3 Hidden Gem Destinations in Northern Georgia
For many people, Georgia is a flyover or drive through state. They'd rather speed through or over the Peach State to reach their Florida beach getaway than stop and take in the beauty of the dense forests, crashing waterfalls, and mountain views that northern Georgia has to offer.
I am excited to share with you 3 destinations in northern Georgia that are worthy of either a couple hour stop or maybe make it a full blown several day adventure.
Cloudland Canyon State Park
Easily my favorite park I've discovered in the state of Georgia. This place is a true treasure and worthy of a multi-day trip. We spent 2 nights here at the campground and we could have easily added an additional night or two to our stay. The kids absolutely enjoyed everything Cloudland Canyon had to offer as well including hiking down to the bottom of the canyon...twice. They just couldn't get enough! Let's get down to business.
How to Get There
Cloudland Canyon State Park is only a 30 minute drive south of Chattanooga, TN and just a short jaunt from I-59. Despite its close proximity to a major city, we didn't feel overwhelmed by large crowds here during our trip within the mid August timeframe. It's not to say it doesn't get packed, but we did not experience anything too crazy here.
The address for the visitor center is:
122 Cloudland Canyon Park Rd.
Rising Fawn, Georgia 30738
There is a $5 per vehicle entrance fee and if you're staying overnight within the park, you only need to pay this once.
Campground
There are 2 campgrounds in the park. The East Rim Campground and the West Rim Campground. We spent 2 nights at the West Rim Campground and reserved an electric site so we could make meals with the instant pot. Currently, the price is $28 per night for electric sites and $22 for tent only walk-in sites.
Overall the campground is pretty good. The west rim is heavily wooded so you should have ample shade which helps in the Georgia heat as well as provides some privacy since the sites generally sit closer together. The east side was considerably more open and was not as appealing so we were happy with what we reserved.
The bathrooms were clean and well maintained.
There is a newer playground in the middle of the campground that the kids enjoyed playing on when we weren't out exploring as well. It was just a short, 1 minute walk from our campsite and due to the campground being so small, it won't be far from any site realistically.
As for trail accessibility, both campgrounds have access to the trail system, however, the west side is more secluded and thus had less people along the rim trail when we were there.
Hiking
There are 64 miles of trails within the park, but there are 2 key highlights at Cloudland Canyon. The canyon itself and the waterfalls. The canyon is an easy one to view as you're already at the top when you drive in and there is a road that leads right to a parking lot at the eastern rim.
The waterfalls on the other hand require more effort as you'll need to descend roughly 700 feet. The kids and I did this twice as they really wanted to go back down a second time.
All in all, we hiked a good deal of trails so here is where we explored.
Overlook Trail
This paved trail is just a 1/2 mile out and 1/2 mile back featuring a couple of overlooks. You can get some amazing views of the canyon and will likely be doing so with others because of the easy accessibility.
West Rim Loop Trail
The kids and I attempted this hike the first evening. A pop up storm hit just as we were getting to the rim and proceeded to drop a lot of cloud to ground lightning on the east rim. We saw many strikes as we were running to get back to the campsite and the cannon-like thunder had incredible acoustics as it reverberated through the canyon!
The next morning my daughter and I woke up very early and knocked it out. No people and beautiful views along the rim. If you do the entire lollipop loop, it's 5 miles total.
Waterfall Trail
Many stairs await you, but the payoff is 2 pretty waterfalls which are known as Cherokee and Hemlock Falls. Both are very picturesque. The hike is only about 2 miles total if you hit them both so you're looking at a steep descent down to the falls and then a steep ascent back up.
Sitton's Gulch Trail
Because one descent down the canyon wasn't enough, we took another trip to the bottom on the second day. It starts off on the Waterfalls Trail and continues to descend along the creek. Ultimately, it leads to the Sitton's Gulch Trailhead at the very end of the canyon, but we did not make it quite that far. Why? My daughter found some "friends" aka the giant millipedes that she decided to carry in her hands while we were hiking alongside the creek at the bottom. It was all fun and games until the millipedes stained her hands purple and pooped! All she wanted after that was to get back to the campsite asap to wash up so we had to turn around. It was a long, tear filled journey back to the top. Oh and that purple stuff really stains. I believe it remained on her hands for a few days...
If you do end up hiking to the bottom trailhead and back, expect a 6 mile trip beneath the thick tree canopy and towering canyon walls.
Vogel State Park
Welcome to Georgia's second oldest park! Vogel State Park isn't particularly large, but it packs a punch when it comes to eastern United States mountain hiking. Situated at the base of Blood Mountain, the tallest peak in Georgia along the Appalachian Trail coming in at 4,458 feet, it contains plenty of elevation gain throughout its trails to get those calves burning. The timber is thick within the park, but you can still sneak a few views atop the ridges.
My experience differs a bit more than most as I was here to race the Cruel Jewel 100 ultramarathon. It's a 108 miles foot race with over 33,000 feet of elevation gain and an additional 33,000 feet of elevation loss. This starts and finishes at Vogel State Park. Because of this, the details here will be a little more limited along with the fact I only took 2 photos, but I think I can still hype up this fantastic area!
