On Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama, the Little River cuts thorough a magnificent sandstone gorge that has attracted whitewater paddlers since the 1960s. Early explorers of the most difficult upper reaches dubbed it the Suicide Section, an epithet it still carries.
Today, Little River Canyon remains the heart of the Alabama paddling community. Variable water levels and access points provide paddling opportunities ranging from class III to V. Regardless of ability, paddlers are treated to stunning scenery, a maze of boulder gardens, clean turquoise water and a large watershed providing consistently runnable flows throughout winter and spring.
Little River Canyon Beta
Ten miles east of Fort Payne, AL, Highway 35 crosses Little River Falls, the uppermost put-in for Little River Canyon. There are several access points located on Canyon Rim Road between the falls and the final take-out at Canyon Mouth Park. Many options exist, but most commonly the 11-mile long canyon is divided in half via a walking trail at Eberhart Point.
Paddlers running the more difficult upper half use the trail to hike out, while those running the tamer lower canyon use it to hike in. Camping is prohibited between Little River Falls and Canyon Mouth Park, but is available at nearby Desoto State Park.
Planning
This run has been featured in a number of guidebooks, most recently The River Gypsies’ Guide to North America. The character and difficulty varies greatly with levels, which are runnable from 300–4,000 cfs on the USGS Little River Near Blue Pond AL gauge.
Links to gauges and an online forum to connect with local paddlers can be found at www.alabamawhitewater.com.
Detailed directions and rapid descriptions are available at www.americanwhitewater.org.
This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Early Summer 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
