Preregistration is required. Limited to 12 attendees.  Please email Rich Reaves at:  

State Park entry fee required ($10.00 or state park annual pass).  Note that the federal pass does not provide entry into state parks.

Field Trip Leader:   Rich Reaves

Description:   We will visit the mouth of Cloudland Canyon to enjoy the early flowers. We will walk the trail up into the canyon and loop back to the parking area. Then we will walk down to the cave near the parking area. The grade is gentle unless you walk to the upper cave entrance, but all trails in the lower canyon are very rocky. This area is one of Georgia’s botanical wonders and we should enjoy decumbent trillium (Trillium decumbens), three species of toothwort: cut-leaf (Cardamine concatenata), eastern slender toothwort (C. angustata), and dissected (C. dissecta), harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa), and others. Larkspur (Delphinium tricorne) and toadshade trillium (Trillium cuneatum) may be out – but likely not in flower yet. We also will see trout lilies (Erythronium americanum ssp. harperi) in fine bloom if the sun cooperates.

Locations and Directions:   From Atlanta take I-75 to exit 320. Go west on GA 136 through Villanow and Naomi (slight jog to left and then right). At Lafayette, take US 27 bypass around town to the north and follow the signs to stay on 136 past the Park’s main entrance & down the west side of the mountain.  As you near the bottom of the Mountain, Canyon Park Drive will be to the right off of 136 (There are stone walls on either side of Canyon Park Drive). Turn onto Canyon Park Drive and then turn right again at the pool to reach the entrance to the park.  Turn on the gravel drive and follow it to the parking area.

Meet At:   Parking area by the caver changing facilities at the mouth of the canyon, Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Walking Difficultry:   Moderate, primarily due to the rocky and uneven footing. No stairs on this trip!   Sturdy shoes are recommended because of the rocky, uneven ground and parts of the walk may be wet depending on the recent weather.

Facilities:   Nne at meeting site or in the canyon – facilities at the top of the canyon at the visitor center and at the overlook or at fast food joints in Trenton.

Bring:   Lunch, water, bug spray, appropriate layered clothing for the forecast. We will eat somewhere in the canyon. You may wish to bring binoculars, hand lens, notebook, and camera.

Contact:   Rich Reaves, , 770-827-5186 – cell but may not have service at trailhead.