How to Get There
Vogel is located just south of Blairsville, GA and is only about 2 hours east of Chattanooga, TN.
The address to the visitor center:
405 Vogel State Park Road
Blairsville, GA 30512
There is a $5 entrance fee per vehicle.
Things to do
Since I visited Vogel State Park for a race, this portion will be sparse as I prefer to only write about where I've actually been. Despite this, here are the 2 areas I did visit.
Trahlyta Lake Trail
If you want easy, this is it. A short, 1 mile paved path around Trahlyta Lake. I actually did not complete the whole loop as I was facing a 108 mile journey an hour later, but from what I did see here, it's a pretty area for sure. The lake is very clear and I did spot a handful of nice sized bass along the shoreline so I'd imagine fishing can be good if your clear water fishing game is up to speed. There is a turn off at the far end of the lake to see Lake Trahlyta Waterfall. Unfortunately I did not go this far.
Also of note is there are boat rentals available at the visitor center.
Coosa Backcountry Trail
Yet again, I did not complete the whole trail, but I did enough of it on the race to include it here. The Cruel Jewel 100 takes you from the lake area, down the road, and then to the Coosa Backcountry Trail. If you're seeking a challenging excursion, this is your trail. Climb, climb, climb. There is plenty of it here with over 3,600 feet of elevation gain over the 12.8 mile trail, but the majority of the ascent comes from going up to the top of Coosa Bald. For the race, we ascended Coosa Bald before taking the Duncan Ridge Trail which leads off out of the park and then on the way back we descended Coosa Bald and headed back to the lake.
As I mentioned before, there is a bit of climbing here and thanks to the trails here being older and less civilized like the better engineered trails out west, there are essentially no switch backs. You charge those climbs straight on and keep going until you get there. What fun! Add a little Georgia heat, humidity, and bugs and you're in for a real party! Really though, the trail is pretty pleasant with views of the dense forests, Wolf Creek, and some limited views at the summit because it's not treeless. It's totally worth the effort if you're willing to commit, but remember this is going to take several hours to complete.
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
I am always down to explore another national park site and this one was no exception. I knew nothing of the Civil War battles that took place here, but we only had time to visit 1 of the 2 main areas so I randomly chose Chickamauga. It's time to get educated!
The Union and Confederate soldiers fought at both of these battlefields back in 1863. While the Confederates won the first battle at Chickamauga, the Union troops ultimately took over Chattanooga, referred to as "The Gateway to the Deep South" by winning the battle at Chattanooga.
Today, both battlefields stand as a national military park and memorial to all those who lost their lives. Since Chickamauga is in Georgia and it's the only battlefield we visited, this post will be dedicated to that unit of the park.
How to Get There
The Chickamauga Battlefield is located just a few miles across the border into Georgia and about 20 minutes south of downtown Chattanooga. This makes it very convenient to tie into other area adventures.
The address to the visitor center:
3370 Lafayette Rd.
Fort Oglethorpe Georgia 30742
There is no entrance fee for Chickamauga or most of the other areas, but if you do decide to visit Point Park on Lookout Mountain, it is $10 per person for those over the age of 16. Unless of course you have an America the Beautiful Pass.
A Little History
Chattanooga was the crossroads for 4 railroads that were key for the South. Both sides knew how vital taking control of Chattanooga was and it ultimately led to both battles.
The battle at Chickamauga was one of the more significant ones of the Civil War with about 60,000 Union soldiers led by General William Rosecrans vs 65,000 Confederate soldiers led by General Braxton Bragg from September 18 - 20. The total casualties numbered close to 36,000 making it the 2nd bloodiest of the war. Only the Battle of Gettysburg was deadlier.
How to Explore
I highly recommend starting at the visitor center as there is an exhibit packed with a lot of information regarding what all took place on the battlefield. The rangers are also knowledgeable and more than willing to help answer questions, especially for children. The rangers also lead periodic tours so if you're interested in that, consult the onsite calendar for current details.
Car Tours
We did a self guided road tour here which has 8 stops and covers a large portion of the site. You could easily spend several hours here reading all of the informational boards and walking around the various stops, however, we did not have the ability to go too in depth doing this with younger children. We drove the entire route and stopped at each location, but kept the stops to a minimum. It is along this route that you will encounter many monuments to the fallen soldiers on both sides.
Be aware that many runners and bicyclists use this road too.
Hiking
The Chickamauga Battlefield has roughly 50 miles of trails for hiking and running. We did do a couple brief stints on these heavily wooded trails during our short expedition here. They are peaceful and pretty, featuring many native trees, plants, flowers, and butterflies.
Other
Paddling and horseback riding are also allowed at Chickamauga, but we did not pursue either of these activities. Lookout Mountain offers even more such as rock climbing, but this post will strictly feature what is available at Chickamauga. That means you need to plan your own adventure!
Useful Links
Cloudland Canyon State Park - https://gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon
Vogel State Park - https://gastateparks.org/Vogel
Chickamauga and Chatanooga National Military Park - https://www.nps.gov/chch/index.htm
As always, B.E. Adventurous!