Fall Branch of Big Canoe Creek

Another great run found by Tim Hudson that flows off the SE side of Springville Mountain. The put in is a ditch, look for it to be a little more than bank full. Fight your way through the brush watching for the creek to open up. When it does, get out and scout. The first falls are only 1/4 mile or so from the put in. The entrance to the falls is a sloping slide with the last 15' being vertical. Run center as there is a rock shelf on river left. If you enter into the falls without scouting there is an eddy on the right, but it is small. Downstream of the falls the creek enters into a beautiful little gorge. There are some tight boulder gardens here so watch out for pins. Fall Branch then mellows out to class I/II so enjoy the scenery and be thankful that the water is moving so time passes quickly. Don't drop your guard though, when you come to a spot with large boulders get out and scout on river right. There are two large rapids. First one enter river left and then drive back toward river right onto a slide into a pool. Second drop enter RL and eddy out in a pool on RL. Run the bottom between two boulders driving out onto a rock shelf. BEWARE! In the second drop you are paddling over a sieve so more water is better and be careful about losing momentum. Fall Branch is pretty much over at this point except for some class I and moving water to the takeout. Be aware of one additional hazard. Downstream of the two large rapids there is a undercut rock on RL with a slot on the left. It looks passable but the rock is way more undercut than you would think and it has trapped a kayak and boater under it. We snuck it by driving up on the rock shelf on RL and scooting along and seal launching back in, clear of the undercut.

-Brian McAnnally

This is one of no less than five Fall Branches in Alabama. This one is a tributary of Big Canoe Creek.