CAMPNPOST

Nearest Town: Tracy City, TN

Directions: From Tracy City, take Hwy 150/US 41  South for about 6  miles, take right onto Foster Falls Rd. From Jasper, TN, take Hwy 150 North for about 9 miles, take left onto Foster Falls Rd.

Camping Fee: $16

No. of Sites: 26

Campsite Amenities: Concrete table, fire ring, lantern post

Campground amenities: Clean restrooms with flush toilets, running water, hot showers, water spigots

Earlier this summer we had to head to a higher elevation to escape the Georgia heat. We decided check out an area of Tennessee we haven’t spent a great deal of time in. We actually were going to check out Fall Creek Falls but didn’t like what we saw when we got there. We needed to find some place sort of close by so we ended up at Foster Falls by accident.

It was mid-week so the campground itself was almost empty. We had our choice of sites which were all spacious so even though the understory was sparse, it seemed like you would have a decent amount of privacy should the crowds descend. There are no tent pads. The entire site is gravel but it’s the bigger pointier gravel. We were told by the manager the next day that you don’t have to pitch your tent on the gravel, you can use the flat spaces in between the sites, but that would seem a little invasive if we had neighbors. We were discouraged to see that there are some street lights around the camp loop but they weren’t as annoying as we expected. We parked our truck in such a way to block out the extra light. It turned out to be a little comforting on our middle of the night potty run.

There is a trail that leads from the campground to a platform  overlooking the falls and also gives access to a couple  trails and the lower falls. We were able to enjoy the sunset from the platform on the first night. The next morning we really enjoyed the short hike down to the lower falls. It is a fun and beautiful descent on natural boulder stairs with a few wooden block stairs worked in the mix that ends with a swinging bridge across the creek. The large pool at the base of the falls was a great place for a refreshing swim on a hot day.

The next day we hiked the trail that takes you to the other rim of the waterfall where you can access the rock climbing area.  It seems to be a pretty popular spot for climbing.We saw several groups of climbers and it was a weekday.This is not really considered a loop trail but if you cut through the climbers’ access trail it does loop back down to the base of the falls which we took advantage of with another refreshing swim.

We enjoyed our stay at Foster Falls. There’s enough to do if you’re looking for a little R&R but if you get bored there are plenty of other attractions in the area such as Grundy Lakes State Park and Greeter Falls.

Tags: camping TN, Foster Falls Recreation area, hiking TN, rock climbing TN

Tags: Big Horn Sheep - Grinell Glacier Trail - GlacierNP

Tags: Camping, cliff jumping, Kayaking, outdoor activity, road trips

Tags: Camping, cliff jumps, Kayaking

Nearest Town: Leesburg, Al

Directions: From Fort Payne take Al 35- Take AL 176 South to Cr 275 for about 11 miles. Canyon Mouth Park is on your left.

From Leesburg-Take Al 273 North to CR 275 on left, Canyon Mouth Park is on your left

Fee: $4 per vehicle

Trail Length: 1.8 miles in and out

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

This trailhead is located in Canyon Mouth Park at the far end of the parking lot and is the only place in the canyon that requires a fee. The park itself  is a large area along the river with picnic tables and fire rings and a restroom.

The trail starts out as an old paved service road and changes to a sandy single track. It crosses over a large seawall and shortly thereafter becomes a wooded dirt trail. It’ offers easy to walk slightly varied terrain for 9/10 of a mile along the river before you get to the dead end. Like the other canyon trails it offers some great views and is short enough to enjoy it and still be able to fit in the other attraction along the canyon. The park wasn’t crowded when we were there so it looks like a nice place to make a day of it, but I’d imagine it gets pretty crowded in the warmer months.

Tags: Canyon Mouth Park, Canyon Mouth Trail, Hikes in Alabama, Little River Canyon Hike

Nearest Town: Fort Payne, Al

Directions: From Al 35- Take AL 176 South past Grace’s High Falls lookout. Parking is on the left at the 176/275 junction.

From Leesburg-Take Al 273 North to CR 275 on left. Take a left at Canyon Mouth Park and continue on CR275  for 11 miles to AL176. Bear right at the 275/176 junction,parking on right.

Trail Length: 1.5 miles in and out

Difficulty: Strenuous

This trail is not as steep or rocky as the Lower Two-Mile Trail, but it is still rugged and steep. This one is a little more developed and seems to get a good bit of use as it’s at the main junction in the canyon and there are picnic tables and outhouses at the top.

The trail descends a few switchbacks 3/4 mile down to the canyon floor where there are some nice boulders and rocks to hop out to a great vantage point in the middle of the river. A good place to spend some time resting for the ascent back up the trail. It’s short, but steep so you will be winded, but it’s easily navigable. There are benches just in case. Definitely worth your time.

