When it comes to hiking in the Southeast, most people immediately think of the Smokies, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail.
And for good reason. The area is an absolute wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts. You could spend a lifetime exploring these mountains and still not run out of trails, waterfalls, trout streams and scenic overlooks.
But, for my money, the most overlooked pocket of outdoor paradise in the Southeast sits right around Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia.
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I’ve written before about Cloudland Canyon State Park — one of my favorite underrated spots in this little corner of the world. Just across the state line, Alabama’s DeSoto State Park and Little River Canyon are also wonderful for stunning views, hikes and whatever else tugs your trotline.
In fact, last fall, I laid out for you an itinerary for the perfect camping and hiking weekend, hitting all of these destinations. And while I got a lot of “hell yeahs” in my email inbox, there was also one very common theme.
Amber, that’s cool and all. But after a day in the woods, I need a hot shower and a real bed.
You know what? I don’t even blame you. Taking a sponge bath with water you boiled over an open fire has a way of making a person feel decidedly NOT very on vacation.
Lucky for you, I’ve found a solution. And before you accuse me of going soft, I need you to hear me out.
A few months ago, somebody tipped me off to a resort perched atop Lookout Mountain near Cloudland Canyon — one Golf Digest had honored for having one of the most majestic 18th holes in the country.
“Few anywhere are more memorable or more resplendent than this one.” – Golf Digest
Resplendent! Adjective — shining brilliantly; full of splendor and magnificence. There’s a word you don’t hear very often.
Now admittedly, I don’t golf. I’m even a pretty pitiful putt-putter, if we’re being totally honest. But a majestic 18th hole means a majestic view in the rest of the resort. And y’all know I’m a sucker for a scenic overlook.
So my husband and I found ourselves booked for a two-night stay at Cloudland at McLemore.
Now, walking into this place is an experience in itself. Pull open a mammoth wooden door and you get yourself two eyeballs full of McLemore Cove — a valley nestled between Lookout and Pigeon Mountain.
Yeah, this is gonna be just fine.
My husband is a total freak, so his first stop was the hotel gym. Not your average hotel gym, by the way. It’s a zen fitness center complete with weights, cardio equipment, a Peloton room and real water rowing machines.
Have fun, baby, I’m opening a bar tab at the pool.
It’s an infinity pool, by the way. It doesn’t flow off the cliff edge (for obvious safety reasons), but it’s still very cool. I began to wonder, What kind of money do I need to make where lying in a partly submerged lounge chair with a book, a cocktail and a mountain view is a realistic daily occurrence?
Best not to start crunching those numbers.
We had reservations that night at Auld Alliance, the resort’s designated fancy restaurant. Meaning I put on a dress instead of my usual uniform of a T-shirt, muddy pants and boots. Who am I?
Someone who gobbles up a filet mignon and mashed potatoes like a rabid animal, that’s who.
By the way, their mashed potatoes are called “rumbledethumps.” It’s a Scottish dish, I’m told. But I could not, for the life of me, remember this word. I called them “tweedledees, humpty-dumpties, whoopdie-doos,” and God bless our server Nico for deciphering my nonsense. Whatever they’re called, they are full of butter, and they are magnificent.
And I promise that’s not just the Scotch Old Fashioned talking. Which was also magnificent.
The next day, we had an adventure planned: “Open Gate Days” at Lula Lake Land Trust.
Lula Lake is a protected 8,000-acre watershed and nature conservation area. You cannot just show up there and take a look around. But on the first and last weekend of the month, you can buy a pre-booked ticket ($16 per vehicle) to explore the grounds.
It’s well worth the price of admission.
Now, my husband and I have been to Cloudland Canyon State Park a handful of times and are working our way through all the trails there. Until this trip, we were unaware Lula Lake even existed. It’s a hidden gem.
Unfortunately, the forecast called for heavy rain all day long. Not ideal hiking weather, obviously, but we had already committed to 7.5 miles, and by golly, we were going to tough it out. Might as well put our expensive rain gear to use.
And boy, did we use it. The sky opened up less than a mile into our trek, and we knew we were in for a long day. Not as long, perhaps, as the woman we saw huddled under a trail map sign wearing a T-shirt, shorts and tie-dyed Crocs. As we say in the South, bless her (highly unprepared) heart.
