Cloudland Canyon, a 3,488-acre wonderland, is participating in Your Park Day on Sept. 29. Free park admission and parking with a fun filled day for kids and adults. Cloudland Canyon State Park is convenient to Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia residents.
The park is near Trenton, on Highway 136. The park is located on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, this is one of the most scenic parks in the state, offering rugged geology and exceptional hiking. The park straddles a deep gorge cut into the mountain by Sitton Gulch Creek, and elevation differs from 800 to 1,980 feet.
Overnight guests can choose from cottages near the canyon edge, a modern campground and spacious, walk-in tent sites. Backpackers, mountain bikers and equestrians can explore several miles of trails throughout the park. A nearby outfitter offers guided tours and cave tours (for a fee).
Photographers can find outstanding areas to take phenomenal pictures. And if you want a preview of what you can see and do visit our website http://www.gastateparks.org/item/183293
Beginning at 9 a.m. the planned activities will include the following:
· Disc Golf
· Catfish Rodeo (Fishing)
· Hiking
· Archery Demonstration
· Crafts
· Geology of the Park
· Low Stress Activities
· Blacksmith Demonstrations
· Atlanta Mushroom Club Powerpoint Presentation and trail hike to identify local fungi
· Food Concessions (fee for food)
· Opportunity to help (Volunteers) – trash pickup
And if you just want to do your own thing, there are waterfalls, panoramic views, tennis courts, picnic tables, grills, five picnic shelters, camping spots, cabins, and more! Cloudland Canyon has been selected as one of the best wildlife viewing areas in Georgia. There is an observation tower where, on occasion, you can watch deer, turkey, rabbits and more grazing around a small pond.
Disc golf is a flying disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc."[2] Of the more than 3000 established disc golf courses as of 2010, approximately 87% are free. The number of disc golf courses has more than doubled in 8 years from 2000 to 2008.[3] The game is played in about 40 countries around the world. If you want to play on September 29th you must register on the http://www.FriendsofCloudlandCanyon.org website.
This year’s tournament is a PDGA Tier C Pro/Am sanctioned event. Here are just a few things we are doing to make this year’s tournament a huge success.
· There will be a 100% cash payout in the Pro division and a 100% prize payout in all other divisions.
· The Pro and Advanced divisions will play from extended tee locations on many of the holes.
· There will be CTP and Ace Pool activities throughout the tournament.
· All baskets now have inner chains (per your request at last year’s tournament).
Catfish Rodeo - Fishing in a cat fish pond is going to be fun for young and mature alike no fishing license is required. Come and enjoy this all American activity in one of the most beautiful locations anywhere. Some fishing tackle is available at no costs and you can keep the fish. Bring a cooler and enjoy your catch over a park grill or some other time.
Hiking trails are abundant and vary from easy and short to hard and long. There is a trail to a beautiful waterfall and trails around the rim of the canyon. The trails are well maintained and marked. Guide walks will be available and suitable for all age. A map of trails is available in the park store; some are free and others are for sale. The most spectacular view into the canyon is an easy walk from the picnic area; however, hikers can also explore a rim trail or journey to the canyon floor by a series of staircases. Two waterfalls cascade over layers of sandstone and shale into pools below, with their flow depending on recent rains. The hike is 600+ steps down into Sitton’s Gulch to view the multiple waterfalls along Daniel Creek.
The Waterfalls Trail is part of the popular Canyon Climbers Club. Above Sitton’s Gulch lies the four mile West Rim Trail, a loop taking the traveler to some of the most amazing vistas in the park. This trail is easy to access from several of the park campgrounds and from the park Interpretive Center. There are over 28 miles of trails in the park.
Archery Demonstration – The Department of Natural Resources will provide an archery demonstration. There will be targets setup that participants can shoot at. Bow and arrows will be provided.
Crafts demonstrations be local craft person will be scheduled throughout the day. Enjoy watching crafts being made and learn how to do it yourself.
Geology of the Park – and experienced and knowledgeable local resident will explain how Cloudland Canyon State Park formed and what plants and animals call it home today. Learning more about the park and this area is a great way to learn and appreciate the incredibly beautiful surroundings in these parts.
Low Stress Activities – you may want to enjoy the park but have limitations on what you can do. Well, we have that covered too! Throughout the day, scheduled activities will provide low stress opportunities to enjoy the park and outdoors and have fun too. The most spectacular view of the canyon is an easy walk from the picnic area.
Food Concessions - the New Salem Volunteer Fire Department will be cooking up some tasty and reasonably priced goodies from 11 AM to 1 PM. If you enjoy smelling the great aroma and then biting into a delicious lunch, then you will want to visit the food concession area.
Blacksmith Demonstrations – Every wonder how they did it before you could buy everything already made? Come to the park and find out how. A local blacksmith will demonstrate how tools and other necessities for living, were made, back in the 'good olde days'.
Volunteer – if you want to do more then just enjoy the most beautiful park in these parts and would like to help keep it nice, we have an opportunity for you. The Friends of Cloudland Canyon State Park will meet with you and conduct a trash pickup. You don't need to bring anything and your help will be greatly appreciated. There are many other types of volunteer work,
· Beautification Projects - Several of our volunteers like to help keep the park looking beautiful all year long by planting flowers, organizing the Interpretive Center or cleaning up when there’s a need.
· Fundraising – Friends of Cloudland Canyon State Park raises money for tools and special projects by writing grants, hosting fundraising events and finding local businesses and individuals to sponsor park activities.
· Hosting Events – Our Friends group works with the park to conduct educational and recreational events throughout the year. Our biggest event is the fall hayride and bonfire from September through November. We also host a Save the Park day with a disc golf tournament, great food and other fun activities. In 2012 we will be sponsoring more educational activities such as speaker presentations on wildlife or astronomy.
· Promoting the Park – Promoting the park can take a lot of different forms. We have speakers who visit local organizations and schools to talk about the park. Others who share park news on the Internet through Facebook, Twitter or even this website. Yes, it’s even possible to volunteer for the park from the comfort of your home.
· Recycling – This past year, with the help of a local Eagle Scout, we added several recycling bins around the park. We want to minimize waste while benefiting the environment. Each week our volunteers empty the bins and return the used material to our local recycling center.
· Trail Maintenance -Last year our volunteers put in nearly 1000 hours of work maintaining the hiking trails in the park. With more than 20 miles of trails to maintain, we have teams that go out nearly every week to clear fallen trees, build water breaks, reroute poor trailways, maintain signage and trail markers and even blaze new trails on occasion.
· Wildlife Preservation -Cloudland Canyon State Park has several species of wildlife including deer, bats, turkeys and fish. Occasionally the Friends group will assist the park in caring for these animals by building and installing habitats, tracking populations, or relocating animals.
If you’re interested in volunteering at Cloudland Canyon State Park we’d love to hear from you. Send Jim Lockwood, the volunteer coordinator an email at jim@cloudlandcanyon.org or call Jim, at 423 994-2335 or see someone in the park office or someone with a Cloudland Canyon Volunteer t-shirt for more information. The website is http://friendsofcloudlandcanyon.org/volunteer/.