Alabama has some really great waterfalls. Some of these waterfalls are a bit smaller (and less visited), such as Lost Falls and Indian Falls. Others such as DeSoto Falls and Little River Falls are more impressive, but also more frequented. Noccalula Falls “falls” into the second category, and of all the falls I’ve seen in Alabama, I have to say it was the busiest of the bunch.
Noccalula Falls is on the northern edge of Gadsden, and because it’s so easy to visit, it’s unlikely you’ll be alone. I visited on a rainy day. It wasn’t particularly warm out (though by Michigan standards, it was to me), and yet there were still many others viewing the falls. At 90′ tall, it’s not difficult to understand why so many people would be attracted to it. Since the rain was consistent during my visit, it also led to a pretty high water volume.
The falls can be viewed from both sides, and I would recommend getting shots from each vantage point. Different aspects of the falls pop out depending on the angle. Next to the falls is a park that has other features of interest. That portion of the park was not open when I visited in mid-January, and that threw me off. You do not need to enter that part of the park to view the falls. (The city of Gadsden website does mention a $6 entrance fee for the park…I don’t remember this from my visit? Maybe since the other part of the park was closed, nobody was there to collect…) Even with an entrance fee, it’s absolutely worth it!
Directions:
- There are a number of ways to get to these falls since they’re in a city…so here’s one way (if coming from I-59). From I-59, take exit 188.
- Head south along AL-211 (also known as the Noccalula Parkway). Drive for about 2.5 miles, and the parking area for Noccalula Falls will be on your right. (There was another parking area further down, but that seemed to be for the other portion of the park I didn’t want to visit.)
- It’s pretty hard to miss the falls from the parking area…
Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 90′
Hike: negligible
Noccalula Falls in January 2016
Where in the World is Noccalula Falls?
The Waterfall Record 