Little River Canyon Metric

This spectacular 61-mile ride travels through the DeSoto State Park and the Little River Canyon on Lookout Mountain, starting in the small town of Fort Payne. The route is very hilly, continuously up and down along the canyon with some long grades before and after, but it's well worth the effort as it traverses some of the most scenic country in Alabama on low traffic roads.

The route can easily be shortened to 46 miles by omitting the loop to Mentone (cue sheet), or extended to 70 miles (cue sheet) by adding the rougher and more difficult southern half of the canyon road.

There's a two mile climb with an 8% average grade that starts at mile 6, it's a quiet road with excellent pavement but includes a few steep switchbacks. After the climb there are several long hills followed by rolling tree-covered backroads. There's some rough pavement and potholes but the return south to the DeSoto State Park is mostly smooth and scenic.

If you plan to ride the southern half of the canyon stock up at the mile 28 rest stop, there are no stores until Dogtown, 31 hilly miles later.

Most of the hills along the canyon are short and can be topped using momentum so it's often a rollercoaster ride, with canyon views to boot. A picnic area located where AL-176 exits the park at mile 46 is a good place to stop for lunch.

The route can be extended at this point, adding 9 tough miles by turning left to continue along the canyon on CR-148 instead of following AL-176 west out of the park. The southern half of the canyon road narrows and the pavement becomes rougher with spots of gravel, with several very steep climbs.

After exiting the canyon the route passes through quiet farmland with some long grades, nothing steep. After the Dogtown rest stop at mile 50 the road gradually gains altitude for several miles, a long straight road that can seem boring after the canyons, but there are some nice panoramic views of the valley. The Beason Gap descent is smooth and fast, dropping down into Fort Payne less than a mile from the ride finish.

There are some exploration ride options to the Little River Canyon, starting a little closer to Huntsville at the Lowes store just before I-59 in Fort Payne.

Route - Google Maps

Cue Sheet

Directions to start:

This ride starts at the DeSoto Country Club in Fort Payne, just under an hour and a half drive from Huntsville (Google overestimates driving time). The country club is a nice quiet setting for a ride start, with plenty of parking out front by the lake.

Google Maps directions to start