A winding parkway makes it easy to enjoy the stunning canyon views at this rugged preserve
A state highway cuts through Northeast Alabama’s Little River Canyon National Preserve, which consists of a wilderness backcountry area, an 11-mile long gorge with its own rim-hugging parkway and a remote river mouth park in the valley below. That easy access, along with nine scenic overlooks, make the gorge among the easiest places in the South to enjoy spectacular outdoor scenery. The parkway takes you to within a few yards of each overlook, so you don’t have to go far from your vehicle for amazing views.
Rappelling, whitewater kayaking and similar daredevilry are fancied by some year round. But, thanks to the overlooks and parkway, less-daring activities such as sightseeing and outdoor photography from high above the wild river are enjoyed by a larger number of people. Located atop Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, Alabama, there are also a few hiking trails.
Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your drive along the Little River Canyon Rim Parkway.
Start on either end of the parkway, or near the middle
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Access to Little River Canyon is easy from either end of Little River Canyon Rim Parkway. Also, from the Adamsburg community, you can start about halfway via County Road 255 which runs into the parkway at Wolf Creek.
The northeast end of the parkway starts at where Little River begins to carve its way through the sandstone boulders to form the spectacular gorge. It intersects with Alabama Highway 35 just across the river bridge. The southwest end of the parkway makes it easy to get to the overlooks at the deepest part of the gorge.
On the Highway 35 end you will find the Little River Falls parking area (map) and the JSU Little River Canyon Center. From either spot, you can make your way to the viewing decks on the bridge:
From the falls lot, it’s a downhill walk of about 700 feet to the Little River Falls Observation Deck.
If you are on the Highway 35 side during the Canyon Center’s business hours, you can enjoy their gift shop, natural history library and exhibits.
On the far southwest end of the parkway, Eberhart Point (map) is a must-see point of interest where two overlooks provide soaring views of the river and the vertical rock cliff on the other side of Bear Creek at Crow Point. The Dogtown community is about 3.5 miles from this side of the parkway.
There was an amusement park near Eberhart Point back in the late ‘60s to early ‘70s with a chairlift that took people from the top of the gorge to the river’s edge. There was a road that was built to service the chairlift. You can hike the same path today. The hike is about 0.75 mile one-way. It’s steep with a grade of over 20 percent in a couple of spots, so it’s difficult for a short hike.
More to see if on the Highway 35 side of the parkway
From Highway 35, the Little River Falls overlook is less than a half mile down the parkway. You can enjoy a nice view of the falls from its viewing deck. (map)
The Lynn Overlook is only 0.77 mile down the parkway (map). From that end, it’s the first of the scenic overlooks that provide a view from high above the river. The whitewater rapids known as the Suicide section are almost directly below this point, and the Beaver Pond Trail is across the street. Just past this overlook is a good place to take a short, steep hike down to the river.
Another significant point-of-interest is less than a mile to the west of Lynn Overlook. The Umbrella Rock (map), sometimes referred to as Needle Rock or Mushroom Rock, is found on a steep hill right in the middle of the parkway:
Drive another mile toward the southwest and you’ll find the Lower Two-Mile Trail (map). There’s no overlook, but hikers can take a short, very steep path through the rocks to enjoy some amazing riverscapes. The Hawk’s Glide overlook (map), found less than a mile further down the parkway, provides a gorge view about 300 feet above the water’s level.
Don’t miss the views found near the midway point of the parkway
Whether you begin your drive at one end of the parkway, or the middle, you will not soon forget the gorge views from the Canyon View overlook (map), nor the Wolf Creek Overlook (map). By line of sight, the overlooks are only about 800 feet apart. But in a car, it’s a hilly, curvy 5,000 feet via the parkway to get from one to the other.
Wolf Creek flows down a narrow ravine that separates these overlooks.
The southwest end of the parkway
I already mentioned the must-see overlooks at Eberhart Point. Only 845 feet away by line of sight and five miles via the parkway, the Crow Point Overlook (map) offers a great view any time of year. Bear Creek flows between them. If you only have time to visit one overlook, Crow Point and Eberhart Point are hard to beat as each are at the deep part of the canyon sitting about 400 feet above the river.
SEE ALSO, ENCHANTED PLACES: LITTLE RIVER CANYON’ TOP HIDDEN WONDERS
if you’re visiting during times when there is a good flow of water, you’ll want to stop at the Graces High Falls overlook (map) as you drive from Crow Point to Eberhart Point.
The overlook has a small parking area on the road’s edge, and a nice viewing deck. It’s less than a half mile west of Crow Point.
Related articles:
Enchanted places: Little River Canyon’s top hidden wonders
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