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⏵ Course guide · Georgia ultra

Cloudland Canyon Trail Races Course Guide

Cloudland Canyon is one of the prettiest trail races in the Southeast, tucked into a state park on Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia, and it runs on the first full weekend of December every year. The 50 mile and 50K are mostly runnable Georgia singletrack, but the canyon is the whole story: a long staircase down past the waterfalls, and a steep 1,000-foot climb back out. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan that fits the rolling terrain and that climb. Free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

Cloudland Canyon quick facts

Date
First full weekend of December (Dec 5 to 6, 2026); 50M and 50K run Saturday
Location
Cloudland Canyon State Park, Rising Fawn, GA, on Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia
Distances
50 mile, 50K, 25K, and 5 mile
Elevation gain
50M: about 6,500 ft · 50K: about 4,500 ft · 25K: about 2,200 ft
50M start
Early, around 6:30 AM (confirm the current start time)
Cutoff
50M: 15 hr 30 min · 50K: 11 hr · 25K: 5 hr 30 min · 5M: 1 hr 30 min
Qualifier
No Western States, Hardrock, or UTMB qualifier status listed by the race
Format
Cupless race; drop bag and crew access around mile 14 on the 50K

These facts come from the official race organizer (Run Bum Tours) and UltraSignup. Check the current date, start times, cutoffs, and aid stations in the runner handbook before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.

The course: where Cloudland Canyon is won and lost

The longer loops are roughly 28 miles of trail plus about 2 miles of paved park road, and the 50 mile stacks more of it together for about 6,500 feet of gain (the 50K is about 4,500). Most of the climbing is small rolling bumps in typical Georgia forest, nothing over a few hundred feet at a time, with two big exceptions: the staircase down into the canyon and the long climb back out.

The rolling miles: runnable, and that is the trap

A lot of this course is genuinely runnable. Smooth-ish Georgia singletrack, mellow grades, not very technical, with a couple of miles of paved park road thrown in near the start. That sounds easy and it kind of is, which is exactly why people overcook the early miles here. When the trail keeps letting you run, it is tempting to bank time. Do not. The canyon climb is waiting late in the loop, and you want legs left for it.

Treat the rolling sections as your chance to settle into an honest, repeatable effort and to eat and drink on schedule. Power-hike the little steep bumps, run the flats and downhills relaxed, and let the runnable terrain be a gift instead of a place you blow your day.

The canyon: the stairs, the waterfalls, and the climb out

This is the part everyone remembers. The West Rim trail runs along the canyon edge on dirt and long smooth rock, then you drop down the Waterfalls trail on hundreds of stairs and grated boardwalks past Cherokee Falls and Hemlock Falls, with the smooth Sitton’s Gulch trail down in the bottom of the gorge. It is stunning. It is also where the real climbing lives, because what goes down those stairs has to come back up.

The signature effort is the climb out of the canyon, roughly 1,000 feet over about 2.5 miles, and on the longer races it tends to land late when your legs are already tired. Everyone hikes it. Get into a strong, steady power-hike, keep your eating going, and just keep grinding. If you paced the rolling early miles with discipline, this climb is a hard chunk you absolutely get through. If you hammered the runnable stuff, this is where it falls apart.

Cool weather and the cupless format

Early December on Lookout Mountain is usually cool, sometimes cold at the dark 50 mile start, and that is mostly a gift. Cool air means less heat stress and easier running. The trap is that you sweat plenty even when you do not feel hot, so people quietly under-drink and under-fuel. Keep drinking and eating on a schedule, not by thirst.

It is a cupless race, so you carry your own bottles or soft flask and refill at aid. On the 50K there is a drop bag and crew-access point around mile 14, so stage your own nutrition, a dry layer, and anything you want mid-race there. Know where the aid is, carry enough to cover the gaps, and do not count on the next station being right around the corner.

Pacing strategy for a runnable course with one big climb

Cloudland is about discipline on the runnable miles and patience on the canyon climb. The cutoffs are generous, so this is not a course where you have to be fast. It is a course where you have to be steady and not blow up before that 1,000-foot climb out.

Run the rolling stuff easy, hike the climbs by effort

Because so much of this course is runnable, the discipline is in holding back. Pick an easy, conversational effort on the flats and downhills and stick to it, even when you feel great in the first couple of hours. On the canyon climb and the little steep bumps, switch to a strong power-hike at the same effort instead of forcing a run. A grade-adjusted pace helps you turn your flat fitness into honest targets so you are not running the rolling miles too hard or grinding the climb into the red.

Build a finish prediction that respects the vert and the stairs

Do not guess your Cloudland finish off a road time. The 6,500 feet on the 50 mile (or 4,500 on the 50K), the staircase sections, and the climb out of the canyon all add real time even though the rest is runnable. A vert-aware finish prediction gives you a realistic window and lets you check it against the cutoffs and the crew-access point, so you know how much buffer you actually have instead of guessing on the fly.

