Turkey Foot Falls and Mize Mill Falls
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: Less than 0.5 miles roundtrip
Entry Fee: Free
Turkey Creek Falls and Mize Mills Falls are two beautiful waterfalls within a few hundred yards of each other. These waterfalls are located in the Bankhead National Forest.
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:
Eagle Creek Falls
Parker Falls
White Creek Falls
Its fall and you need to hike. Grab this gear.
Mize Mills Falls and Turkey Foot Falls are located an hour and 15 minute drive southwest from Huntsville. It is located in Bankhead National Forest
You cannot just Google these falls for parking, click here for directions!
Parking Lot
There really isn’t a “parking lot” here, just a pull-off next to a dirt road (dirt road is to the right the car in the picture). There is only enough room for a couple of cars.
Trailhead/Trail
The trailhead is not marked whatsoever. You can barely see the trail from the other side of the road (if you can at all). In winter you may even be dropping into the woods without a sign of a trail. To the right of the trail is a sign on a tree reading “Wildlife Management Area”, a wooden post with a few numbers on it (the “4” was about fallen off but it read “417L 13” when we were there), and a small electrical box reading “Caution Buried Cable”. The trail was about 8 ft to the left of these markers. The trail will drop down a hill and you can follow it through the woods. The river is nearby. If you cannot find the trail, just follow the river which is located down the hill and to the left. The trail will take you to a scramble down. Take the scramble down.
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Summer Hiking Essentials
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Outdoor Sandal
Mize Mills Falls
After you take the scramble down, you can head downstream to Turkey Foot Falls or continue down the hill taking another scramble down. After you get down to the river, you will need to cross the river and head back upstream to get to Mize Mills Falls. You should be able to hear the waterfall (if it is flowing) almost the entire time after you drop into the woods from the road.
Turkey Foot Falls
To get to Turkey Foot Falls, follow the creek downstream. You can follow either side (or in the water if you want!). Looking downstream, the left-hand side does not have a scramble to go up, but the right-hand side offers an even trail after you scramble up the hill. We suggest going down the left-hand side to get there and coming back on the other side (if you are not planning on visiting Mize Mills Falls again). You will exit the woods the same way you came in.
Camping
There are primitive campsites at the bottom of both falls. To our knowledge, there are no fees or registration associated with backcountry camping in Bankhead National Forest and it is first come first serve basis.
Alternate Route
There is an alternate route to get to Turkey Foot Falls and Mize Mills Falls. Park at the Sipsey Wilderness Recreational Area. Parking is $3 per car. Go across the small 1 lane bridge (not the main bridge) and find the trailhead on the right. You can follow this trail for about a mile to both waterfalls. I hear this is an easy trail and does not involve any scrambles to get to the falls.
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