Tags: Eberhart Trail, hiking North Alabama, Little River Canyon Hike

Nearest Town: Fort Payne, Al

Directions: From Al 35- Take AL 176 South for approx. 2 miles Parking area on the left after Mushroom Rock

From Leesburg-Take Al 273 North to CR 275 on left. Take a left at Canyon Mouth Park and continue on CR275  for 11 miles to AL176. Bear right on 176 and go North past Hawk’s Glide Overlook, parking on right

Trail Length: 2/10 mile in and out

Difficulty: Rugged/Steep

I don’t know if we can really consider this trail a hike when it’s really more of a climb. The best part is the reward at the bottom. It takes you down a steep and rocky incline to a sandy beach on the canyon floor where we spent some time watching kayakers go by and letting the kids play. Beautiful and so much fun!  I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Tags: Hikes in Alabama, Little River Canyon hiking, Lower Two-Mile Trail, trails in the south, Trails near Fort Payne

Nearest Town: Fort Payne, Al

Directions: From Al 35- Take AL 176 South for approx. 1 mile. Parking area on the right just sfter the Lynn Overlook parking lot.

From Leesburg-Take Al 273 North to CR 275 on left. Take a left at Canyon Mouth Park and continue on CR275  for 11 miles to AL176. Bear right on 176 and go North past Mushroom Rock, parking area on left.

Trail Length: 1.8mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Beaver Pond Trail is the first hike we did along Little River Canyon. This trail is rated Moderate according to the map we picked up at the canyon center but we never figured out why. The entire trail is pretty flat with the exception of a few small ups and downs that are barely more than a few steps.

There’s a short lead in to the loop at which we headed right. After crossing a couple of footbridges we came to a junction that points to the actual observation deck at the actual Beaver Pond. We saw no beaver so we continued around the loop. We passed by several park benches and over a couple more footbridges before we ended up back at the start of the loop. There are no views of the canyon to be had here and it’s a little bit noisy as it is near the canyon road but there’s a lot of nice mossy ground.  We all enjoyed this trail. It makes for a nice easy walk in the woods.

Tags: Beaver Pond Trail, hiking near fort payne, hiking North Alabama, Little River Canyon hiking

Nearest Town: Fort Payne, Al                                 

Directions: From Al 35- Take AL 176 (canyon road) South

From Leesburg-Take Al 273 North to CR 275 on left. Canyon Mouth Park straight ahead or continue left onto CR275 to travel North through the canyon.

We haven’t had a whole lot to write about over the winter between traveling and projects around the house and we spent a lot of time doing some of our same old- same old favorite hikes that are close to home but we had perfect weather last Saturday and decided to get out and go somewhere we usually don’t go like Alabama.

We headed for Little River Canyon and it is decidedly one of the best things the state has to offer. The canyon drive is 20 some odd miles and offers many lookouts with some really great views and several short hikes along the way. We started at the North end and worked our way down.

The first trail we hiked along the way was the Beaver Pond Trail. Next we headed to Mushroom rock on the way to the Lower Two-Mile Trail. Then after stopping at several lookouts along the way we hit Eberhart Trail and ended at Canyon Mouth Trail.

The Canyon took all day because of all the stops and the four hikes but it was a day well spent. The kids got a lot of playtime in , we saw some awesome views, and enjoyed being able to do several hikes in a day. Well worth the trip.

Tags: hiking alabama, hiking trails in alabama, kayaking Alabama, Little River Canyon hiking, southeastern hiking, trails, waterfalls in alabama

Hidden Pond Songbird Trail

Nearest Town: Chatsworth, GA

Trailhead Location: South Parking Lot closest to entrance of Carters Lake Dam

Difficulty: Easy

Trail Marker: None

Trail Length: Less than 1 Mile

Parking Fee: None

Address/Contact Information: Reregulation Dam Recreation Area, Chatsworth, Georgia 30705 / Georgia DNR 706-295-6041

Directions: From Chatsworth, travel south on Old Hwy. 411 for about 15 miles. Turn left into the recreation area for the Carter’s Lake Reregulation Dam. Trailhead parking will be on your right directly after crossing the Coosawattee River.

From 5/515, Take 136 NW towards Carters Lake until fork (apx. 2.1 mi.). Fork right on 136 W and travel (11.2 mi.). Take a right on Old Hwy. 411 (0.7 mi.) Right into Re-regulation Dam Park.

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I broke my toe a couple weeks ago and yesterday was the first time out hiking since. I revisited the Carter’s Lake area for a short hike on the Hidden Pond Songbird Trail to start back in easy. This Corps of Engineers trail is short with very little elevation change and would be good for anyone in the area looking for a quick outing or a nice short hike with the family. I could see myself killing a couple hours sitting by the pond waiting to spot some wildlife with the kids. While I was there I attempted to snap some shots of  three little turtles that kept climbing up a log for some sun but seemed to scare them away every time.

There is plenty of wildlife to see in the area from the viewing areas along the banks of the pond. Blue herons, hawks, wild turkey, raccoon, opossum, white-tailed deer have all been spotted and one point or another.

Below is a shot of the dam where there is a park, picnic tables for day use which I imagine can get a little crowded during the warmer months. If your are an avid hiker looking for exercise this will not be challenging enough for you but all in all is a nice little walk in the woods. There are some longer trails in the area such as the Talking Rock Nature Trail and Big Acorn Nature Trail which you can access from the Carters Lake Visitor Center.

Tags: Big Acorn Nature Trail, carters lake hiking trails, Georgia Trails, hidden pond songbird trail, north georgia hiking trails, Talking Rock Nature Trail, trails near chatsworth, trails near talking rock