06/27/2026
They call it the Grand Canyon of the East, and once you stand on the rim and look down, you understand exactly why. Little River Canyon National Preserve near Fort Payne, Alabama is one of the most stunning natural landscapes in the entire eastern United States, and it belongs to all of us.
The canyon walls drop hundreds of feet to where the Little River rushes over ancient sandstone carved smooth by millions of years of water and time. Mountain laurel blooms in spring, the water turns brilliant turquoise in summer, and the fall colors paint the canyon walls in shades of amber and crimson that take your breath away.
This is the only river in the United States that flows for most of its length atop a mountain plateau. That alone would make it remarkable. Add the canyon, the waterfalls, the hiking trails, and the swimming holes hidden within its bends, and you have one of Alabama's greatest natural treasures.
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