⏵ Free tools to pace this course

Fueling strategy for a long, cool day on the trail

The 50K runs somewhere around 5 to 9 hours for most people, and the 50 mile a good bit longer, in cool December air. That makes steady carbohydrate, sodium, and fluid just as important as fitness, and the cool weather makes it easy to under-fuel if you are not paying attention.

Carbs: steady, and do not coast on the cool weather

Aim for around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and push the higher end only if your gut is trained for it. Cool weather is friendly to your stomach, so this is a course where a well-trained gut can really hold its intake, which is a big advantage on the rolling, runnable miles. The flip side is that cool air dulls the urge to eat, so set a timer and keep feeding on schedule instead of waiting until you feel low. Practice your exact race-day carb rate on long runs so 80-plus grams an hour feels routine.

Sodium and fluid: cupless means you carry it

It is a cupless race, so you run with your own bottles or soft flask and top off at aid. Even in the cold you are sweating and losing salt, so keep sodium coming in steadily, roughly 300 to 700 milligrams per liter of fluid depending on how salty a sweater you are, and more if you cramp easily. Weigh yourself before and after a long run to learn your real sweat rate, then build your plan around your own number rather than a generic chart. Stage backup nutrition and a dry layer in your drop bag at the crew-access point.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a cool Cloudland day with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.

⏵ Train for it with Summit Line

Get a race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact Cloudland Canyon course profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for the rolling miles and the canyon climb, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

Cloudland Canyon Trail Races FAQ

How hard is the Cloudland Canyon 50 mile?

The Cloudland Canyon 50 mile is a real ultra but it is not a high-mountain sufferfest. You get roughly 6,500 feet of climbing over the 50 mile distance on mostly runnable Georgia singletrack, with a couple of miles of paved park road mixed in. The catch is the canyon: a long staircase down past the waterfalls and back up, and a 1,000-foot climb out of the canyon over about 2.5 miles that comes late. The cutoff is a generous 15 hours 30 minutes, so if you keep moving and fuel well, the time is there. It rewards steady running over the rolling stuff more than raw climbing strength.

How much climbing is in the Cloudland Canyon races?

The 50 mile has about 6,500 feet of total elevation gain, the 50K has about 4,500 feet, the 25K about 2,200 feet, and the 5 mile about 600 feet. Most of it comes in small rolling bumps rather than one big mountain, with the standout being the 1,000-foot climb out of the canyon over roughly 2.5 miles. The descents and re-climbs around the waterfalls trail also stack up because of the long staircase sections. None of it is sustained alpine climbing, but it adds up over a long day.

How should I fuel for the Cloudland Canyon 50 mile or 50K?

Plan it as a long aerobic day, somewhere in the 5 to 9 hour range for the 50K and longer for the 50 mile, in cool early-December air. Most runners do well on roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, leaning higher if your gut is trained for it, plus steady sodium to match your sweat. Cool weather hides how much fluid you are actually losing, so do not skip drinking just because you do not feel hot. It is a cupless race, so carry your own bottles or flask and use your drop bag at the crew-access point. Run your own numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator.

What are the cutoff times for the Cloudland Canyon Trail Races?

The published overall cutoffs are 15 hours 30 minutes for the 50 mile, 11 hours for the 50K, 5 hours 30 minutes for the 25K, and 1 hour 30 minutes for the 5 mile. These are roomy compared with most mountain ultras, which makes Cloudland a friendly place to step up in distance. There can also be intermediate cutoffs at aid stations, so check the current runner handbook before race day and know where you need to be and when.

What is the course and terrain like at Cloudland Canyon?

It is mostly classic Georgia singletrack through forest, with around 28 miles of trail and about 2 miles of paved road inside the state park on the longer loops. The signature stretch runs the West Rim trail along the canyon edge, then drops down the Waterfalls trail on a long set of stairs (hundreds of steps) past Cherokee Falls and Hemlock Falls, with the smooth, runnable Sitton’s Gulch trail down in the gorge. The footing is generally not very technical and a lot of it is genuinely runnable. The exception is the stairs and the steep 1,000-foot climb back out of the canyon, where everyone hikes.

Is Cloudland Canyon a good first 50 mile or 50K?

Yes, it is one of the friendlier ultras in the Southeast to use as a goal race. The terrain is runnable, the climbing is rolling rather than brutal, the weather is usually cool, and the cutoffs are generous. The honest challenge is the canyon stairs and the long climb out late in the loop, plus simply staying fueled and moving for hours on rolling trail. If you train your easy running volume, practice power-hiking stairs and steep grades, and rehearse your fueling, this is a very achievable first ultra.

This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, start times, cutoffs, and aid stations come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.