarium has two main buildings – River Journey and Ocean Journey. We started at River Journey. The theme of this journey is river life from high in the Appalachian Mountains down to the Gulf of Mexico.
We enjoyed the river fish and reptiles!
Ocean Journey was our next stop – where the river flows into the Gulf of Mexico. We walked up a gradual incline while viewing The Secret Reef from all three levels of this enormous aquarium tank.
After viewing the reef, we watched penguins waddling about on Penguins’ Rock. We ended with the dark and mysterious jellyfish exhibit, one of our favorite experiences in the entire aquarium!
We will plan to go back to the Tennessee Aquarium in the future. It is one of the best aquariums we’ve seen.
Signal Mountain
No trip to Chattanooga is complete without a visit to Signal Mountain. We took in the views from Signal Point at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. We did not get to hike the trail that day due to the blustering cold wind and low temperatures. Nonetheless we enjoyed the views.
Next, we stopped at a small park on Carriage Hill. The views of the Tennessee River and downtown Chattanooga from this vantage point were spectacular.
Lodge Cast Iron
We couldn’t leave the area without stopping at Lodge Cast Iron Outlet Store in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. If you love to cook on cast iron, this is the place to go. The store includes the Lodge Cast Iron Museum.
On the way home, we started planning a return trip to the mountains of Georgia and southern Tennessee. The area has so much to offer – beautiful mountain views, canyons, vibrant towns and cities. Something for everyone!
If you are interested in the state parks of coastal Georgia, check out our post featuring Skidaway Island and Crooked River.