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Gadsden, AL

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Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds

4.3 (103 reviews)
Open • 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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Petting farm
Stephanie F.

Noccalula Falls is one of my favorite spots in north Alabama. The story goes that a Native American princess threw herself from the top of the falls after being forbidden to marry the man she loved. I've heard this tale my whole life (my dad grew up near here) though who really knows if it's true. The park is in Gadsden, AL, just off I-59, and it's easy to spend a whole afternoon there. You can see the falls for free and enjoy the picnic areas and playgrounds. For $10 you can ride the little train that circles the park, which is a fun way to see the historic buildings, pretty landscaping, and even a small petting farm. If you visit around November or December, the park transforms with over a million lights. There's also a nice trail that leads to the bottom of the falls if you like to hike or just want to sit on the rocks. (No swimming allowed, though.) Before you go to the park, be sure stop by the nearby bakery, where my friend's niece is the baker But go early as they sell out fast!

Owen C.

My group said we should go to this event that I had never been to. We drove up from Birmingham that evening and spent so many hours there walking around together and riding that tiny train once too. I was surprised the whole time bc it was not something I would think to care about except for taking my kids to when they little many years ago. However it was actually so enjoyable and neat to be at. It is filled with so many people clearly for a reason. I'd recommend anyone go to it even if they think it's not their type of thing. It is very cool for sure. Also, the last thing we did was hop on that little train( which I didn't care to do at all without little kids with me) yet it was a shocker how that man driving the train who shares about all things throughout the event that you get to see again from a different view on that train...he was super awesome. I actually would have ridden that train and listened to that man over and over and over again. He was fun to hear from. It is not super expensive so do not resist to do it. Gather up your group or just you and your spouse or for take your kids if they are still young. This is for sure a fun enjoyable thing to go see.

Sue W.

If you are coming south on 59, Google maps will take you on few mile, curvy, hilly, narrow road. It's fine if you take your time. We had no issues towing our 28 ft Airstream. Tidbit - don't miss the entrance to the campground at the bottom of the hill on the right. We passed it the first time and ended up in the general parking area for Nocculula Falls. The check-in lady was nice and very efficient. The sites are long with concrete pads and gravel drives. There is nice spacing between the sites. Most of the sites are back in with a handful of pull-thrus. There are trees but no shade at the sites. The WIFI did not work for us. The laundry and bathrooms are in the same building. There are about 6 total machines. They also have a pool. Everything was nice and clean. Noccalula Falls has a lot more water than I expected. You can view it from the top or you can take a well worn dirt/rock path down to the bottom. It isn't well marked but following others footsteps worked for us. It would be nice to have markers so you know how close you are getting. We were just passing through so we only spent one night. A bit on the pricey side once taxes and fees are tacked on.

Demetria R.

I'm an Alabamian and had no idea this place existed! I'm sure, learned of this story in Alabama history but never knew this was an actual place. I was on a road trip and decided I wanted to see a waterfall. I was not disappointed. The nice ladies at the visitor center informed me of all the activity around the park and answered all my questions. Those ladies are wonderful!!! I explained that I was on a road trip and would be back for the train tour. They told me to walk across the bridge and I could get a good view of the waterfall without the tour. Thank you ladies! Wow! This place is great! I will definitely be back and plan on bringing family and friends with me!!

Front of building
Jacob M.

Nice sightseeing hike. I have 4 kids under 6. This hike is doable but it will take a long time. They have a train and a gift shop. The area is really big so unless you plan on walking long distances it is not for the weak. Especially mid day in the summer when it is extremely humid. The kangaroo just had its baby, too.

Woot!
Leland S.

I looked for the best waterfalls in Alabama, and this was one of the top ones; here was my experience. Parking: Plenty of campground parking. I went here when the water was low so there wasn't much traction. Feels: The waterfall is pretty accessible to view, to be under the waterfall, you would have to work a bit harder. It's a nice pit stop as its close to a gas station and a few fast food eateries. Overall: 4 Stars. The area was nice. There seemed to be a lot of potential with a lot of activities to enjoy nature. Unfortunately, I wasn't there during the waterfall. If you're willing to drive an hour or if it's on your way to another place, do visit. TL;DR Tips: * Do some research, maybe call ahead of time to see if the waterfall is full of water * It's well lit during the holidays!

Noccalula Falls
Lindsey G.

This park and campground was beautiful and very well manicured. The campground has been renovated so they had to remove some trees, however they have planted more around the sites. For the best shade section A has it all. The campground has a pool which is great! Also, the park and mini golf are free for campers. The park is gorgeous with a fun little petting zoo. I was very impressed with the maintenance and up keep of the park and campground.

Tony A.

Great park with nice trails. On the negative side, there was construction on site, but the view of the fall was unobstructed

Waterfall
Jaleesia R.

Stopped on our way out from visiting family and we were very disappointed we didn't find this place earlier. The story behind the lady jumping was sooo amazing. The plaque tells you the story of how she didn't want to marry a Creek warrior. The history of this area is cool. We plan to check out the cabins when we return so we can visit more of the park.

Waterfall, Hiking areas

This park was inspiring and so beautiful. I spent hours exploring beside the river and rapids hanging out on boulders and eventually ending up in the mist of the massive Noccalula Falls.. such a magical place!

