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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Desoto Falls - On Lookout Mountain in Alabama

Desoto Falls

A fork of the Little River plunges 104 feet into the pool below at one of Lookout Mountain's most accesible waterfalls.

Desoto Falls is named after Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. De Soto's exploration travelled through the area, likely south of here, but according to legend, some artifacts were found near the falls.

According to more folklore, it is suggested that caves in the steep bluff below the falls were part of a fort built by Welsh explorers in 1170, and while most archaeologists and historians find no evidence of this, it's tough to prove something didn't happen that long ago.

Today, the waterfall is part of Desoto State Park, which contains several waterfalls. Upper Desoto Falls is just a few feet from here, and an old 1920's hydroelectric dam is just upstream from that. A short paved path leads to the overlook where you can get this view of the falls. On this day, there was also a group on the other side rapelling down the cliffs to get to the bottom.

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