Shangri-La Falls?

[Joshua Szulecki]

Hey,

Has anybody been to Shangri-La Falls in Bankhead?

[toph]

Not yet but it's on "the list"   Do you know the best (or a good) way in to them?

[Joshua Szulecki]

Toph,

Nope. I was hoping somebody here did.

I can't pinpoint the exact location of the falls, either, although I understand that it is on a tributary leading into Collier Creek, and not on the actual creek itself. Supposedly there is also at least one waterfall at the head of Collier Creek's canyon. 

I suspect that Shangri-La Falls is at one of the following two locations: 34.2595, -87.2870, or 34.2670, -87.2960. I've been wrong before.

The only access methods I can see are those two presumably long since closed and useless, or private (is that what a purple road is?), "roads", a walk all the way from Cheatham Road, or canoe via Brushy Creek. Of those options, I imagine that canoe is probably the most likely the way most people get there.

http://terraserver-usa.co...%7cDouble+Springs%7cAL%7c

[Joshua Szulecki]

Toph,

Apparently Seifried didn't put the directions in his book for a reason... Read the part about the lumber yard...
http://www.thebackpacker....ltalk/thread/39216,-1.php

The suggestion in the thread IS to walk all the way from Cheatham Road.

And it looks the same in this one...
http://almtnman.proboards...lay&thread=1138829559

[Joshua Szulecki]

I suppose all that raises an interesting question though...

The Cart-O-Craft map shows FS-253 running all the way down to the confluence of Collier and Brushy Creeks. It appears to be an unimproved road. IF this road runs to Collier Creek, and does it entirely on Forest Service property (according to the map), then why does everybody enter from Cheatham Road? Is the road impassible? Gated? Or what?

[toph]

All good questions and although I have no answers, I plan to find out this spring when the water levels come up.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Toph,

I'm probably going to visit Caney Creek on Saturday or Sunday, if I get the chance, I'll go and check out FS-253. According to the current road use map, FS-253 is a seasonal use road, that is closed for a portion of the year. I may call or write the Double Springs office and see when it is open, and what condition it is in. Allegedly seasonal roads are only open from 10/01 to 4/30, presumably for hunters? That means that the reason nobody uses it might be that it is closed half the year... 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/a...ocuments/Bankhead_000.pdf