Friday, November 12, 2021
DeSoto State Park, Little River Canyon National Preserve
The road-trip fun started a mere three hours from home, at Alabama's DeSoto State Park, located within the Little River Canyon National Preserve. The trees were already becoming bare in Tennessee, but in Alabama the fall colors are still gorgeous and the weather is glorious!
The eponymous DeSoto Falls is located six miles from the main part of the park, on the West Fork of the Little River. There's a drive-up overlook offering a side view of the waterfall, but we hiked a mile-long trail leaving from the DeSoto Falls Picnic Area for the most spectacular, head-on view of DeSoto Falls plunging 104 feet into a deep, dark pool.
To the best view
Rugged rock along the trail
Desoto Falls
After the hike, we drove over to the main section of DeSoto State Park to seek out three more waterfalls. The 1,000-foot-long Talmadge Butler Boardwalk leads through the woods to the small but pretty Azalea Cascade.
Talmadge Butler Boardwalk
Azalea Cascade
Across the road from the boardwalk, just behind a sewage treatment plant, we came to the lovely Indian Falls. It's not as bad as it sounds! At the top of the waterfall is a narrow footbridge, so you can hike to the base of the falls from either side.
Just past the sewage treatment plant
Tom at Indian Falls
Our last stop in DeSoto State Park was Lodge Falls, easily found behind the Park Lodge. It's a short but steep hike into a ravine to get to the base of the falls. There wasn't much water going over it today.
Down the precipitous path
Lodge Falls
Leaving the state park, we still remained within the bounds of Little River Canyon National Preserve. The most impressive waterfall in the preserve is 45-foot Little River Falls, best seen from an observation deck on the southeast side of Little River Canyon, not far from the visitor center. Even without a recent rain, there was a decent amount of water flow.
Little River Falls
Little River
Crossing a bridge over the Little River, we then took an 11-mile scenic drive along the northwest rim of the Little River Canyon, stopping at EVERY overlook along the way, which at our pace took over an hour. Worth every minute.
Jana at Mushroom Rock
Tom and the autumn leaves
Little River Canyon
Grace's High Falls
Daylight was fading by the time we finished the rim drive, so we skipped visiting the canyon mouth and headed for our hotel, making just one more stop along the way at Congo Falls Park, just outside the borders of the Little River Canyon Preserve.
Congo Falls
Lodging: Bay Springs Country Inn & Marina, Centre, Alabama. This place has a motel, campground, marina, bait shop, regular prayer meetings, and occasional gospel singing. What more could you ask for?
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