This is a view of the Little Falls section of Little River Canyon National Preserve near Fort Payne, Ala. The area, atop Lookout Mountain, was created by congressional act in 1992 and boasts almost 14,000 acres of protected wilderness.MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Chance Bishop said he makes the roughly 180-mile trip to the Little River Canyon National Preserve three or four times a year to test his skills against the rapids.
Located in the northeast corner of Alabama near Fort Payne, the preserve offers forested uplands, bluffs, waterfalls, sandstone cliffs and the canyon that gives the park its name. Little River runs 30 miles atop Lookout Mountain, making it the longest mountaintop river in the nation, said Troy Mueller, the preserve’s chief ranger.
Little River Canyon Preserve is the most popular of the state’s national parks. Last year about 120,000 people visited the preserve, Mueller said. And with school out for the summer and tourism heating up with the weather, Mueller expects those numbers will improve.
The river brings whitewater enthusiasts to the park from across the country, said Bishop, 32, of Montgomery.
“It’s easy to get to, and once you get in the park, you feel like you are miles away from everything,” he said. Little was kayaking recently on the Coosa River, just to the north of the Capital City. “Little River is a challenge; there’s good rapids there. I wouldn’t advise beginners to try it.”