Little River Canyon: The Crowned Jewel
SideTracked Magazine 2008
by Adam Goshorn

While attending college in my native state of Virginia, my first exposure to Little River Canyon was reading an old guidebook where the author referred to it as “the crown jewel of Alabama.”
At the time I had never even been to Alabama and certainly had no idea that a few years later life would lead me to live and work a short distance away. Since moving to Alabama, Little River Canyon and its tributaries have become my home runs and the center of my kayaking life.
Although my travels and kayaking experiences have continued to expand, Little River Canyon remains one of my all time favorites. Despite how many times I have traveled through it’s spectacular gorge, I never seem to tire of the quality rapids and amazing scenery.
The management of Little River Canyon was transferred from Desoto State Park to the National Park Service with the establishment of Little River Canyon National Preserve in 1992. The preserve was established to provide protection for the canyon and manage recreational use. This was a potentially scary change in management for paddlers because historically the National Park Service has had an interesting relationship with the whitewater community to say the least. Unbeknownst to much of the general public, whitewater paddling is not allowed in most national parks. Anyone wanting to take advantage of the endless paddling potential in Yosemite, Yellowstone, or many other national parks is forbidden to do so. These supposedly “public lands” are closed to boating.
Luckily for everyone, whitewater paddling is allowed in Little River Canyon. Perhaps it is because paddlers had been utilizing Little River Canyon for two decades prior to the establishment of the preserve, but for whatever reason the National Park Service has not only allowed paddling, but embraced it, showcasing kayaking photos on their brochures, signs and website.
All of northern Alabama has a wide range of great whitewater resources, but it is Little River Canyon that is the center of the Alabama paddling community. Little River Canyon contains something for paddlers of every skill level. There are various options for accessing the river at different points to provide paddling opportunities ranging in difficulty from class II (beginner) to class V (expert).
Hiking into the river via Powell Trail accesses the easiest section of river, best suited for beginners. From Powell Trail to Canyon Mouth Park beginners can enjoy roughly four miles of class II whitewater and get a taste of the beautiful scenery in the canyon. Paddlers sometimes refer to this section as “The Bottom Four” since it is the four miles of the river located the farthest downstream in the canyon.
For advanced beginners and intermediate paddlers the river is usually accessed via the trail at Eberhart Point. This trail is also known as the chairlift trail because Eberhart Point was once the site of a cable driven chairlift that took tourists from the canyon rim down to river level. This section, combined with the section downstream of Powell Trail is called the “Chairlift Section” and provides six miles of class II-III+ paddling with one class IV rapid that can be portaged along the river right bank by less experienced paddlers.
While paddlers have always called the two miles upstream of Eberhart Point the “Upper Two,” it is accessed via a trail the park service has labeled the “Lower Two Mile.” Whatever you call it, this two-mile section contains numerous class III-IV rapids for the advanced intermediate paddler to enjoy. Paddlers running the Upper Two could paddle all the way out to Canyon Mouth Park, but more commonly exit the canyon by using Powell Trail or the trail at Eberhart Point. Upstream of the Upper Two section lies the most difficult section of the Little River, known as the “Suicide Section.”
The so called Suicide Section gets its nickname from the early days of river exploration where the limitations of gear and skill led some paddlers to believe this upper section of the canyon to be unrunnable. However as techniques, skills and gear progressed, this section became a favorite for advanced and expert paddlers. The Suicide Section begins at Little River Falls and is usually combined with the Upper Two to provide paddlers five miles of class III-V rapids before taking out at Eberhart Point. Depending on the water level and your skills, Suicide Section begins either above or below Little River Falls.
The thirty-five foot falls are the beginning of the canyon and are located just downstream of the bridge where Alabama Route 35 crosses the Little River. While the little river will often rise to a runnable level after good rains any time of year, it is most reliable from the middle of the fall until late spring. A large watershed helps it remains at runnable levels more days a year than many southeastern rivers. The paddler’s river level gauge located on the river left bridge support and provides river level readings (measured in feet and inches) that allow paddlers to know when the river is too high or low, as well as what to expect in the rapids below since the river is very different at different water levels.
Anyone attempting any section of Little River Canyon should be familiar with the appropriate water levels and have the prerequisite skills to do so. While Little River Canyon is a great place for whitewater paddling there are many dangers that lurk throughout its length. Little River Canyon may no longer be a “cutting edge” run, but its rapids remain beautiful, challenging and often humbling, even for those who paddle there regularly. For over thirty years paddlers have been exploring the rivers and creeks of this region, yet Little River Canyon is still and will remain “the crown jewel of Alabama.”