Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne

What a pleasant surprise this was! We weren't sure what we were going to find on that winding road along Bear Creek with all its roadside overlooks, but my goodness were we in for a treat! Pictures just don't do it justice. I wish we'd had time to make it all the way around. We missed the most beautiful part (the falls!) If you're in the area, spend a day checking out all of the overlooks and the falls. It's truly worth it. We're planning to visit again during the fall when all the leaves are bursting with color. (Our visit was in mid-December.) I haven't been able to get this area out of my mind since we returned. Stunningly beautiful and definitely worth the visit!

This is a beautiful place with several cool things to see and do. There are several scenic overlooks that stretch roughly 8 miles by car. There is a awesome swimming hole called the hippie hole that gets over 20 feet deep in places. There are several areas to jump off rocks into the water. The hiking trails at little river are overall short and pretty easy for a regular hiker. Be aware that the hike down to the swimming hole has 133 stone steps. It can be difficult for some people. There is also a swimming area that is much easier to access closer to the main bridge in the parking lot. The visitors center is beautiful to see. They show a video about little river canyon and there is a gift shop. I've hiked at many places this is one of the best overall.