This was a recent trip that my friend, Katie and I went on mid-February 2020. As you can tell from the smile on our faces throughout this post, no we were not expecting this hike to be as epic as it was.
As you can tell in the photos we were here around sunset, which was odd for us because it was the second trip of the day and we were supposed to have another one right after. Somehow we lost track of time on the first hike, like 3 hours of it, and I’m not including the hour difference of the time zone between Chattanooga, where we started our day and our destinations in Alabama. Normally, I would have been upset, but the loss of time made me feel at peace. This means I was able to live in the moment even if it was only a few hours of my time. Time dictates my life and I find it difficult to get back in the mindset I’ve had while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.
The space behind the waterfall was remarkable. These photos actually do a justice in showing the vast amount of space behind the falls.
I saw a perfect opportunity for a photo – the sun setting, the waterfall, and Katie standing relatively in the right place, but not quite the right pose, though since we hike together a simple look and hand gesture was enough.
I would say it turned out alright, obviously way better in person, but I am still only using my phone to take these photos. Eventually, I’ll upgrade. I mostly can’t justify the price, especially with how nice smart phone camera software is now a days.
Managed to get the shot of the statue from top of the falls in the shot above. The statue is of a female Native American, likely named, “Noccalula” in relation to the name of the falls. The website seems to be a good source of information if your more interested in the story behind the name of this falls.
The sunset and the greenery all over set a mood, which is honestly hard to explain in words because I do not quite understand the feeling so I hope the photos make you feel the things I feel. ha
The title is more of an inside joke that Katie came up with, but I’ll explain: We were like, “why are there so many signs for the suspension bridge?” and Katie said, “to build the suspense.”
There were like 6-7 signs between the waterfall we had just went behind and the suspension bridge over a 1/4 mile stretch. If there was more daylight left, I would have gone back to take pictures to share the suspense. š
While we did lose 2-3 hours earlier from living in the moment, Katie and I agree that this time of day was perfect for this epic hike.
I mean look at this sunset… šš¤¤š
| Name | Noccalula Falls |
| Location | Gadsden, AL |
| Parking/Trailhead | 34.038597, -86.021630 34.042100, -86.021040 |
| Trail Name | Black Creek Trail (Bike/running trail) Suspension Bridge Trail (Main) |
| Hike Length | 1-2 miles (Balloon) |
