Talledega National Forest: High Falls
Last updated: August 21, 2023
A trip to Alabama to explore Cheaha State Park offered more bang for our buck as it is adjacent to Talledega National Forest which means more hiking options! I was grateful for the list of recommended trails given to us by the Cheaha State Park visitor center. They highlighted the three below to show their top recommendations for shortest hikes with big payoffs. They did not steer me wrong!
Talledega (yes, the same Talledega as Talledega Nights) National Forest is 392,566 acres, is part of the Appalachian Mountains, and contains Alabama’s highest point. It is one of the four national forests within Alabama. Before being bought by the federal government in the 1930s, the forest was one of the most abused and eroded wastelands in all of Alabama, but I can tell you that you certainly wouldn’t know that now!
Since we arrived on Saturday afternoon, we wanted to squeeze in at least one hike before it got dark so we stopped in at the Cheaha State Park Visitor Center and were supplied with several maps. One recommendation was High Falls and we decided to give it a shot since it boasted three waterfalls within a short distance and therefore seemed to offer the most with the limited time we had before nightfall. I am very pleased we went with this hike! I mean, just look at that waterfall!
These stairs were quite steep! We wound up having to carry Miss Sadie Lady down as her confidence in hiking and heights in general is still low. She’s improving with each hike, but we still have a while to go. Buddy on the other hand was a mountain goat in a previous life and manages all hiking obstacles gracefully and effortlessly (plus, he’s been hiking with me for 13 years now!). This is slowly becoming more challenging for him as he ages and gains weight, but who am I to judge?
When leaving the Cheaha Visitor Center, we followed these directions and it took us straight to the High Falls Trailhead:
Turn right on Hwy 281 South, traveling approximately 6 miles to the end of Hwy 281. Turn left onto Blue Ridge Road (County Road 107) and travel 3 miles until the road ends at County Road 12. Turn left on County Road 12 and travel 1 ½ miles to Forest Road 650 on the left. Turn left and follow the road until it ends at the High Falls Trailhead. Follow the trail located on the right for approximately ¼ mile to High Falls.
There’s a total of 3 falls, so be sure NOT to stop at the first waterfall!
While not planned, heading out an hour before sunset provided a beautiful sunset hike… even the waterfall had a red glow due to the hue of the sky reflecting off the rocks… I was awestruck.
Hands down my favorite photo of the day. As beautiful as the waterfall was, nothing can beat this view.
In retrospect, I think we did this hike backward and was lucky to have found all the waterfalls… each discovery was a bit of a surprise and left us wondering how we’d stumbled upon each one. We followed the markers the best we could but at times we were guessing (like in this photo) and I’d be sure we were off trail and then we’d find something that confirmed we were on the right track. For example, we found stairs five minutes after this was taken. Should we have gone this way to get to the stairs? Not sure….
I’m a bit of a waterfall fanatic, so this hike was right up my alley. Check out our next-day adventures at Pulpit Rock and Bald Rock Overview within Cheaha State Park.
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