Pea Ridge - Montevallo

[WolfVanZandt]

Went to Montevallo today. This area is great for day hiking.

There are several waterfalls and old mines up on Pea Ridge - west of Montevallo. Montevallo also has a mining museum and a Mr. Emfinger occasionally gives tours of the local mines.

Davis Falls is on a hunting club's property. We were told that they don't mind people hiking out to the falls on off-season but that they will prosecute during hunting season. The falls are rather nice. there's a trail running from the university that they're trying to get extended out to Davis Falls. I surveyed the falls and will have the height soon, but then my tape measure broke (first time I used it, too!)

But the spectacular falls is accessible to the public (and there's directions on the Internet). Falling Rocks Falls is about 85 feet and there's enough velocity to the water that it's propelled out over the lip of the falls. There's a huge hollow behind the falls (not much of a splash pool, though). there were some folks rappelling today while we were there.

The country store in Dogwood has great hamburgers and the Eclipse bookstore and coffee shop in Montevallo has spectacular milkshakes, live music, and book signings.

The university is a beautiful old campus with it's own ghost. I haven't been to the American Village but it looks very interesting from a distance. And the Briarfield Ironworks Park is close by. I was pleased to note that Montevallo is only an hour's drive from Selma so I will be driving there for milkshakes much more often now.



Oh, and, yes, the ticks are out right now.

All in all, I give Montevallo a three thumbs up.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Scipio picked up six ticks in under a mile of hiking yesterday up here at Sterling Forest(R) State Park in New York, so I imagine the ticks are out in full force down there.

Henry Emfinger is a terrific resource, and I highly recommend a visit to the mining museum if you get a chance. I stopped in to discuss Davis Falls a few years back, and was escorted to the site my Henry himself. I was under the impression that the property was logging company land still, but I'm guessing it either changed hands since my last check, or I messed up checking the property records online, which is a real pain on an unlabeled map.

I never made it out to Falling Rock Falls due to the drought. It is highly variable, but luckly it and two other falls which I have no photographic proof of, happen to be on the Cahaba WMA (mostly USX property), so at least you can go there pretty much whenever you want, although at least check you *technically* need to get a free permit at the office.

It is a nice area, and I can second it for a good weekend trip. Don't forget that the Cahaba Lilies, Cahaba River NWR, and a TNC property are all in the area as well, so there is plenty to do outside.

[montysano]

I was unaware of the mining museum; I'll have to check it out.

Our son is a junior at Montevallo.  It's a wonderful campus and a great school.  There are other attractions in the area.  My son loves the Little Cahaba River, and the area along it known as the Bibb County Glades.  Down the road a little farther, near Marion, is Perry Lakes Park.  Barton Beach on the Cahaba is very scenic, as is the oxbow lake with its cypress swamp.

[Tim Rich]

Falling Rock was a favorite student destination when I was at Montevallo.  A high school girl fell to her death there (she may have been a police officer's daughter) when I was a senior, and they locked the place up tight for a while.

My oldest is at Alabama, but my middle son has taken an interest in Montevallo.  You're right that it's a very good school, and has a good bit of history in its own right.

Take Care,

Tim

[WolfVanZandt]

I think there's been several incidents at Falling Rocks. As you approach it on the trail, you end up right on the lip of the falls before you even know it, so it bears some caution.

Actually, Payne Lake, being one of the few camping sites in the area would offer a great base site. The other camping area in the lower Talladega National Forest would be Paul Grist State Park near Selma.

[Joshua Szulecki]

I've heard of at least two deaths at Falling Rock Falls, and I'm sure there have been many serious injuries. That "trail" breaks my "rule" about the top of waterfalls, and a new one really needs to be cut. Then again, Peavine has a similarly stupid trail configuration, and that's in a maintained state park, so I guess we're out of luck.