Cloudland Canyon Waterfalls Trail Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA
miles
LENGTH 1.5 MILES
DIFFICULTY 5.5 Easy
Medium
DURATION 1-2 hours
ELEVATION GAIN
550
feet
TRAIL TYPE
There And
Back Again
Cloudland Canyon Waterfalls Trail

The most popular trail at Cloudland Canyon State Park, the Waterfalls Trail takes you down 600 steps to the base of two impressive waterfalls. The real hike, however, is getting back up. For those that don't want to settle for either views or waterfalls, enjoy both on this epic short hike.

Begin this hike at the main parking lot. Although large, it will still fill up fast on weekends. Several short trails take you to the edge of the canyon where you can walk in either direction for amazing views to the north. Head to the right to reach the Main Overlook, offering the best view of the canyon with less obstruction from surrounding trees.

After you get your fill of views, follow the trail along the canyon wall to the left, following yellow blazes. Continue on behind a row of cabins before coming to two intersections with the West Rim Loop Trail. All intersections are well marked. Just follow the signs for the Waterfalls Trail. After the second intersection, the brown-blazed Waterfalls Trail officially begins.

Begin your descent into the canyon, passing under huge rock outcroppings and along dripping rocky walls. There can be a few muddy places along here, but the trail is well maintained. The majority of the trail will be descending metal grated steps, which can be a bit dizzying being able to see through where you're stepping.

After a tenth of a mile, take the trail to the left for the first of two waterfalls. Cherokee Falls drops 60 feet along Daniel Creek and feeds into Hemlock Falls below. Continue down another .15 miles and 200 feet to the intersection with the Sitton's Gulch Trail. Turn left, following the sign for Hemlock Falls just around the corner. This larger falls drops another 90 feet but you can't get up close with this one, viewing it from an observation platform a short distance away.

Now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions and climb back up. Good thing there are benches on the way up to sit down and catch your breath.

Explore more trails at Cloudland Canyon State Park.

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Elevation Map Length (miles) by Elevation (feet)
Slope Breakdown
Elevation Gain
Elevation Range
Grade Range
Length
Elevation Gain
0 - 250 ft/mi
~ 0 - 5 %
0.2 mi
17 ft
250 - 500 ft/mi
~ 5 - 10 %
0.2 mi
70 ft
500 - 750 ft/mi
~ 10 - 15 %
0.1 mi
69 ft
750 - 1000 ft/mi
~ 15 - 20 %
456 ft
76 ft
1000+ ft/mi
~ 20+ %
0.2 mi
345 ft
For out-and-back hikes, elevation loss is the same as the gain.
Terrain Map Click to control map
Details
length1.5 miles
difficulty5.5 Easy-Medium
duration1 - 2 hours
trail typeThere And Back Again
blazeBrown (Waterfalls), Yellow (West Rim Loop Connector)
elevation gain550 ft.
state Georgia 
park/forestCloudland Canyon State Park
visitor infoVisitor Center
122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road
Rising Fawn, GA 30738
706-657-4050
hours7am - 10pm (Park)
8am - 5pm (Office)
parking fee$5/Day, $50 Annual Pass
trailhead coordinates 34.834832, -85.480463 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 34°50.09, W 85°28.83 (Degree Minutes, MinDec)
N 34°50'05'', N 34°50'05'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
Trailhead Directions
34.834832, -85.480463 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 34°50.09, W 85°28.83 most GPS units use this one
N 34°50'05'', N 34°50'05'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
Google Map It
From the pay station, take a right to stop by the Visitor Center or go straight for 1.4 miles to get to the parking lot and trailhead.
Parking Capacity
More than 100 parking spot across several small lots.
Notes
Dogs are allowed at the park, but the grated metal steps leading down the Waterfalls Trail may be uncomfortable for most dogs.
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Reviews / Comments
Average Review Rating
5 (1)
hikethesouth-4 years ago
Popular For A Reason
Get immediate gratification with amazing views right from the parking lot. Then put in a little work to hike down to two impressive waterfalls. If you only do one trail in the park, this is the trail to do. But combine this with the Sitton's Gulch Trail or the West Rim Loop Trail for a longer adventure.
Easy-Medium | Hiked Spring 2019
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