🥾 ActiveLong weekend · from Chattanooga, TN
Ocoee River, Cloudland Canyon & Little River Canyon
Three days that connect the best active terrain in a broad arc around Chattanooga — the Olympic-caliber whitewater of the Ocoee River east of the city, the 1,000-foot gorge of Cloudland Canyon in northwest Georgia, and Little River Canyon National Preserve in northeast Alabama, one of the deepest river gorges in the eastern United States. Little River is geologically unusual: a river that originates and flows entirely on top of a mountain plateau (Lookout Mountain) before dropping 600 feet into a canyon at DeSoto Falls. The canyon rim road parallels the river for 12 miles with pulloffs at every viewpoint; the Little River Falls at the canyon's head drops 45 feet in a wide curtain over granite. Three different canyon systems, three different river types, and three days of sustained physical engagement within Chattanooga's day-trip radius.
Day 1 — Ocoee River: Class III-IV whitewater (1996 Olympic course), overnight Cleveland, TNDay 2 — Cloudland Canyon: rim loop, 600-step gorge descent, overnight Fort Payne, ALDay 3 — Little River Canyon NP: canyon rim drive, Little River Falls, Eberhart Point, return to Chattanooga
Day 1 — Ocoee River, TN
Day 1 — Ocoee River, TN
🚗 50 min driving📍 4 stops
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Morning
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Drive
Chattanooga, TN → Ocoee Whitewater Center
50 min8:00 AM → 8:50 AM
Middle Ocoee River — Class III-IV Rafting
★ 4.8A guided raft trip on the 1996 Atlanta Olympics whitewater course — 5 miles of Class III-IV rapids dropping 270 feet through Cherokee National Forest. Named rapids include Broken Nose, Tablesaw, and Diamond Splitter. Commercial trips run all day with guides; book the morning session to maximize afternoon driving time. One of the most popular commercial whitewater runs in the country.
8:50 AM📍 See location
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Lunch
Ocoee Whitewater Center — Recovery & Lunch
★ 4.8The USFS Ocoee Whitewater Center facility above the river — a deck with views of the rapid section where the Olympic events were held, a small café, and changing facilities. The post-rafting afternoon is best spent drying out and eating before the drive toward Cloudland Canyon. The Olympic viewing structures from 1996 remain intact along the riverbank.
9:50 AM📍 See location
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Afternoon
Benton — Hiwassee River State Scenic Area
★ 4.9The confluence area of the Hiwassee and Ocoee rivers near Benton, TN — a calm flat-water river section through the Ridge and Valley country, used by flatwater paddlers and fishermen as the quiet counterpart to the Ocoee rapids upstream. A brief roadside stop for the transition between the active morning and the driving afternoon.
12:00 PM📍 See location
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Evening
Hilton Garden Inn — Cleveland, TN
★ 4.1A full-service hotel in Cleveland, TN — the practical overnight base between the Ocoee corridor and Cloudland Canyon. The commercial strip on US-64 covers all restaurant options. Tomorrow's Cloudland Canyon entrance is 60 minutes south.
5:00 PM📍 See location
Day 2 — Cloudland Canyon — Fort Payne, AL
Day 2 — Cloudland Canyon — Fort Payne, AL
🚗 1 hr 45 min driving📍 4 stops
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Morning
🚗
Drive
Cleveland, TN → Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA
1 hr8:00 AM → 9:00 AM
Cloudland Canyon — West Rim & Waterfall Descent
★ 4.8The full Cloudland Canyon active circuit — the West Rim Loop (5 miles, canyon panorama overlooks) followed by the 600-step descent to Cherokee Falls (60 feet) and Hemlock Falls (90 feet) at the gorge floor. A 4-5 hour total engagement on day two recovers from the rafting intensity of day one while keeping the physical momentum.
9:00 AM📍 See location
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Lunch
Continue at Cloudland Canyon Backcountry Overlook — Picnic
★ 4.8Use the afternoon to explore a different side of Cloudland Canyon — West Rim & Waterfall Descent — there's more to discover beyond the morning highlights.
10:00 AM📍 See location
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Afternoon
🚗
Drive
Cloudland Canyon, GA → Fort Payne, AL
45 min12:00 PM → 12:45 PM
Little River Canyon — DeSoto Falls
★ 4.9An afternoon preview of tomorrow's canyon — DeSoto Falls is the northern entry point where the Little River drops 100 feet off the Lookout Mountain plateau into the upper canyon. The falls are visible from a short walk from the parking area at the north end of Little River Canyon National Preserve. A brief stop to orient for tomorrow's full canyon exploration.
12:45 PM📍 See location
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Evening
Holiday Inn Express — Fort Payne, AL
★ 4.1A standard hotel in Fort Payne, AL — the gateway town for Little River Canyon National Preserve, with the most hotel density near the park. Fort Payne is better known as the hometown of the country band Alabama; the Alabama Fan Club and Museum is in the commercial district if the evening calls for music history.
5:00 PM📍 See location
Day 3 — Little River Canyon NP — Chattanooga
Day 3 — Little River Canyon NP — Chattanooga
🚗 1 hr 20 min driving📍 2 stops
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Morning
🚗
Drive
Fort Payne, AL → Little River Canyon National Preserve
5 min8:00 AM → 8:05 AM
Little River Falls — Little River Canyon NP
★ 4.8The main falls at the head of Little River Canyon — a 45-foot wide curtain drop over the Lookout Mountain sandstone lip into a plunge pool at the canyon's entry point. Little River is one of the few rivers in the United States that originates and flows entirely on top of a mountain (Lookout Mountain plateau) before dropping into a canyon at its end. The falls are reached by a short walk from the parking area at the NPS visitor center.
8:05 AM📍 See location
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Lunch
Little River Canyon Rim Road — Eberhart Point
A 12-mile rim road paralleling the Little River Canyon with pull-offs at overlooks and swim access points — Eberhart Point is the most dramatic viewpoint, a rocky promontory 600 feet above the river with the canyon walls dropping sheer on two sides. The Little River runs clear and cold far below; on calm days the river sound carries to the rim. The canyon depth rivals Cloudland Canyon but the river-on-top-of-mountain geology makes it unusual.
9:05 AM📍 See location
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Evening
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Drive
Little River Canyon NP, AL → Chattanooga, TN
1 hr 15 min5:00 PM → 6:15 PM
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