July 2020 - Huntsville Adventurer

White Creek Falls

What you need to know

Parking

Map It

Difficulty

Off-Trail, Difficult to Find

Point of Interest

Map to POI

Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 6 miles roundtrip
Entry Fee: Free

Upper and Lower White Falls is a secluded waterfall in the Bankhead National Forest. You will follow mostly marked trails but it is partially off-trail.

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.

Find nearby hikes:
Mize Mill and Turkeyfoot Falls
Kinlock Falls
Parker Falls

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White Creek Falls is located an hour and a half’s drive southwest from Huntsville. It is located in Bankhead National Forest

Parking for here is at Randolph Trailhead. Google “Randolph Trailhead Bankhead National Forest” or click here for directions!

Trailhead/Parking Lot

The parking lot is well marked. The trailhead is well marked with a trail map at the entrance. There are several spots for parking. Be sure to follow the trail directly behind the trailhead marked “201”

201/202 Split

After a short hike through the woods, 201 and 202 merge on a gravel access road. After maybe a couple of hundred yards the trails split again. The gravel road is marked as 202 and the single trail that goes off into the woods is 201. Follow 201 into the woods.

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201/209 Intersection

After 2.2 miles you will hike to the intersection of 201 and 209. Follow 209 down the hill. You will come to a river. Turn right and follow the river downstream. When you turn at the river you will be off official trails. There are social trails here, but they are much more difficult to navigate. Be sure to bring a map and/or GPS for navigating off-trail.

Campsites

Along the river, there are a couple of campsites for overnight camping.

Big Joes Falls

Joes Falls is located before you get to Lower White Creek Falls. Facing upstream, it will be in a valley to your right. It will be the only stream flowing down to White Creek before you see Lower White Creek Falls.

GPS Coordinates: 34.314345, -87.467410

Lower White Creek Falls

You will follow the river until you come across a stream. The stream is White Creek. Follow this creek upstream. It will lead you to the bottom of Lower White Creek Falls. Bring a map or use GPS.

GPS Coordinates: 34.313148, -87.467160

Upper White Creek Falls

Upper White Creek Falls is not easily accessible. You will need to find your way around and up the hill. You start in an amphitheater with steep cliffs all around. You can go up and around either way. I went (facing upstream) to the left, but it looked like the to the right had social trails leading up there as well. The area is beautiful and the Valentine’s Pool looks deep! Go out the way you came in.

GPS Coordinates: 34.313042, -87.467170

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Machine Falls

Difficulty: Moderate – Difficult
Distance: 1-mile round trip
Entry Cost: Free

Machine Falls is a beautiful unique waterfall in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Be sure to stop by Jack Daniel’s Distillery located down the road!

Find nearby hikes:
Rutledge Falls
Foster Falls
Walls of Jericho

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Machine Falls is located an hour and a half North of Huntsville near Tullahoma, TN.

Google Machine Falls or click the map above!

Parking Lot / Trailhead

There are plenty of parking spots next to the water tower. The parking lot itself holds a couple of dozen cars but was full when I went and people were parking along the street.

Trails

Follow “Machine Falls Loop” from the parking lot. The trails are well marked and well maintained. The hard part of this hike is going down and up a steep hill. There are staircases along the way to help you through the hardest parts.

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Machine Falls

Machine Falls is a beautiful waterfall. The water depth depends on water flow, but it appears the water won’t hold more than knee-deep and still be navigable. Head up the ledge on the right for a better view but be careful! The ground is not stable!

Busby Falls

This picture is taken from above Busby Falls, but from the bottom, you can find the bottom of this waterfall easily. Be sure to check out both Machine Falls and Busby Falls when you are in the canyon!

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Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

Difficulty: Easy
Fee: Free

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge spanning down the Tennessee River from Huntsville to Decatur. There are multiple places to park and multiple hikes available.

Find nearby hikes:
Beaverdam Swamp Boardwalk
Rock House Cave

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Triana Boat Ramp

Parking: Here

What’s here: Free boat ramp, short hikes, and fishing

Walkway

The path is super easy to follow. There are several different trails available here and plenty of pretty lakes.

Beaverdam Swamp

Parking: Here

What’s here: Guide

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Deer Skull Falls

Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 4 miles
Fee: Free

Deer Skull Falls is a secluded Waterfall in Bankhead National Forest. There are several other waterfalls along this creekbed so be sure to explore!

This guide is vague on purpose. These waterfalls are hard to find and you must be comfortable not following a trail to find them. The best way to find these waterfalls is by using GPS coordinates and planning your trip using a cartographic map, compass, and GPS.

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

Bankhead Map
Buy a printed map here.

Find nearby hikes:
White Creek Falls
Parker Falls
Kinlock Falls

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Deer Skull Falls is located southwest of Huntsville in Bankhead National Forest.

The parking lot is located along County Road 60. The closest landmark on Google Maps is Wolfpen Campground. Click here for directions to the parking lot.

Parking

There is a small pull-off lot available for a few cars. There are two trails from the parking lot. To get to Eagle Creek Falls, while facing the woods from the road, take the left trail (it is pretty much straight when you enter the parking lot).

Trail

The “path” I took isn’t super easy to follow. Be prepared for bushwhacking your way there. You will pass several waterfalls along the way (see interactive map above). I highly suggest bringing a map, compass, and GPS for this trek. You will need to follow the creekbed and will have to cut over the creek several times on the way to the waterfall.

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Deer Skull Falls

GPS Coordinates: 34.297241, -87.444089

You will walk right up to the bottom of two waterfalls. When you hit the main branch you can take a left and then follow the next creekbed you find on the right up to Hemlock Falls (on the map).