Cloudland Canyon State Park
| Cloudland Canyon State Park | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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Cloudland Canyon river
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 Cloudland Canyon State Park is located near the northwest corner of Georgia, near Chattanooga
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| Nearest city | Trenton, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 34°48′58″N 85°29′21″W / 34.8161°N 85.4892°WCoordinates: 34°48′58″N 85°29′21″W / 34.8161°N 85.4892°W |
| Area | 3,485 acres (14.10 km2) |
| Established | 1938 |
| Governing body | Georgia Department of Natural Resources |
Cloudland Canyon State Park is a 3,485 acre (14.10 km²) Georgia state park located near Trenton and Cooper Heights on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. One of the largest and most scenic parks in Georgia, it contains rugged geology, and offers visitors a range of vistas across the deep gorge cut through the mountain by Sitton Gulch Creek, where the elevation varies from 800 to over 1,800 feet. Views of the canyon can be seen from the picnic area parking lot, in addition to additional views located along the rim trail. At the bottom of the gorge, two waterfalls cascade across layers of sandstone and shale, ending in small pools below.
The park, previously known as Sitton Gulch (or Gulf) or Trenton Gulf, was purchased in stages by the state of Georgia beginning in 1938. Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a project of Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression built the first facilities and signs in the park, which opened the following year. Today the park features a variety of campsites, cabins, hiking and recreational activities.
Cloudland Canyon was designated a state park in 1939 when the state began acquiring land from private owners. Three of these owners, from the Mathews, McCauley and McKaig families, still reside in the area. Expansion of the park continues sporadically as new land is purchased for it. The park was originally 1,924 acres (7.8 km2), and has been expanded to its present size of 3,485 acres (14.1 km2).
Until 1939 the only access to the area (and much of Dade County, Georgia) was through Tennessee or Alabama. That year Georgia began work on Highway 136 to connect U.S. 41 to the recently established park. The Civilian Conservation Corps did much of the early work to construct the state park and access roads.
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