DeSoto Falls Loop

DeSoto Falls Loop visits the park's namesake waterfall, a powerful 110-foot plunge on Little River that drops through a deep gorge on Lookout Mountain's western face. DeSoto Falls is one of the most dramatic waterfalls in Alabama, forming where Little River drops abruptly off the edge of the mountain into a narrow gorge carved through Pennsylvanian sandstone and shale. The falls are named for Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who reportedly traveled through this region in 1540. The loop descends into the gorge via switchbacks, reaching an overlook platform positioned for a direct frontal view of the falls. The volume of water is highest after winter and spring rains, when the falls send a tremendous curtain of water crashing into the pool below. The surrounding gorge walls support lush communities of ferns, mosses, and moisture-loving wildflowers in the spray zone. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed many of the trails and facilities in DeSoto State Park during the 1930s, and some of the original stone steps and walls remain in use today. No entrance fee is charged. DeSoto State Park is located on Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama, adjacent to Little River Canyon National Preserve, one of the deepest river gorges in the eastern United States. The two areas together form a significant conservation landscape.