Thompson Falls

Thompson Falls

NOTE: This *might* be on private property. I really don’t know. I’ve heard yes and no and I was not able to find out definitively. The person I asked said that it is private property, but that everyone visits the falls and the property owner doesn’t mind. There were no signs asking not to trespass. 

Where? Arab, Alabama approximate coordinates 34.3146153, -86.4182756 It’s located on Thompson Falls Drive, Guntersville, Al 35976. From Thompson Falls Road, you will turn onto Thompson Falls Drive and less than 1/2 mile down this road, you will see a dirt road pull out to your left. Park there and you will hear the falls from the road.

Trail Length? Very short. You can hear the falls as soon as you park.

How hard are we talkin’? Park and follow the path up the hill and around to the left where you will see a bridge that is out. Cross over where the bridge used to be and follow the well worn path to the bottom of the falls. We hopped across and down all the way to the bottom by walking through the water and jumping on rocks.

Can I swim here? It was frozen when we were there so swimming wasn’t on the brain, but yes I can see where people would be able to swim and wade here. It’s not very deep, but it would be very fun for small kids to splash around in.

Any other details? There are three levels to these falls. The first is a beautiful cascade. This leads to two more drop falls. I think you would need a drone to photograph the whole thing at once because it’s such a large drop overall. There are beautiful cliffs surrounding the falls. When you get to the bottom and you are ready to leave, you can either climb back up the way you came or walk up the very, very, very steep hill in to your right. We chose the latter and it’s a leg burner, but it’s definitely the shorter path. If it’s muddy, I wouldn’t take that route. We took a 3 year old with us when we went, but he rode on shoulders the almost the whole time. It’s not something a small child could navigate by themselves. There is also not an area for you to sit and chill while the little ones play. My teenagers love it, but they also don’t require adult supervision.

Leave no trace: This place had it’s fair share of weird garbage that had washed in. Coke bottles, a walker with a toilet on it like you see in home health or hospitals, a piece of a lawnmower, etc. This place is not maintained, so please take everything with you.

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