(TV and Radio program links below) Walking the rocky grounds of Noccalula Falls Park takes me to a very special place in time. I grew up just a few blocks from the park, attended R. A. Mitchell elementary school across the street. (Mitchell donated the land for the park) Over the years its been a treat to watch this gem of North Alabama develop and grow for the enjoyment of all. Now with over 400 ac. of land on both sides of Black Creek, the park includes the one of the highest single drop (90’) water falls in Alabama, a large 130 site RV Park with full hookups, a group camp ground, a Children’s Zoo, Grist Mill, historic Gilliland covered Bridge, a pioneer village, botanical garden, a world class miniature golf facility, Rental Cabins, a Wedding Chapel, large meeting facilities – open and indoor, and memorials to all of Etowah Counties veterans. And, there’s a narrow gauge train, replica 1863 C. P. Huntington, for getting around the park to see it all! Best of all, while there is a modest fee to enter the gardens and pioneer village, the Falls itself is open to public, no charge. The RV park is a steal at less than $30 a night for full hookups – including WIFI.
All this at a City funded and maintained park – only minutes from downtown.
The park has come a long way since I explored the canyon below the Falls. For us, swimming in the creek and exploring the ravines and caves that line the 2 mile long gorge kept us busy most every summer. The legend of Noccalula, a native American Cherokee princess, betrothed by her father to a stranger, who threw herself over the falls rather than marry for convenience, haunted us at days end as the shadows grew long in the canyon below the falls. With a little imagination you could hear her fathers tears in the thundering roar of the falls after a spring rain. He named the Falls – Noccalula (black water)!
To commemorate the legend, in the late 1960’s, local school children collected pennies to be melted and mixed into bronze for a larger than life statue of the Princess, depicting her leaping off the south rim of the canyon.
There are other sights and sounds of legend in the caves and on the walls along the trails below the falls. If you have time to take the 2 mi long gorge trail you will see what I mean! Expansion plans include extending the trail as a bike path along the creek, all the way to the center of town some 5 miles down stream, eventually all the way to the Coosa River.
At the mouth of the canyon stands a small monument to Emma Sansom, a brave 16 year old, who on a hot summer day in May of 1863, took saddle behind Gen Nathan Bedford Forrest CSA – despite her mothers screams of protest – and while under heavy rifle and pistol fire from Col A. D. Streight’s “Jackass Calvary” – entrenched on the Rome side of Black Creek – lead Gen. Forrest and his men to a little known ford across the creek. Streight had burned the only bridge for miles and was headed for Rome. Successfully fording the creek with horse and cannon, Forrest and his Calvary unit continue to pursue Streight’s mule borne militia and thwarted an attack on the rail head at Dalton and Rome.
Forrest apparently shared his knowledge of the area with another well known CSA Calvary officer – Fightin’ Gen. Joe Wheeler. Legend has it that during the war, Wheeler would hole up in the Canyon below the Falls, rest his men and horses, and occasionally host a party in the protection of the shear walls of the gorge. Wheeler’s exploits during the Civil, and later the Spanish American Wars are legendary – 36 of his staff officers killed or wounded around him – more than sixteen horses were shot out from under him – wounded at least three times and yet he fought on and survived to become one of Alabama’s favorite post civil war congressmen. Wheeler died in 1906 and is one of only two Confederate General Officers buried at Arlington National Cemetery – in honor of his later service to the country in Cuba and the Philippines – where his command included no less than the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.
Stand under the falls on any cool fall morning and you can hear the clamor of Wheeler’s Calvary racing up the valley to Chattanooga, Shiloh, Tullahoma, and beyond.
Above the falls on the south side of the creek (main entrance) the city has collected and restored a number of late 1800 structures. The Reese-Gilliland Covered bridge is one of my favorites. The bridge, built in 1899, originally spanned Little Wills Creek five miles or so north of the falls on what was then Bethany Gap Road. A favorite spot to stop for water from an nearby cold water spring, rest the horses (or later the T model) on the long trip to Bridgeport, Fort Payne, or Chattanooga. The bridge was abandoned when Reeseville (now Noccalula) Road was improved and relocated prior to WWII. As I remember, the creek below the bridge was deep and cold and a rope swing made it another summer favorite. The spring was still clear, cold, and sweet in the late 1950’s. In the mid 60’s, the construction of Interstate 59 thru Little Wills valley, threatened the bridge and destroyed the spring. The Gilliland family donated the bridge to the City of Gadsden. It was moved to the park in 1967 and restored, although not totally faithful to its original Towne Lattice design. My initials are carved on one of the main beams under the bridge somewhere – not easy to do .. hanging from a rope in your birthday suit!
In the spring, the Falls Botanical Garden featuring native flowering plants and trees burst into bloom. Dogwoods in the park are spectacular. The pavilions and meeting facilities are crowded (book well in advance) with family reunions, Easter Egg hunts, and lazy summer picnickers. Most recently, the city added a world class miniature golf facility designed to blend in with the surroundings and challenge its visitors. Just try to get in on a summer Saturday night.
Special events at the park include Christmas at the Falls (500,000 pc light show and Santa’s work shop), Classic Car and Street Rod Show, the Worlds longest Yard Sales (starts here), and a mid summer, nationally sanctioned Bar-B-Q Cook off. And if there’s not enough to keep you busy at the Falls park, it’s only minutes to first Friday – Gadsden’s monthly downtown block party sponsored by the city on the first Friday evening of the month; Trade Day, every Saturday at Collinsville and a host of other events in the surrounding communities.
Weiss Lake (the world’s best Crappie fishin’) is only minutes away, and the Large Mouth Bass on Neely Henry Lake (Coosa River Gadsden) fight like Joe Wheeler himself. If you prefer Golf, stops on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail are nearby.
The RV park is located across Black Creek on the north rim of the canyon. Nestled under a stand of long leaf pines, the RV park is comfortable, quiet, a great place for big rigs, a pop up or a tent. In addition to walking and climbing trails connecting to the main park, there is a play ground and swimming pool for small children. It’s a top rated Good Sam Park with complete hook ups and pulls thru’s for those who need them. Despite the numerous tall pines, there are no low hanging limbs to damage your AC units and roads are well laid out to facilitate the movement of trailers and motor coaches. Call ahead, because this park does fill up on most weekends and during special events – like the Mayor’s fishing tournament.
The RV park is less than 3 mi off of Interstate 59. (note I59 is in bad shape as of my last trip – however old US 11, parallels 59 from FT Payne to Springville and is in GOOD shape. - Save your rig a beating and jump over on old US 11 for that stretch. – LW)
Listen to my interview with the park superintendent, Janet Tarrance, and catch the video on Blue Ridge Web TV and Radio below.
Contact Janet or her staff at 256-549-4663 or 256-543-7412 (RV park) – for more information and reservations.
For more information on the park and surrounding area go here.
1) Bennett H. Young, Confederate Wizards of the Saddle, 1914; reprint, Kennesaw, Ga.: Continental Book Co., 1958
2) John P. Dyer, From Shiloh to San Juan: The Life of “Fightin’ Joe” Wheeler (Southern Biography) (Paperback)
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