While the south doesn’t always get truly breathtaking fall foliage year to year – our hot summers and dry weather tend to make the leaves drop too soon, some years Alabama really puts on a show! 2021 may be a dumpster fire in a lot of ways, but it couldn’t be further from the truth when describing Alabama’s lakefront foliage this year. So where should you plan to go to see some great leave colors around our lakes? Read on!
Known as the Crappie Capitol of the World, Weiss Lake is also home to some truly remarkable natural attractions, namely Little River Canyon and Cherokee Rock Village. Little River Canyon is unique to the world in that it’s the largest canyon east of the Mississippi River at 600 feet deep, it’s the only canyon in the world to run its entire course on top of a mountain, and it’s home to plant and animal life that hasn’t been found anywhere else on the planet! With miles of hiking trails, mixed use motor vehicle trails, and a scenic motorway around the rim of the canyon, you really can’t find a bad spot to look at fall colors. Plan to spend an afternoon taking in the sites before following the Little River down to Weiss Lake. Maybe eat lunch lakeside at Decks & Docks!
Another great location for the leaf lookers is Cherokee Rock Village. The winter ancestral home of the Alabama Cherokee Indians, this rock outcropping on Lookout Mountain is a ten-minute drive to Weiss Lake, and is a breathtaking overlook. Home to some of the premier rock climbing attractions in the Southeast, Cherokee Rock Village is a day use park at $5 per car, with RV camping, horseback riding trails and primitive camping available. Just look at these views!
The “Big G” as it’s affectionately called is Alabama’s largest lake, and it’s no slouch in the scenery department either! From the newly renovated chalets at Guntersville State Park, where you can drink coffee and watch the leaves fall on the antlers of the park’s massive deer herd, to Gorham’s Bluff overlooking the lake from high above, Lake Guntersville isn’t just a premier bass fishing lake!
The deepest, clearest lake in Alabama is also home to some fantastic fall views. Want to brave the cool weather in your boat to look at the leaves? You won’t have to worry about shallow water on this deep mountain lake gem! Take a look at some of the most expensive houses in the state while you soak up the gorgeous fall colors!
Rest assured, when we get enough summer rain in the Heart of Dixie, we enjoy some incredible fall views. If you’re missing your foliage from homes up North, why not take a trip through Alabama’s Circle of Colors Trail and catch all the great colors Mother Nature can produce?!
by Clark Stewart, your bearded Alabama lake guru