Good Morning! After all the rains, we finally had a wonderfully beautiful weekend even though it came with a bit of cold weather. We can look to a little promise of spring while many of the trees began to bloom as they were tricked once again my mother nature.
I chose, like many, to take advantage of the beautiful weather and headed to one of my favorite spots in North Alabama knowing that the rainfall would have a dramatic and magical effect on it, Little River Canyon. For those that have never had the pleasure to take a trip to the area it is truly one of Alabama’s great scenic areas. About a hour or so north east of Huntsville and near Fort Payne and Mentone, Little River Canyon is a national preserve and part of the US National Park Service.
One of the most, if not the most, iconic views of the canyon starts with Little River Falls located just off of Hwy 35. The amount of water flowing over the 45 foot falls is totally dependent on the amount of rainfall and with the last couple of weeks of rain the falls were roaring. It is an easily accessible area from the visitors parking lot and a board walk leads directly down to the falls.
Once I finished my quest to photograph the falls up close I chose to head down the scenic canyon road just off of Hwy 35. Little River Canyon Rim Parkway (Al Hwy 176) runs along the 16-mile-long canyon and offers many overlooks to capture the very majestic nature of the canyon. One of the best overlooks to get a spectacular view of the falls is the Little River Falls Overlook. It gives you the prefect view looking north to the falls. When the water is flowing with abundance it offers a different and breathtaking view of the canyon and Little River Falls.
If you choose to do so, travel further south on the Canyon Road you will come around a bend and face to face with a boulder the sits properly in the middle of the road. Instead of removing the boulder, they saw fit to leave it and build the road around it allowing traffic to pass on either side. It is an extremely unexpected site as you come from either direction. If you chose to stop, directly across from the boulder is a collection of boulders that create a maze of beauty as you pass in and around them. It is a stop well worth the time and the day trip to the area is one of sheer scenic enjoyment. Once you finished with the canyon tour you can drive through DeSoto Park over to DeSoto Falls and then on to the many shopping and dining delights the town of Mentone has to offer. You will not be disappointed. Happy Road Tripp’n!
