Cloudland Canyon Backcountry Loop (with Sitton's Gulch and the West Rim)

Cloudland Canyon State Park, Georgia State Parks (Lookout Mountain, near Trenton)

“A waterfall in Cloudland Canyon” by Jeff Gunn , CC BY 2.0 · Source · Resized for the web

Cloudland Canyon sits on the western edge of Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia, where Daniel Creek and Bear Creek cut deep gorges that join to form Sitton Gulch Creek. AllTrails describes thousand-foot-deep canyons, sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, and caves. The park’s backpacking option is a short loop through a hemlock grove with designated campsites, which makes a quiet base for day hikes into the canyon.

It’s a gentle overnight, but the canyon trails nearby are steep.

The hike

Georgia State Parks describes the park as straddling a deep gorge cut by Sitton Gulch Creek, with elevations from 800 to 1,980 feet, on the western edge of Lookout Mountain and part of the Cumberland Plateau. It says backpackers can camp in a hemlock grove on the 2-mile Backcountry Loop. Explore Georgia counts 13 secluded primitive campsites along that loop; Wikipedia and AllTrails count 11.

The Friends of Cloudland Canyon describe the Backcountry Loop: hiked clockwise, it slopes gently downward through oak woodland to a small stream and dark groves of eastern hemlock, then climbs about 200 feet back to the trailhead. Wikipedia says that at the far end, hikers emerge from the hemlock groves onto level trail among oaks and hickories. Coleman Concierge notes it’s marked with red blazes.

From camp, the canyon trails are the main attraction. The Friends of Cloudland Canyon describe the Waterfalls Trail as a strenuous 1.8-mile round trip with 600 stair steps one way, reaching Cherokee Falls after half a mile and Hemlock Falls about half a mile farther. Wikipedia says the falls drop 60 and 90 feet from Daniel Creek. The Sitton’s Gulch Trail, named for early settler and sawmill owner Jacob Sitton, is a strenuous 6-mile round trip down boulder-strewn creeks to the mouth of the canyon, with springtime wildflowers. Southern Outings calls the area just below the Sitton’s Gulch bridge the park’s best hemlock grove.

The West Rim Loop is the other classic. The Friends of Cloudland Canyon call it a 5-mile, moderately strenuous trail with overlooks of the park’s rugged geology and deep canyons. Southern Outings counts five overlooks, small caves, and stream areas along it. Wikipedia says it offers views of Trenton and neighboring Sand Mountain.

Wikipedia explains the setting: on the summit of Lookout Mountain, Daniel Creek and Bear Creek cut gorges through the rock and converge to form Sitton Gulch Creek, and Georgia State Parks says the park’s developed area sits between those two canyons. Southern Outings notes that hemlock groves grow near the creeks between about 1,300 and 1,500 feet.

Cloudland is part of a statewide program. Georgia State Parks says the Waterfalls Trail is part of the popular Canyon Climbers Club, and Explore Georgia says Cloudland is the club’s northernmost feature. Explore Georgia also notes more than 60 miles of trails in the park, including 14 miles shared with mountain bikers on the Cloudland Connector.

Wikipedia adds that the Bear Creek Trail, a spur off the backcountry trail, reopened in 2011 after nearly a decade of closure, and that near the creek it crosses private property.

For another designated-campsite trip in a Georgia state park, see Black Rock Mountain.

Tips

Reserve your backcountry site. Georgia State Parks takes reservations up to 14 months ahead.
Use camp as a base. Day hike the Waterfalls, Sitton’s Gulch, and West Rim trails.
Prepare for stairs. The Waterfalls Trail has 600 steps one way.
Respect private land. The Bear Creek Trail crosses private property near the creek.
Follow the red blazes. They mark the Backcountry Loop.

Camping

Backcountry camping at Cloudland Canyon is at designated primitive sites along the 2-mile Backcountry Loop, reserved through Georgia State Parks. Explore Georgia counts 13 sites; Wikipedia says 11. The park also has 72 tent, trailer, and RV sites, 30 walk-in sites, 10 yurts, and 19 cottages, according to ReserveAmerica’s listing.

Inside Intel: Explore Georgia describes the backcountry sites as secluded, set in a hemlock grove along the loop. Because the loop is short, a night there leaves time to hike the Waterfalls Trail and Sitton’s Gulch the next day. The Friends of Cloudland Canyon add that the loop itself is a nice hike.

Trail facts

Distance: About 2-mile Backcountry Loop; add about 5 miles for the West Rim or about 6 round trip for Sitton’s Gulch
Route type: Loop, with optional day hikes
Difficulty: Easy to moderate for the loop; canyon trails are strenuous
Elevation: Park ranges from 800 to 1,980 feet
Campsites: 11 to 13 designated backcountry sites (reservations required)
Water: A small stream on the loop; treat all water
Permits: Backcountry campsite reservation
Trailhead: Backcountry Loop trailhead, Cloudland Canyon State Park, near Trenton
Last verified: October 2, 2026

The Lowdown

A hemlock grove camp at Cloudland:

A quiet night in Cloudland's hemlock grove calls for a sleeping bag you can count on. See which bags testers rate.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.