A mystifying blend of beauty and danger, the Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama is not a place for anyone looking to defy Mother Nature. Within its 15,288 acres is one of the deepest and most extensive canyon and gorge systems in the eastern United States. Standing atop the rugged rock bluffs 500 feet above a rapidly moving river, it's not only a place to witness the unique nature around you, but to admire the power of the water, and its ability to reshape the land around it.
Swimming and fishing in Little River – as well as picnicking and hiking around it - is a goal for many visitors, surrounded by the stoic canyon walls and tinny echoes bouncing off the rocks. But getting to the river is an adventure in itself.
Climbing here is reserved for the most experienced of climbers. And hiking is not for the faint of heart. Some paths can get to 450 to 570 feet deep, leaving guests hugging the walls of the canyon and finding the best foot placement on the steep steps below. It's definitely a place to get your heart racing, a place to challenge yourself. And the reward is a refreshing dip in the river, surrounded by waterfalls, looking up at the treacherous trails above.
“Mushroom Rock is a rock formation found in the middle of Highway 176 inside the National Preserve.” [Photo Credit: NPS]
Interpretive Park Ranger Larry Beane's favorite path is Eberhart Point, if he's feeling up to a really steep, tough hike.
“It's a 45 degree angle for three quarters of a mile,” he said. But that heart-pounded descent is worth it: “It goes down to the bluffs of the canyon, at water level. You can work your way around the cliff and the water, including Crow Point.”
Despite being a bit steep in parts, Crow Point is a great place to stop and have some lunch, looking down into the canyon from atop some boulders. Like Beaver Pond Trail, it is a place to relax and take in the unique nature that the preserve has to offer, including a lot of endangered and rare species of animals and plants.
This seems to be the theme of Little River Canyon. It's a place where bravery is rewarded.
The Tower Two-Mile Trail is very, very steep. Another place where your heart can be felt inside your throat; where people hold their breath. But then it leads to a swimming hole, a breathtaking oasis.
Bravery is rewarded. But stupidity is not.
According to Beane there are rescues every year at Little River Canyon. And some are not successful unfortunately.
“It sticks in my mind. Always,” said Beane. “We have an average of two fatalities a year. But last year we had five. They happen when people fall off a cliff, or jump off a ledge. Some people drown. Those are kind of burned in my head. Safety is a big issue here.”
“Forested uplands offer settings for a variety of recreational activities.” [Photo Credit: NPS]
This is a statistic that Beane's family is well aware of. His wife had went hiking at Little River Canyon a few decades back, and had “overestimated her abilities.” As the sun fell and it became dark, she had to frantically climb her way out. Now, she doesn't really like Little River Canyon anymore, mentions Beane.
But Beane did convince her a few times to revisit.
They have hiked on the bottom of the canyon, the more family-friendly routes, taking along their daughter, who was four at the time. Those memories stand out way more to Beane than any stories of danger and caution.
His daughter is now 25, but some of his favorite memories of their time spent together were at the bottom of that canyon.
“We went hunting for icicles off the side of the canyon,” he recalled. “We'd go where there were drippings under the cliff after a rain, where it had been very cold, 14 degrees. As it started to warm up, we'd go down there and look for them. We found some as big as 55 gallon barrels in diameter. They crashed to the ground. We've gone for hikes, finding a lot of different plants and animals and other cool things in the canyon. We went swimming and kayaking as well.”
It's a lesson that Beane hopes other guests take into consideration. Little River Canyon is full of beauty. But it's also full of potential dangerous situations.
There are numerous overlooks throughout the preserve, offering breathtaking views of the river and canyon below. It's a view like no other. But don't go too close to the edge.
There are gorgeous waterfalls, including 133 foot tall Grayson Height Falls. But there are slippery rocks and portions of the river can often be swift enough to knock people over. So always use caution, unless you want to be carried over the falls.
With well over 460,000 visitors in 2016, Little River Canyon National Preserve continues to be a place of wonder and inspiration for nature lovers in the Southern part of the Appalachians. A place to spot endangered species as you picnic atop a boulder, secluded from the rest of the world. It's a place to witness spectacular views like no other, to climb through trails carved out of the side of ancient canyon walls. It's a place to kayak in a swift river, at the bottom of a canyon, the echoes of birds heard all around you.
It's a place like no other. But it's a destination where you have to be willing to play by nature's rules. For more information on the nature preserve, concerning directions, operation hours, weather, etc., visit the NPS website here.