Sun, Jul 28 2013 - Last Minute Hiking! - Desoto Scout Trail + Desoto Falls + Little River Falls (View Original Event Details)
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It was a nice day to try something new for a change! A small, brave group of 3 hikers headed to East Alabama to check out the Desoto Scout Trail (DST). It's a trail that connects Little River Canyon National Preserve to Desoto State Park and is maintained by local Boy Scout Troops.
We first stopped by Little River Falls to check that out, then headed to the DST Backcounty trail head, deep in the woods on a rough and rugged dirt road. My car barely made it to the trail head.
The trail is not heavily used like the AT and other trails here in Georgia, and it's not as steep, but it does offer some nice views along the way. There were a number of spider webs on the trail, so I was elected point man and had to use my trekking poles to knock down spider webs. There is also lots of wildlife to be seen. We saw deer, rabbits, turtles, fish...and a few ticks.
Wild blackberries grow along the path...fresh enough to eat! The trail mostly follows the Little River and offers a few pleasant stops to take a break and sit and enjoy views of the water. The flow is greatly depenendent on rainfall..so today it was a little quiet but it was crystal clear and we saw plenty of small trout. We hiked to DST Exit 1, then turned around and went back.
Afterwards, we hopped in the car and drove over to Desoto Falls to get a glimpse. Rather than go into the park, we stopped at a "secret" trail and got to see the Falls from the opposite side, which offers a full specatcular view!
Finally, we headed back to Atlanta, enjoyed some tasty BBQ in Rome and returned home.
All in all, we hiked 9.2 miles, hiked a total elevation gain of 1000 feet (not a net gain, just a total climb of 1000 feet up and down hills) and got to see a new trail. The DST is a nice break if want to see something different and it's worth another look from me for sure.
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