July 2019 - Huntsville Adventurer

Caney Creek Falls Trail

ATTENTION: (Update 8/9/2021) The guide underneath the attention section is for the old parking, which has had issues with being towed. I HAVE NOT been to the new location, but several people have suggested to park at a home here. Please note that this is PRIVATE PROPERTY and you are only allowed to park their if the owner is still allowing it. PLEASE respect the property as they are allowing you to go onto their land to get to Caney Creek Falls.

Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.7 miles
Entrance Fee: Free

Caney Creek Falls is a beautiful waterfall located in Bankhead National Forrest Southwest of Huntsville.

This area is part of dispersed recreation in Bankhead National Forest. There is NO MAINTAINED TRAIL. Please note that dispersed recreation sometimes has a "social trail" that you can follow. Some of these are easy to follow and some of them you cannot follow. Please note that these trails can change very quickly and may be easy to follow one season and completely overgrown the next. Always bring a map, compass, and GPS with you while hiking Bankhead National Forest.

If you are still using your phone for navigation. You should at least buy a power bank.

Bankhead Map
Buy a printed map here.

More Waterfalls

Caney Creek Trail is an hour and a half drive from Huntsville and is on the Southwest side of Bankhead National Forest.

Google Maps Caney Creek Falls Trailhead or look at our map above!

Trailhead

GPS coordinates mark this trailhead well, but the trail is not physically marked well. If it wasn’t for GPS we would have driven right past the parking spots. The trailhead is a logging road. The road is blocked off to vehicles, but it makes the hike very easy.
NOTE PLEASE READ: Bankhead National Forest does not have any recommended parking here. Bankhead does not own the property that we have tagged for parking, but the road is theirs and the waterfall is on Bankhead National Forest property. Typically roadways have 5ft on each side that are a part of the road owners that is your best bet for parking, but we are not sure if this would actually hold up in court if you are towed/ticketed. Please know that you are parking at your own risk.

Check out our Gear suggestions!
Summer Hiking Essentials
Summer Camping Essentials
Outdoor Sandal

Trail

The trail is well marked and easy to follow without any forks right until you get close to the waterfall. At that point you should be able to hear the falls and make your way down to the waterfall. If you can’t hear the falls, just head straight until you reach the top of the valley/short cliff face. You should be able to find an easy trail down to the waterfall.

Waterfall

The waterfall is at the bottom of the trail. Feel free to play in the waterfall and swim around. Be careful and look for snakes. When you get done, follow the trail back to the trailhead.

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Rainbow Mountain

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate depending on trail
Distance: 3.4 miles available

Rainbow Mountain is a small park in Madison owned by the Land Trust of North Alabama. You can download a trail map here.

Buy Land Trust Maps here

To get to Rainbow Mountain, Google Maps Rainbow Mountain or look at our map above!

Hike

Rainbow Mountain is mostly known for its hiking. The hiking here is absolutely beautiful with awesome rock formations including the famous “Balance Rock”. There is plenty of natural wildlife, beautiful vegetation, and hidden gems to explore. Take your time hiking and observe everything around you!

Summer Hiking Essentials
Summer Camping Essentials
Outdoor Sandal

Climb

There is limited bouldering on Rainbow Mountain. Huntsville area does not offer a ton of outdoor bouldering nearby, so Rainbow Mountain is a great place to get in some practice. Check out the routes on the Mountain Project.

Playground

The balanced rock is located along Balanced Rock Trail (surprise). It’s a really cool rock structure.

Playground

There is a small playground great for young children near the entrance. The playground is equipped with a toddler play area (shown), rocking horses, a couple of swings, and a bench. This is a great place to wear out your kids while your rest before or after a hike!