Afoot and Afield: Atlanta. MARCUS WOOLF

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      8 CLOUDLAND CANYON STATE PARK: Sitton’s Gulch Trail

      Distance 5.3 miles, semiloop

      Hiking Time 3 hours

      Difficulty Moderate to strenuous

      Elevation + 2,277'/ -2,245'

      Trail Use Leashed dogs and good for kids

      Best Times Winter (for canyon views), spring, and fall

      Agency Cloudland Canyon State Park

      Recommended Map Cloudland Canyon State Park is available at the ranger station or online at gastateparks.org/info/cloudland.

      HIGHLIGHTS Rolling gently across the floor of Cloudland Canyon, Sitton’s Gulch is an interior trail that you can reach via the park’s Waterfall Trail. If you’re exploring the falls in the canyon, the Sitton’s Gulch trail can extend your journey with a scenic walk that requires little extra climbing. Near the Sitton’s Gulch trailhead, hikers are greeted by twin waterfalls that gush and roar after a good rain. Beyond the falls, the path skirts the tumbling waters of Sitton Gulch Creek, and boulders along the bank make great spots to relax. At the far end of the canyon lies Sitton’s Cave, which can be explored with the assistance of a local guide. (Do not enter the cave without a guide!)

      DIRECTIONS From Atlanta, take I-75 north to Tennessee and merge onto I-24 west at Exit 2, going toward Chattanooga/Nashville. Travel 17.1 miles and take I-59 south at Exit 167. Travel south on I-59 8.3 miles and take Exit 11 for GA 136, toward Trenton. Turn right onto GA 136 and travel east. Go 4.3 miles and turn into the Cloudland Canyon State Park entrance on the left. Travel 0.1 mile and bear right after the guard shack to go to the ranger station. Or proceed past the guard shack and go 1.3 miles to the day-use parking lot on the right. From the parking lot, facing the canyon, the trailhead is to the left of the canyon overlook.

      FACILITIES/TRAILHEAD There are restrooms and soda-vending machines at the day-use area parking lot. Water is not easily accessible along the trail, so carry what you need. The day-use fee is $5. To purchase an annual Georgia State ParkPass for $50, call 770-389-7401. The park has 72 campsites for tents, trailers, and RVs ($25–$30); 30 walk-in campsites ($16–$20); 13 backcountry campsites ($6–$8 per person); and 16 cottages ($140–$170).

      From the north side of the day-use parking lot, begin at the trail kiosk and take the paved path that leads to the canyon overlook (Waypoint 1). Enter a dirt-and-gravel path (Waypoint 2) and begin your descent into the canyon. At the first trail junction, take a sharp right and an immediate left to descend metal-and-wood stairs. At 0.2 mile (Waypoint 3), turn right at the T intersection and descend, following the trail marked WATERFALL 0.3 MILE. At the next trail junction, turn right and descend toward Hemlock Falls. Near the floor of the canyon, you reach a wood footbridge (Waypoint 4) and a sign marked SITTON’S GULCH TRAIL. Turn right and cross the footbridge with Daniel Creek flowing below. Just beyond the bridge, steps lead you into the shade of hemlocks, and the trail skirts two stocky waterfalls that burst through seams in the rock like a broken dam. A little farther on, the roar of the falls recedes and the trail rolls easily through more hemlocks and hardwoods. During your trek, take time to wander down to the creek bank and rest on the large boulders that overlook broad swimming holes (Waypoint 5). Periodically, the path drifts away from the creek, but it eventually sidles back up to the bank. At 1.7 miles, the land flattens and the creek widens to flow more slowly through younger forest. At the 2-mile mark (Waypoint 6), bear right at the Y junction to continue on the Sitton’s Gulch Trail. After another 0.1 mile (Waypoint 7), a trail intersects on the left, and you should continue straight and travel north to stay on the Sitton’s Gulch Trail. You’ll reach another Y junction at 2.2 miles, and you can bear right to continue another 0.3 mile to the end of the trail at a parking lot (Waypoint 8). From the end of the trail, retrace your steps. Then, at the 3-mile mark, turn right at Waypoint 7 to take an interior loop trail that stretches 0.7 mile. When you return to Waypoint 6 at 3.3 miles, turn right and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

      WAYPOINTS

      1. N34º 50.088' W85º 28.828'

      2. N34º 50.089' W85º 28.865'

      3. N34º 50.018' W85º 29.021'

      4. N34º 50.135' W85º 28.899'

      5. N34º 50.633' W85º 28.746'

      6. N34º 51.207' W85º 28.767'

      7. N34º 51.305' W85º 28.872'

      8. N34º 51.592' W85º 29.068'

      9 Chickamauga Battlefield Memorial Trail

      Distance 8.5 miles, loop

      Hiking Time 4 hours

      Difficulty Easy

      Elevation +/– 70'

      Trail Use Horseback riding and good for kids

      Best Times Spring, fall, and winter

      Agency National Park Service, Chickamauga Battlefield

      Recommended Maps Chickamauga Battlefield Trail Guide and Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (both available in the visitor center)

      HIGHLIGHTS In the 5,200-acre Chickamauga Battlefield, trails pass though forests and fields that resemble their condition during the 1863 Civil War battle, allowing you to imagine the scene that unfolded here. The paths are mostly flat, making it easy to comfortably explore the park with children, and the woods are packed with many memorials and interpretive signs that offer incredible detail—even the specific hours that certain troops occupied spots of land. A unique aspect of the battle is that it claimed the lives of an unusual number of high-ranking officers. The hike detailed below is the Memorial Trail, designed for Boy Scouts, which visits the places where eight brigade commanders fell during battle. Though this hike is 8.5 miles, you can cut it short at several points and walk on roads back to the visitor center.

      DIRECTIONS From Atlanta, take I-75 north to Exit 350. Travel west on Battlefield Parkway/GA 2 to Fort Oglethorpe. Turn left at the intersection of Battlefield Parkway and Lafayette Road. Travel 1 mile on Lafayette Road to the park entrance and visitor center, which is on the right. The memorial trail begins at the edge of the lower parking area.

      FACILITIES/TRAILHEAD Restrooms and a gift shop are available at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, which is open daily СКАЧАТЬ