Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls Are Breathtaking

Most people do not know that Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls are very easy to get to, if you know where they are located.

However, the most surprising thing about them is the fact that this state actually has them.

The fact that we even have them not only surprises a lot of people, but it also even shocks them.

Welti Waterfalls

How Alabamas Amazing Waterfalls Form

Waterfalls Picture One

Before covering the list of the 10 Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls, it is very helpful to understand how they form and the basic facts about them.

Waterfalls are absolutely spectacular displays of both the beauty and the power of nature, and Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls are no different.

The highest waterfalls in the world are Angel Falls in Venezuela, and its total height is over 3,000 feet.

Understanding how they are formed and the actual process of what makes them “work”, is quite fascinating.

Because of their uniqueness and majesty, they have drawn the attention of people for thousands of years all over the world.

They can be breathtaking displays of how nature works, as well as its overall beauty.

Waterfalls are actually what are referred to as “regions” where water flowing suddenly drops either over cliffs or other step regions,

However, there is one very little-known fact about them overall; the process can and often does take thousands of years to develop.

Waterfalls form in rivers that are young and vibrant.

This is due to the fact that the channel the water is in is deep and narrow, allowing for the beginning of the formation of a waterfall.

In most cases, they will form in the upper course of a river, as this is where the layer of hard rock lies next to the layer of soft rock.

The bedrock of a river, as these layers are more commonly known, is loose sand, soil, and silt that set underneath the river.

The Waterfalls in Alabama are a well kept secret

Alabama Amazing Waterfalls Picture Two

If the incline is steep, it will move very quickly or rapidly.

In fact, in almost every case they will actually start out as rapids as the river flows over the hard rock, while the soft rock underneath is being eroded.

The erosion of the soft rock occurs more quickly than the hard rock, and this will result in the hard rock being elevated above the stream bed below it.

However, the actual erosion process of the rocks will vary, depending on the strength and density of the rock, and the pace of the river flow.

Through a process that is referred to “abrasion”, (which is the erosion process between between rocks and moving particles in the river) a drop will start to develop.

This is the actual birth of a waterfall.

This vertical drop in almost every case forms very slowly and begins to build as more of the soft rock get eroded and carried downstream.

Hydraulic action along the abrasion constantly keeps working to erode the softer rock, and eventually a plunge pool will form beneath the river.

Over time, the hard rock also starts to erode and is carried downstream, which increases the size of the plunge pool.

Eventually the flow of the river become steep enough and slowly forms the formation of a waterfall.

A gorge is formed when the water starts to swirl down a steep sided valley.

However, what most people do not realize is that over time, all waterfalls will begin to retreat.

This is caused by the pit becoming parallel to the waterfall and eventually it is replaced by a stretch of riverbed which is inclined.

Any type of movement in the earth s crust like an earthquake or volcano will cause a change in the land area and may also form a waterfall.

The third and final way a waterfall can be formed is by the movement of glaciers emptying water.

Alabamas Amazing Waterfalls

The Alabama waterfalls can be breathtaking

Alabamas Amazing Waterfalls Can Be Breathtaking

There are 10 of Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls that are located throughout the state, and here is the list of the first five.

Desoto Falls
Caney Creek Falls
Cheaha Falls
Welti Falls
Little River Canyon Falls

The first of the 10 Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls is the Desoto Falls, which is located in Desoto Park near Fort Payne, Alabama.

It is one of the tallest and most visited in the state and it is considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the south.

Caney Creek Falls is next, and it is located in the Bankhead National Forest and is one of the most picturesque falls in the State.

Cheaha Falls is the next of the Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls, and it is located along the Chinnabee Silent Trail on Cheaha Creek in the Talladega National Forest.

Welti Falls is next, and this waterfall is located in the small town of Welti, and it is created from the spillway of Forest Ingram Park.

Little River Canyon Falls is near Fort Payne, and it is considered one of on the most scenic and accessible of all the waterfalls in the state

Here is the Final Five of the Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls

Peavine Falls
Noccalula Falls
Chewacla Falls
High Falls
Rainbow Falls

Next on the list of Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls is Peavine Falls, located at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham.

This 65-foot waterfall got its name as it can twist and turn just like a “Peavine”

Noccalula is located in Gadsden, at the west end of Lookout Mountain. It is a 90-foot waterfall that is one of the most visited natural attractions in the state.

Chewacla Falls in located in Auburn at the Chewacla State Park, and it is 30-foot waterfalls formed by the spillway of Chewacla Dam.

High Falls is located in High Falls Park off of Highway 227, and when the water is high, this waterfall can span as much as 300 feet across.

The final of Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls is Rainbow Falls which is on the Dismals Canyon, located in Phil Campbell.

It is a stunning display of water falling over weathered rocks.

Any of the Alabama's Amazing Waterfalls should be high on your list of Alabama backroads day trips.

References

http://www.geologyin.com/2014/12/the-formation-of-waterfalls.html

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