A granitic gneiss outcropping atop the dramatic Blue Ridge Escarpment gives Caesars Head State Park its name. Every fall, from the easily-accessible overlook atop the rocky peak of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, sight-seers are treated to the Hawk Watch program and a spectacular view that extends into North Carolina and Georgia.

Caesars Head connects to Jones Gap State Park in what is known as the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, an 13,000-acre area of pristine southern mountain forest. Hikers can take a number of loop and traverse hiking trails that connect the parks, and trailside camping is available for those who choose the longer routes.

One of the most popular trails at Caesars Head is the four-mile, round trip Raven Cliff Falls trail. This hiking trail leads to the scenic overlook, where you can view the 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls. There is also a 6.6 mile round trip hike to a suspension bridge that crosses the creek above Raven Cliff Falls. The bridge offers a unique view of the falls as they plunge deep into the mountain cove below.

Caesars Head State Park

Red Clay State Historic Park encompasses 263-acres of narrow valleys formerly used as cotton and pasture land. The park site was the last seat of Cherokee national government before the 1838 enforcement of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 by the U.S. military, which resulted in most of the Cherokee people in the area being forced to emigrate west. Eleven general councils were held between 1832 and 1837. Red Clay is where the Trail of Tears really began, for it was at the Red Clay Council Grounds that the Cherokee learned that they had lost their mountains, streams and valleys forever. 



State Parks Tagged With: Cleveland