Hiking to Bethel Spring Falls: Trip Guide

JodyAlabama WaterfallsLeave a Comment

Bethel Springs Fall trip guide

The newly opened Bethel Spring Nature Preserve features an impressive waterfall at the end of an enjoyable, shaded hike east of Huntsville.

At a Glance

  • 0.4 mi round trip
  • Nice View
  • Great for Kids
  • Not for Dogs
Location: Near Gurley in Bethel Spring Nature Preserve Alabama (maps & directions)
Gear: Our favorite snacks and camera gear
Gallery: Check out the pictures here

Bethel Spring Falls – Trip Details

As a large family, we find renting a home for a night much more relaxing than a hotel, and it's so nice to have a place nearby to crash after a long day of hiking! You can find nice, affordable homes on Vrbo.

The Land Trust of Northern Alabama has been acquiring and preserving tracts of land in the Huntsville area for years, opening land for public recreational use for hiking, biking, and horse back riding.  The Bethel Spring Nature Preserve is a recent addition on the southern side of Keel Mountain made possible by sisters Doris McGee and Marcell Dean, who wanted to preserve the natural beauty of the land that had been in their family for generations after their death.

The cave below the falls – Paul’s Cave, one of three known to exist on the property, is listed on the Alabama Cave Survey as 1,338 feet in length and 334 feet in depth. It’s a great reminder of the fantastic caving available in the state and even some incredible waterfalls in Alabama caves!

bethel springs waterfall

Carpenter Trail, Falling Sink Trail, and Mill Trail form a 1.3 mile loop that visits the waterfall at the top of the mountain.  The waterfall itself is split as it comes down the mountain and goes underground until it reemerges at the base near the old mill site.

We chose to take the steeper Mill Trail up the mountain when our legs were fresh and to return on the gentler trails on the way back.  Since the trails are new, we saw quite a bit of poison ivy along the trail, but as long as you can identify it, you should be ok.

All in all, this is a great property, and we were really impressed with the scale of the waterfall at the top!

More Waterfalls around Bethel Spring Nature Preserve

If you’re looking for more places to explore nearby, Land Trust Falls is another NALT-owned waterfall close to Huntsville or Lost Sink Falls is a seasonal waterfall at the end of the hike on the nearby Keel Mountain Preserve.

Little River Falls Map, Directions, and Resources

  • Directions

    Get Directions
  • Parking

    Free
  • GPS Coordinates

    34.6143779,-86.3641401

Weather – Upcoming Forecast

GURLEY WEATHER

Other Resources

Park Website
Park Map

eBook Sample -

Download our pdf guide to Bethel Springs Falls

Get a copy that you can take with you no matter how poor the cell service is!
Guide

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *