DeSoto Resort State Park 's
Hiking Trails
DeSoto State Park has approximately 15 miles of hiking trails. Terrain varies from easy to strenuous.
Trail maps and hiking information can be found at the Lodge, Country Store, & Nature Center.
Call 256.845.0051 or email desotostpk@mindspring.com for more info on trails.
Azalea Cascade Boardwalk Trail
ADA-Assessable
The Azalea Cascade Boardwalk Trail was planned and built through a community effort. Grants and donations paid for the materials used to build the trail. It was constructed by the Alabama State Parks Maintenance Crew.
The Boardwalk is a 360-yard trail that can be enjoyed and traveled by people of all abilities. No matter what the season, the boardwalk gives the hiker a unique perspective of the surrounding habitat.
A 20-foot octagon deck at the end of the trail places you over the pool created by the Azalea Cascade. A mid-April walk encircles you with the fragrant aroma of wild azaleas.
Be sure to enjoy the breath taking views from the Boardwalk Trail for yourself!
Wildflower Season usually ranges from March-November.
Several Seasonal Waterfalls can be found on the trails of
DeSoto State Park.
Laurel Falls-This small but beautiful waterfall can
be found off of the orange trail and falls about 6 feet. Laurel Falls is about 0.75 miles
from DeSoto's Country Store and the trail is rugged & moderate with some uphills.
Lost Falls-this waterfall is the hardest to find in DeSoto State Park,
mostly because when no water is flowing, it is truly lost! The best time to see this small
5 foot waterfall is in the spring or fall seasons. Lost Falls is located about 1.5 miles
from DeSoto’s Country Store and terrain can be moderate to mildly
strenuous.
Indian Falls-This interesting waterfall falls about 20 feet into a small ravine, located
just across the road from the Azalea Cascade Trailhead. Indian Falls is about 0.1 miles
from the trailhead and is easily reached over a small footpath.
Lodge
Falls-This easy to find waterfall is
located just behind DeSoto's Lodge. Lodge Falls drops about 25 feet and is very
water-level dependent. The best view point of this waterfall is reached by hiking down
into a small ravine, getting on the yellow trail for a short distance, and looping around
to come back out to the Lodge.
Laurel Creek-a small creek that flows downstream and forms Lost Falls, Laurel Falls,
Azalea Cascade, and Indian Falls. Small Laurel Creek then connects with Little River.
Little
River-Little River is one of the few
rivers in America that flows almost its entire length on top of a mountain. This clean
waterway forms in NW Georgia & NE Alabama and flows down the middle of Lookout
Mountain, leaving the mountain at Little River Canyon Mouth Park and flowing into Weiss
Lake in Cherokee County, Alabama.DeSoto Falls, which is upriver from the main part of
DeSoto State Park, forms when Little River falls over 100 feet into a gorge.The West fork
of Little River flows downstream through the park, goes through the Wilderness Area of
Little River Canyon National Preserve, and then falls over Little River Falls, dropping
down into Little River Canyon. Swimming, wading, and fly fishing are just some of the
popular activities in Little River as it flows throughout DeSoto State Park.
Call 256.845.0051 for more trail information.
Access to Alabama State Parks and State Park Programs is available without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex or disabilities