North Georgia Hiking Guide: 3 Parks You Must See

3 State Parks that exemplify North Georgia Hiking

There are many state parks in Georgia, 63 to be exact!  And while Georgia isn’t the biggest state and you could definitely see all 63 eventually, here are 3 that you don’t want to miss if you want to do some north Georgia hiking!

Cloudland Canyon State Park

Let’s start off with a bang and introduce Cloudland Canyon State Park.  

This state park was first opened in 1939 and it has grown to its present day size of nearly 3,500 acres!

This park is just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee and appeals to the adventurer in all of us!  From easy access views, to the 30 miles of bike trails, 64 miles of hiking trails, and their pristine campground and cottages, this state park has something for all of us!

My husband and I camped and hiked here in April of 2023, but more on that later.  

The beautiful scenery that you see above added to the awesome north Georgia hiking experience we had.  

You can read all about our hiking adventures here – Hiking Cloudland Canyon State Park but the gist is, there are many stairs, stunning canyon overlooks, and 2 brilliant waterfalls!

Highlighted Trails

If you only have one day here, you simply must hike the West Rim Trail and the Waterfalls Trail.  You can combine these two trails and get the most bang for your buck in Cloudland Canyon State Park.  

Why these 2 trails, you ask?

Well the West Rim Trail offers incredible views of the thousand-foot-deep canyon!  This trail will highlight every angle of the canyon and leave you speechless.  Not to mention you will pass through a Rhododendron Patch if you are there in the spring like we were.  

And the Waterfalls Trail speaks for itself!  2 stunning waterfalls for you to enjoy?  You can’t ask for better views.  But be warned, you have to hike down to the waterfalls, which means you have to hike back up those stairs on your way back to the car.  

Camping

The campground at Cloudland Canyon offers something for everyone!  From Cabins and Yurts, to the walk-in and backcountry sites, this place has it all!

We only stayed a weekend here, and while we could have spent more time on the trails and in the campground, you can read about our camping experience here – Camping in Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Whether it’s a day trip, a weekend trip, or a week-long stay in the mountains of North Georgia, you won’t get bored of the trails or the beauty this place offers.  

This leads us to our next stop, Vogel State Park

Vogel State Park

Vogel State Park is another park tucked away in the mountains that also exemplifies north Georgia hiking.  

Founded in 1931 this state park humbly presents 233 acres.

Within those 233 acres are 20 miles of hiking trails and a pristine campground.  Plus there is a peaceful lake, kayak and paddle board rentals (seasonally) and even a miniature golf course!

My husband and I camped and hiked here in August of 2023, but again, there will be more details later

This tucked away state park has something for everyone, except for maybe those smartphone addicts, as the phone service is almost non-existent.

Trails to Do

If you only have one day here, I would recommend the Bear Hair Gap Trail.  This steep but shaded hike takes you up to an overlook of the lake and then back around the mountain back into the campground.  

You can read a more detailed account of our hiking here –  Hiking in Vogel State Park but to summarize, it’s steep with quiet woods to shade you from the Georgia sun.  

Camping

We camped here for a weekend and I will say, we have been to many state park campgrounds, but this might be the nicest we have ever stayed at!

No, I’m not joking.  The layout is spacious and there is something for every kind of camper here.  You can read about our camping experience as well as a detailed account of the campground here – Camping in Vogel State Park.

Finally, we have arrived at our final north Georgia state park, Black Rock Mountain.  

Black Rock Mountain State Park

Black Rock Mountain State Park is Georgia’s highest state park!  Reaching altitudes of 3,640 feet, the park was founded in 1952 with just 1000 acres to its name.  Now the park sits at over 1,700 acres and offers 11 miles of hiking trails to hikers like you and me.

My husband and I camped here in July of 2023, but we’ll get to those details!

While it was mostly overcast during our stay at Black Rock Mountain, we still enjoyed this corner of north Georgia hiking.

Hiking Trails

If you can only hike one trail while you are here, I highly recommend the Tennessee Rock Trail.  This short but beautiful hike is shaded and offers beautiful overlooks of the layers and layers of east coast mountains.  

You can read more about our hikes within Black Rock Mountain State Park and a trail that we hiked outside of the park here – Hiking Black Rock Mountain State Park.  

Camping

While enjoying our weekend getaway camping in Black Rock Mountain, we also enjoyed the relaxing and tucked-away vibe that this campground offers.  

Black Rock Mountain offers backcountry campsites, tent and RV sites as well as cottages to its guests.  We camped in our trusty tent, but there truly is an option for everyone and every budget here.  You can read more about our experience and the campground details here –  Camping in Black Rock Mountain State Park.  

So while we spent 3 weekends hiking in these 3 state parks, you could also take as little as 3 days to see all of these state parks.

Brain blast!  You could hike and see these parks on an epic north Georgia hiking road trip!

3 Day Road Trip 

Road trips are best remembered when spent with a great group of friends and only junk food is consumed.  Of course that’s not required, but here’s an idea of how to road trip from Cloudland Canyon State Park, to Vogel State Park and finally Black Rock Mountain State Park.

Obviously you can drive in the reverse order as well, but roll with me here!

Day 1: Starting at Cloudland Canyon, you could hike the West Rim Trail and the Waterfalls Trail in a single day.  Camp here for the night and continue in the morning.

Day 2: Next up is Vogel State Park which is 2 hours and 40 minutes away. So you could either camp at Cloudland Canyon and drive in the morning, or drive that evening and stay the night at Vogel State Park.  

I highly recommend hiking the Bear Hair Gap Trail for some well-shaded hiking or you could head over to Blood Mountain and hike part of the Appalachian Trail.  We did both of these trails but the choice is yours!

Finally you can either stay another night at Vogel and then drive the 1 hour and 10 minutes to Black Rock Mountain in the morning, or drive the last leg and set up camp there.  

Day 3: The third and final morning can be spent hiking the Tennessee Rock Trail in Black Rock Mountain State Park before packing up and heading home.  

Adjusting to your own needs and wants, this is the start of a strong itinerary for north Georgia hiking.  Obviously there are many other trails and state parks and you could add to your road trip!  Feel free to do your own research and go for it!

Conclusion

North Georgia hiking offers some stunning views!  Whether it’s waterfalls, canyons, or plain old mountain overlooks, north Georgia holds its own when it comes to hiking.  

Sure, it’s not Colorado or New Hampshire, but this southern state will still challenge you, and your legs, when hiking here!

Whether you are choosing to spend time at one of these state parks or road trip to all 3 of them, I highly recommend these state parks to you and whoever else you choose to take with you on the trip.  

Happy Hiking!

As always, if you have further questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] for assistance!