Trails: Lost Falls and Laurel Falls Trails
Hike Location: DeSoto State
Park
Geographic Location: northeast of Fort Payne, AL (34.49897, -85.61784)
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Dates Hiked: March 2015, March 2025
Overview: An occasionally rocky creekside loop passing three
nice waterfalls.
Directions to the trailhead: In northeast Alabama,
take I-59 to SR 35 (exit 218). Exit and
go east on SR 35. Drive SR 35 4.6 miles
to CR 89, driving through Fort Payne
and climbing Lookout Mountain
in the process. Turn left on CR 89. Drive CR 89 north 5.5 miles to the paved roadside
parking area for Talmadge Boardwalk on the left. There is room for about 10 cars here, and
additional parking is available just up the road at the campground store if the
trailhead lot fills up.
The hike: For my general comments on
DeSoto
State Park, see my hike to
Lodge and Indian Falls. The hike described
here is generally regarded as
DeSoto State
Park’s best hike.
Though only of moderate length and difficulty, this route passes three
nice waterfalls on
Laurel Creek:
Azalea Cascade,
Lost Falls,
and
Laurel Falls. As with all of DeSoto’s waterfalls, these
three waterfalls lie high in
Lookout Mountain’s
watershed, so you need to plan a hike just after a good rain if you want to see
them flowing. All three waterfalls were
in excellent form during my mid-March visit.
 |
| Trailhead: Talmadge Butler Boardwalk Trail |
Start on the
wooden Talmadge Butler Boardwalk Trail as it leaves the parking area and enters
the woods, heading toward Laurel Creek. This 1000-foot boardwalk was constructed in
1997 to give park visitors bound to a wheelchair access to one of the park’s
attractions. At 0.1 miles, steps heading
down and to the right lead to a red-blazed trail that will be our return route. For now, stick to the boardwalk for its entire
length.
At 0.2
miles, the boardwalk ends at Azalea Cascade.
Though only about 4 feet high, this cascade-type waterfall has an
unusual appearance: water cascades around a large boulder sitting in the left
side of the creekbed. Also, because all
three of this hike’s waterfalls lie in the same creek, Azalea Cascade is a good
early indicator of the water flow. If
this waterfall is dry, then the other two will be as well, and you should save
this hike for a day with higher water tables.
 |
| Azalea Cascade |
After
stepping off the end of the boardwalk, you climb briefly on eroded trail over
wooden waterbars to intersect the blue-blazed Lost Falls Trail, which goes
right and left. Turn right to begin
heading upstream toward the other two waterfalls. The trail becomes slightly rocky and rooty as
an eight-foot tall cliff line appears uphill to the left.
At 0.3
miles, the red-blazed Azalea Cascade Trail exits right to cross the creek on a
wooden bridge. Angle left to continue
the gradual climb on the Lost Falls Trail.
This climb reaches the low cliff line you saw earlier, and the trail
will follow these cliffs for several hundred feet. An abundance of mountain laurel grows in the
ravine to your right.
 |
| Hiking below the cliffs |
After
ascending through the cliffs, the trail enters a shrubby area of young forest
that contrasts with the mature forest of the ravine. Sweet gum and maple trees are most numerous
in the shallow soil up here. At 0.6
miles, you pass Laurel Falls
in the ravine to your right. The
waterfall is hard to see from this trail, but you will get a good look at it on
your return route.
 |
| Hiking atop the cliffs |
Back on the
higher ground, the trail passes through a glade where the treadway becomes bare
rock. Watch for the trail’s blue blazes
to keep heading in the right direction.
Just over 1 mile into the hike,
Laurel
Creek comes in sight again as you approach Lost Falls. Ironically, although this trail is called the
Lost Falls Trail, your best view of
Lost
Falls will also be had on our
return route, the Laurel Falls Trail.
Now above Lost
Falls, the trail comes close to Laurel
Creek. You may be tempted to wade across here, but
continuing upstream a few hundred feet through dense undergrowth will bring you
to a wooden footbridge that is the trail’s official crossing. Now on the north side of the creek, the last
few hundred feet of the Lost Falls Trail passes through another rocky
glade. This glade is right along the
creek, so some wet areas and some pine trees mix in among the rocks.
 |
| Rocky glade beside creek |
At 1.5
miles, the Lost Falls Trail ends at a junction with the orange-blazed Laurel
Falls Trail, which goes straight and right.
Continuing straight would take you to another trailhead deeper in DeSoto
State Park, so you want to turn
right to begin your return route on the Laurel Falls Trail. The Laurel Falls Trail immediately leaves the
glade and reenters the woods to begin its gradual to moderate descent back
downstream.
1.7 miles
into the hike, the trail seems to fork with both options blazed orange. The left option by-passes Lost Falls, so you
will want to take the right option, which quickly arrives at the waterfall. Water drops about 6 feet over two ledges into
a plunge pool that is large relative to the size of the waterfall. The cliffs around the waterfall form a nice
natural amphitheater, and some rocks beside the trail make nice places to sit,
rest, and enjoy the waterfall.
 |
| Lost Falls |
Past Lost
Falls, the Laurel Falls Trail
continues its eastward downstream journey with minor ups and downs. Scenery alternates between woodland with tall
broadleaf trees and rocky glade with short stunted trees. After crossing a small unnamed stream on bare
rock, the orange and silver blazed Campground Trail exits left to head for the park’s
campground. Stay right to remain on the
Laurel Falls Trail.
At 2.4
miles, the short spur trail to the base of Laurel
Falls exits right. This intersection is marked by a rock
engraved with the words “Laurel Falls,”
but the engraving faces the opposite direction from which you are
traveling. A short slightly steep
descent brings you to the base of Laurel
Falls. Laurel
Falls is a 5 foot high ledge-type
waterfall; water falls in a single drop onto boulders and then trickles into a
small plunge pool. Mountain laurel
frames the falls, hence the name.
 |
| Laurel Falls |
Back on the
main trail, another 0.2 miles of eastward hiking brings you to a large rock
outcrop suitable for scrambling. Where a
wooden sign directs you to turn left for the campground, turn right to remain
on the Laurel Falls Trail.
 |
| Needle Eye Rock |
The boardwalk you started on comes
into view on the right as the trail descends steeply to reach a major trail
intersection. Turning right leads to the
boardwalk, while continuing straight intersects CR 89 but not at the parking
area that contains your car. Before turning
right to go back to the boardwalk, turn left and climb briefly over wooden
waterbars to reach Needle Eye Rock, an unusual shaped rock opening that sits
among a cluster of large limestone boulders.
After viewing Needle Eye Rock, retrace your steps to the boardwalk to
close the loop, then turn left to return to the parking area and complete the
hike.
