Little River Falls

Morning sun produces a rainbow in the mist at Little River Falls in the fall.

NPS / Matt Switzer

Quick Facts

Location:

Little River Falls, Alabama Highway 35

Significance:

Little River Falls has been an attraction for the Native Americans, the early Euro-American settlers (including the Hill family, who once operated a mill at the falls), and a portion of the Trail of Tears crossed the Little River just above the falls in 1838.

Amenities

17 listed

Benches/Seating, Cellular Signal, Grill, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information - Maps Available, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Parking - Boat Trailer, Parking - Bus/RV, Picnic Table, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Wheelchair Accessible

200 square miles of watershed collects water and leads to this point, the beginning of Little River Canyon, where the Little River has spent thousands of years slicing through the sandstone of Lookout Mountain and forming one of the deepest canyons east of the Mississippi River. Little River Falls is a 30' waterfall of many moods, from clear blue-green pools of water fed by a partitioned waterfall to a raging surge of brown water after a heavy rainfall - the transition from one to the next can often happen in only a matter of hours after a heavy rain. 

Little River Falls is one of the primary draws of Little River Canyon National Preserve, located conveniently along Alabama Highway 35 with a large parking lot, basic restroom facilities, and an ADA-compliant boardwalk leading visitors to a viewing platform along the east side of the waterfall.