DeSoto State Park: Indian Falls

I don't know about you, but there are times that I have an intense desire to get out in nature. It restores my soul. It could be cabin fever -- having been cooped up all week with a baby who has had off and on low-grade fevers {most likely due to teething} –– but mostly I think that I just need to be outside, enjoying God's creation.

We settled on DeSoto State Park in the Little River Canyon National Preserve since it is within an hour of our house and we hadn't been since I was 23-weeks pregnant with Jack. On that particular trip, we hiked a 3.5 loop to see Laurel Falls and Lost Falls. It was summertime and water levels were low, so there wasn't a lot to see.

On this hike, we just did a quick in and out, totaling 2 miles, on the DeSoto Scout Trail {marked DST with a YELLOW blaze}. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow. We didn't find it overly strenuous -- even carrying a baby and hiking with our dog.

This hike took us to Indian Falls and down into the canyon to follow the Little River where there were numerous rapids. I think this trail would be great for accessing swimming holes in the summer.

Daniel and I imagined what it would be like to run the various rapids {though our canoe is probably too big, a smaller, inflatable kayak would work better}.

It was nice to get out in nature and spend time as a family. I look forward to when Jack is big enough that we could go mountain biking or do an overnight backpacking trip {we hope to do a backpacking trip when the weather warms up}. We are looking forward to more visits to DeSoto State Park and the Little River Canyon in the future.

 

Little River Canyon

This morning Daniel and I agreed that today would be a good day to take a hike. I did a bit of research and found that there were some good trails just outside of Fort Payne, AL in the Little River Canyon and at Desoto State Park. We decided to head to the Little River Falls first and then decide from there what we wanted to do.

The Little River Falls are a 45-foot fall with a pretty good flow over the top. Luckily it was a little overcast and there were not many people there. In the summer I am sure this is a busy place because at the bottom of the falls there is a decent swimming hole.

Daniel and Sophie enjoyed roaming around the top of the falls.

Afterward we decided to drive the scenic route in the canyon instead of hiking. The main reason we didn't end up doing a real hike was because the arch of my left foot has been bothering me since the half marathon last week.

The canyon was really pretty – we would definitely come back here in the fall to see the leaves change. 

On the way to the canyon we drove through Rainsville, AL and the damage from the storms was pretty bad. It made us realize how lucky we were in our area of Alabama.