HERE’S HOW TO DO THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS WITHOUT TRAFFIC AND CROWDS
Fortunately, the rain let up just as we reached the absolute star of the hike: Lula Falls. You catch a glimpse of this 120-foot waterfall from above pretty early in the trail. But trust me when I say you’re going to want to take the maybe half-mile detour loop that goes down to the base of the falls.
The waterfall is stunning. Peaceful. A reminder of why you slog through the woods in the pouring rain in the first place. And totally Instagram-able.
One thing my husband hates is when I ask strangers to take a picture of us.
“Can’t we just take a selfie?” he asks every time.
No. We cannot. Because I don’t want close-up photos of our sweaty faces. I want photos of nature’s splendor. And so I clocked a 20-something female (they take the best photos) and asked her to snap a picture of us in front of the waterfall. We even climbed up on a big rock to make it look cooler.
Friends, never again will I simply assume the photography skills of a Gen-Zer. I’m not kidding when I say this girl zoomed all the way in on my husband and me. By looking at the photo she took, you would never know we were standing in front of a 120-foot majestic waterfall. Just two waterlogged dorks on a rock.
But I’m too nice to hurt anyone’s feelings, so then we had to sit there and wait for her to leave so that I could ask someone else to take our photo. Come to think of it, maybe this is why my husband would rather take selfies.
Worth the wait. The second lady nailed it.
Scroll to see more photos from Lula Lake Land Trust:
We climbed out of the bottom of the waterfall through some particularly cool rock formations, and that’s when the torrential downpour began. And it persisted for about an hour. By the time we reached the bluffs, every thread of every fabric on my clothing was soaked through. Guess it’s time to upgrade that rain gear.
In fact, the only part of my body that was dry was the most important part, my feet. (If you’re a hiker or a runner, you know wet socks are blister city. So shoutout to KEEN for waterproof boots that are, in fact, waterproof.)
Still, it was in this moment I was very happy to have a nice hotel, a hot shower and dry clothes to return to after the hike. This was not the weekend to go camping.
Finally, though, Mother Nature threw us a bone. The rain stopped, the fog cleared and we were treated to a stunning view of the Chattanooga Valley. A sight to behold before the soggy trek back to the trailhead.
Even with the rain, though, Lula Lake Land Trust was a spectacular find, and I’m glad we did the full 7.5 miles. I would have been bummed if I missed those overlooks from the Bluff Trail.
They also have mountain biking trails — if that’s more your speed — and the preserve is dog friendly.
This was a very rare trip where our German Shepherd didn’t come along. We’ll definitely take him next time, though. He needs a photo with that waterfall.
If you’ve been reading my travel blogs for a while, you know I don’t put in those miles for nothing. So I was thrilled to head back to the resort for a frosty brew.
Here’s a fun surprise: Cloudland at McLemore takes its happy hour seriously. A staff member told us to head to the Pocket Cafe for two free wine, beer or cocktails per guest.
Twist my arm.
As we sat on the terrace with our cocktails enjoying the view, we overheard groups of golfers debriefing from their day on the links. I learned that McLemore has three golf courses: The Highlands, The Keep and a six-hole short course called The Cairn. I guess you can play The Cairn for free as a hotel guest. Which feels like an incredible perk if I were a golfer.
I did hear rave reviews about the 18th hole on The Highlands, though — the same one Golf Digest was all worked up about.
Conveniently enough, the resort has a hiking trail leading right up to the famous finishing hole. I made a mental note to walk out there before we checked out the next day.
The hiking trail on the property was only about a mile, but very peaceful and pretty. It was especially cool (and a little spooky) with the morning fog thick through the trees. The hotel also has bikes for guests to use and is planning to implement some rock climbing and bouldering areas as well. Plenty of ways to scratch your outdoor itch, which I always appreciate.
Look, I’m not giving up camping (or “glamping”) anytime soon.
But after spending a day hiking waterfalls in the pouring rain, then coming back to dry clothes, mountain views, good bourbon and a mattress that didn’t require inflating with my own lungs, I certainly understand the appeal.
Maybe all the “hot shower, real bed” people in my inbox were onto something after all.
