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Little River Canyon Falls Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 2,078 Google reviews · Running trail in Fort Payne, Alabama · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Little River Canyon Falls Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Scenic park featuring trails along a river, plus picnic tables and a waterfall.
What runners say about Little River Canyon Falls Park
“There are several awesome overlooks along the paved scenic road, plus mushroom rock in between the car lanes is an interesting surprise.”
This is a beautiful overlook and a definite stop every time you pass through. The whole overlook is entirely boardwalk and there’s a short little trail loop on the board walk. The viewing area is large and offers many wonderful angles of the falls.
It is about an hour and half to two hours from Chattanooga depending on if you take the interstate or back roads. Me and my dog went on Saturday, there is a trail you can take it will lead to a swimming area at the bottom. Be careful the last bit to get to the water is very steep and on the way back up it is strenuous.
This is one of the underrated National Park Sites due to a somewhat remote location. Be alert on the National Park sign if you want to take pictures as we missed it on the way to the visitor center. You visit the Little River Falls first either by driving or hiking. We drove to a big parking lot.
Enjoy the mother nature at its finest. Great enjoyable view at the falls which gets you involved with all the elements of the nature. The view from top of the falls is amazing one of a kind experience. The 3/4miles trail down to the little river falls is a work out experience.
Trail conditions & character
“💧💚 From twisted 🌳 tree roots, rugged 🪨 rocks, cascading 💦 waterfalls, fluttering 🦋 butterflies, to all kinds of amazing 🐿️ wildlife—there’s beauty everywhere you turn.”
“Of course you might want to bring your drinks and snack with you but it'll be challenging on your way back to the parking spot, sure of that.”
“There are several awesome overlooks along the paved scenic road, plus mushroom rock in between the car lanes is an interesting surprise.”
“💧💚 From twisted 🌳 tree roots, rugged 🪨 rocks, cascading 💦 waterfalls, fluttering 🦋 butterflies, to all kinds of amazing 🐿️ wildlife—there’s beauty everywhere you turn.”
“Canyon lets you walk to the falls, those going to the top flat rocks must bypass the boardwalk railings.”
“Canyon lets you walk to the falls, those going to the top flat rocks must bypass the boardwalk railings.”
“Toilets are like fancier portapotties with toilet paper provided (usually), but no sinks so bring sanitizer or wipes.”
Plan your run at Little River Canyon Falls Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitenps.gov
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 7 am–5 pm |
| Tuesday | 7 am–5 pm |
| Wednesday | 7 am–5 pm |
| Thursday | 7 am–5 pm |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | 7 am–5 pm |
| Sunday | 7 am–5 pm |
Running trails near Fort Payne
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Little River Canyon National Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,466 reviews
Forested nature preserve around Little River which runs along the top of Lookout Mountain.
Indian Falls
4.6 ★★★★★ 122 reviews
Located in Desoto State Park, this hiking area features a kid-friendly trail leading to a waterfall.