Little River Canyon National Preserve

A River That Runs Along a Mountaintop

Little River Canyon National Preserve sits atop Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, about an hour east of Huntsville. Congress created the 15,000-plus-acre preserve in 1992 to protect the Little River, which is unusual because it flows for most of its length across the top of a mountain rather than through a valley. The result is a deep sandstone canyon with waterfalls, overlooks, boulder fields, and swimming holes.

What to Do

Little River Falls near the north entrance is the easiest overlook to reach and a good first stop. The Canyon Rim Parkway has several pull-offs with canyon views, and there are hiking trails of varying difficulty down toward the river. Check the National Park Service site before you go for current trail and road conditions.

Combine It

It pairs naturally with Cathedral Caverns State Park or DeSoto State Park, both in the same corner of northeast Alabama, for a fuller day of caves, canyons, and waterfalls.