Cloudland Canyon Group Lodge & Hiking Weekend

SPECIAL NOTE 4/15/2010:  New information added since this article was first posted is in RED TEXT below.

Known for its beautiful vistas, spectacular waterfalls and incredible hiking trails, Cloudland Canyon State Park is considered by many to be the "crown jewel" of Georgia's State Parks.  Over the millennia powerful streams flowing over the western edge of Lookout Mountain have cut twin canyons into the rocky cliffs which join on the valley floor hundreds of feet below the mesa-like mountaintop to form a single deeper and wider river canyon.
  A favorite destination for dozens of AOC camping and hiking trips over the years, the State Park offers a wonderful Group Lodge high atop the mountain, which can sleep more than 30 adults comfortably in its four large dorm-style bedrooms.  The Group Lodge will be exclusively ours to use all weekend and will double as a superb "trailhead" for hiking excursions and other exciting AOC group activity options on Saturday and Sunday.  Our "headliner" AOC group activity will be a beautiful Waterfalls & Canyon Rim Hike departing Sat AM from the Lodge at 10:00 AM and returning about 2:00.  It will be easy to moderate in difficulty with an optional early return after the waterfalls portion.  As discussed at our Pre-trip Meeting, the State Park naturalists and various invited clubs and outfitters are also offering specially guided and hosted ADVENTURES in the Park all weekend, including:  FREE Rappelling, Night Hikes, Fishing, Orienteering, and $5 Cave Exploring or a $5 Climbing Wall.  Ask about these when you check in on Friday.
  We'll enjoy the Lodge's superbly equipped kitchen & dining/living room, its men's & women's restrooms with hot showers and flush toilets, campfire ring,  picnic tables, and other amenities.  We'll organize a volunteer AOC food & refreshments committee to prepare and serve SIX delicious group meals all weekend, included in the low trip price.

"YZARC PARTY":  Saturday night after dinner we'll let our hair down with a wacky indoor/outdoor "YZARC" Party—you figure it out!
MARCH 10 EXPLANATORY NOTE:  "YZARC" is "CRAZY" spelled backward!  Wear some sort of crazy or retro clothing or costume (+ perhaps bring inventive props, libations, etc.) and we'll award prizes for the "YZARC-iest" girl and guy!

"PRE-TRIP PLANNING MEETING" prior to APRIL AOC SOCIAL at "HUDSON GRILLE", TUE APR 13, 6:00 till ~7:30 PM :  As your schedule permits, please plan to drop in and join us for this informal "pre-Social" happy-hour planning meeting in the rear of the upper group room at "Hudson Grille" (Perimeter Mall by "Goldfish," facing Ashford Dunwoody Road at its 3-way jcn with Perim. Ctr East drive).  We'll introduce everyone, prearrange some of our carpooling groups, discuss directions, gear, meals & activities, and address all of your questions and suggestions about the trip. 

FOR MORE ON CLOUDLAND CANYON go to:    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloudland_Canyon_State_Park
For dozens of great photos use this long Internet link:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=%22cloudland+canyon%22+photos&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=o4R-S7z-PJPflAe4ouTEDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQsAQwAA

DIRECTIONS TO VISITOR CENTER CHECK-IN and thence to GROUP LODGE in CLOUDLAND CANYON STATE PARK:
From I-75/I-285 INTERCHANGE in NW ATLANTA:

1) Take I-75 North about 60 miles to I-75 Exit #320, "GA Hwy 136."

2) Turn Left onto GA-136 West and carefully follow the GA-136 signs about 50 miles (through several sharp turns) to the Cloudland Canyon State Park entrance on your right.  The Park entrance is on GA-136 about 0.8 mile beyond its junction with GA-189, the "Lookout Mtn Pkwy."
Along the way via GA-136 you'll have passed through the towns of Villanow, Lafayette, and Cooper Heights, GA and climbed up the steep eastern slope of Lookout Mtn.  Be esp. vigilant for the GA-136 signs when bypassing Lafayette:  There's a hard right turn onto the bypass (concurrent with 4-lane US-27) then a hard left turn to stay on GA-136 just 3 miles north of Lafayette!

3) CHECK-IN:  After entering the Park take your first Right to the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center/Office expects to be open this Friday from 8AM until 8PM or perhaps a bit later.  Tell them that you're an AOC Group Lodge guest, and pay the $5 fee for your special 3-day "lodge guest" weekend parking pass which you'll hang from your rearview mirror.

4) ON TO THE LODGE: From the short Park Visitor Center loop, reenter the main entrance road, drive about 1 more mile (northward) into the Park, and turn Right at the sign for the Group Lodge. (This turn is just before the large parking area for general Park visitors.  WARNING: The main Park gate (about ½ mile up the entrance road from the Visitor Center) is usually locked after 10:00 PM, but if you must arrive after 10:00 they've been nice to give us the GATE CODE:  It's 7721#  (Seven-Seven-Two-One plus the "Pound" Sign).

5)  Bear Right around the curve and drive up the hill (southward) about 1/4 mile to the Lodge on your Left.  When parking by the Lodge, be sure to leave plenty of room for other vehicles to get in and out, and avoid parking by the campfire ring.

In case your loved ones need to reach you over the weekend and you're out of cell phone range, they may be able to get a message to you by calling the Cloudland Canyon State Emergency Number at 706-657-6442. Normal Park Office/Visitor Center hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but with the special "Adventure Weekend" this weekend, they expect to remain open at least until 8:00 PM.