Noccalula Falls

Just off US 11 in Gadsden you will find the town's main tourist attraction – the beautiful 90-foot Noccalula Falls.

The falls are created by the action of Black Creek. In fact, at one time this cascade was called Black Creek Falls. The name was changed in honor of the Native American princess who died here.

It is an age-old story: Princess Noccalula was known "far and wide for her beauty and loveliness of character." While many braves wanted to betroth Noccalula, her father had his eyes set on the son of a rich chief from another tribe for his daughter.

Meanwhile, Noccalula had fallen in love with a warrior from within her own tribe. Her father was so incensed that he drove the warrior from the tribe and forced the princess to marry the rich chief's son.

On her wedding day she was so grief stricken that it is said that the "rhythmic rushing of the waters of the falls called her." She stood at the edge of the chasm and jumped to her death. In remembrance of his daughter, her father renamed the falls. In the early 1990s a further tribute was paid to Noccalula as a statue was erected here, retelling the story for all.

While you can view the falls from above the magnificent bowl carved into the rocks below, the best way to take them in is to pay the admission to the park and hit the Gorge Trail. This is a short 1.5-mile loop that takes you down a steep set of steel stairs to the floor of the gorge.

The trail is blazed in yellow paint on trees and rocks but, unfortunately, they are not well maintained and for the most part are hard to see. The path is worn enough, however, so it is easy to follow.

All along the route the walls of the gorge tower above you until soon you will be at the base of the falls themselves, a magnificent sight anytime of the year but most especially from fall through spring when seasonal rains fill Black Creek and the cascade thunders down the rocks.

At this point the trail actually takes you behind the roaring cascade under an overhang carved by the water's action over the millennia. Be VERY cautious here! It goes without saying that the smooth rocks can be VERY slippery!

And that brings us to another safety reminder – stay away from the creek bank around the location of the falls. As the Gadsden police remind with signage, several drownings have occurred there. Play it safe!

The trail map provided at the park entrance shows numbers that correspond to points of interest. Some are marked, some are hard to find, but they tell the powerful history of the gorge and the inhabitants who lived in and around it for centuries.

Once you're done visiting the gorge, the park offers a more family / tourist-oriented atmosphere with a petting zoo, pioneer homestead, botanical garden, and gift shop.

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Trail Type:: 1.5-mile loop
Difficulty:: Moderate to Stenuous
Hours:: Open year-round, open weekdays 9am-5pm, weekends 9am-6pm.
Maps:: Available at the main gate.
Fees:: Admission to the park is $6 for adults.
Events:: Bluegrass in the Park (October), Christmas on the Rocks (December), and the "official" start of the "Longest Yard Sale" that stretches from Alabama to Kentucky (August). Contact the park for exact dates and times.