Little River Canyon - A Visit to Northeast Alabama

Alabama has long been a pass-through state for me, mostly travelling between Texas and Georgia or SW Florida and Georgia. It feels a lot like Georgia in terms of terrain and landscape, and it wasn't until a skills class with RAT a couple years back that I saw some of the beauty that the state has to offer. Starting about the same time, my wife and I met and became close friends with another couple - the husband graduated from Jacksonville State University and the wife is native to NE AL. He's an accomplished kayaker that teaches with Berry's BOLD program, and he has often mentioned Little River as a place worth exploring.

I wish I would have listened sooner, because we finally drove out there today to hike around, and it's pretty amazing. It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, all by itself, but clearly maintained by the deeper pockets of the NPS. My wife commented that there was no trash whatsoever to be seen, and it was true. The place was immaculate - from the composite boardwalk up to the falls to the visitor center that is run by Jacksonville State and the NPS.

We parked right near the top of the falls and spent a few minutes there enjoying the amazing view of the main falls. It's right off the highway, so even if the only thing you want to see if the falls, it couldn't be much easier. But there are hiking trails laced along the canyon rim, down to the river, and a scenic drive to a couple other falls and overlooks. We decided to do a short hike with the guys to nearby Martha's Falls.

And... taking a break for short legs.

I am actually not sure if we ever quite made it to Martha's Falls. This little guy's short legs gave out, so we didn't get too far down the trail.

There is a little staircase down to the water and you can get a better view of the falls. All I could think of was how fishy the whole place looks, and how much fun it would be to float a fly over some of the dark holes.

I don't know what this insect is, but it sure looks like something a fish would love. If the bugs are hatching already, it's time to clean up the fishing gear with an eye toward spring.

This is definitely a place that is going to merit a couple more visits this year. There is so much more to explore in terms of area, that I think I barely scratched the surface in the few hours we were there.