The falls
Deyon J.

Just riding up 59 and decided to stop by. This historic spot offers so much. Hiking trails, picnic areas, camping grounds, a petting zoo and so much more. My family would go to Noccalula often when I was young. Being here today was nostalgic...so many memories with my cousins and family friends. And this is a great way to socialize and get some fresh air in the midst of the pandemic. It's best to come on sunny day after a few days of good rain, the falls are really gorgeous. Today was fairly dry but still a decent picturesque view! Go by and check out the legend of Princess Noccalula!

Beautiful sky light
Jeffrey M.

There's so much that can be said about Noccalula Falls. But I'll keep it brief. A co-worker of mine that knows my love for nature, adventures & stories once recommended that I visit Noccalula Falls. This weekend, I took some time to go explore and what a wonderful excursion it was!! My friends and I started our hike at the chapel, went down the Black Creek Trail a little past the .3 mile marker until we come to a trash can on our left with fly fishing instructions on it. We went down the rocky trail until the Gorge Trail which has a sign that says suspension bridge. Taking a left and following Gorge Trail until we get behind the waterfall. At the park, you have two options. By hiking at the chapel, you're intinually taking the longer and adventurous route to the waterfall. If you decide taking a much calmer route, there is an entrance through the park. Be prepared to pay $6 per person. That fee includes everything in the park. From riding the train, visiting the Pioneers Village, visiting the petting Zoo, and may more. There are multiple trials to hike and great picnic areas. From Princess Noccalula to the Pioneers, there's so much history that one could enjoy. I definitely recommend visiting this place.

Cheryl M.

We finally made it here! I had been wanting to come for quite awhile! I had read online that you can bring your dog so we brought Buster! Sadly, when we went to go into the paid park we were told you can only bring service dogs into the park. However, we could bring him into the campground area. So, off we went into the campground area, which was much more than I thought it was going to be! You can actually walk right up to the falls from the campground area. You really should stop if you are in the area. There is no hiking involved. After checking out the falls, we walked around a little bit and discovered that if you go alongside the little chapel that is there, you can find all the hiking trails which are really nice and well maintained. You can also bring your mountain bike on these trails if you are so inclined. We had a good time taking the dog on a hike on the one trail. Trails are well maintained and paved in some areas. Very pretty scenery. I would love to come back and plan a day here. Hike all day, bring a picnic. The camping area looks nice and the cabin rentals look even nicer. It would be nice to spend a long weekend here in one of the cabins.

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3 years ago

Cool events. Friendly Staff. Very safe. Easy home to the falls. You can easily steal hydrangea blooms lol

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4 years ago

Beautiful falls with great areas for picnics and cooking out. The train is fun - overall, a great family experience! I'm

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4 years ago

Love Noccalula Falls!! Looking forward to taking my granddaughter on a picnic there and enjoying all that Noccalula offers.

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Ask the Community - Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds

Is there a good breakfast or lunch place near here?

There is a Jack's fast food restaurant on the grounds of the falls as well as a Frio's popsicle stand. Within a few miles there are a few mom and pop style burger and bbq restaurants as well.

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Review Highlights - Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds

“The kids enjoyed the train, the petting zoo, playing in the rock area, and on the adjoining playground.”

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Rainbow City Nature Trail - Entrance to Trail and Disc Golf

Rainbow City Nature Trail

4.5(2 reviews)
7.7 mi

What a great place for outdoor activities!…read more Kind of on the edge or Rainbow City, this place has got space for all sorts of sports stuff!! When you first pull in, to the right, there are several soccer fields, to the left a huge parking area. As you go a little further, there are some really nice little league fields - great place to watch a game! As you drive past these fields and get to the back, they have a walking/biking path that circles around a pond and a golf frisbee course (not an easy one either!). The path, if you loop around and take all of the routes comes out about 4 miles (if you add some on the far back side). Really nice what they have done out there. You can kind of be in the thick of things, or you can totally do your own thing with minimal interactions with others that are out there. Really cool space, you can even stop here and do some star gazing on a nice clear night ... if you're so inclined.

Rainbow City has really put a lot into making a nice place for residents to get some exercise…read more Whether walking, running, biking, kids on scooters, you and your friends and family will find a paved, shady trail in a nice woodland setting. Much of the underbrush is cleared out and there is a pond with some pavilions around it. However, especially around back and edges there is more bushes and brush, and you will probably see squirrels, bunnies and unfortunately maybe a snake. A nice disc golf course winds around and throughout as well. In daylight hours I always feel safe here. You will meet plenty of others on the path, but not so many it feels congested. You can choose the main loop or outer loop, and it veers off onto the back side which has a sidewalk for more distance and variety. Total distance: If you go right from the gate, pass the pond, go to the back and turn off to the right and go through the extended back (along a dirt road), over the bridge and right up the sidewalk, cross the road to the continuing sidewalk, go all the way up and around the elementary school, come back and go around the back of the middle school, back to the sidewalk, back to the path by the dirt road. This time go right and go behind the ball practice things, that takes you back up to the front. Now turn left and go on the back side of the main loop and follow back to the gate ... whew! that's 4 miles.

Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds - parks - Updated October 2026

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