Walls of Jericho from Alabama Trailhead (Jackson County, Alabama)

For some time now, I've been trying to make it up to the Alabama-Tennessee border to explore a backcountry area known as the Walls of Jericho. Due to bad weather or just bad luck, my previous attempts have been thwarted, but my patience and persistence would prove worthwhile, as I'm finally going to get there today. There are two trailheads to choose from, one in Alabama and one in Tennessee. Today, I'll be hiking in from the Alabama side.

After a nearly three-hour drive, I arrive at the large trailhead parking lot to find a few cars, but not an excessive crowd. Good - I was hoping this place wouldn't be to terribly populated today. After tossing on my pack and getting my trekking poles, I head into the woods. The trail starts out easy enough as I wander through the spring woods and slowly descend down a large hillside. This being the first full day of spring, the trees are just starting to show the earliest signs of budding, while last years leaves still cover the ground like a layer of brown and orange carpet.

As I make my way down the hillside, I encounter a number of rock formations comprised of mostly limestone. These formations add lots of character to the area. Some surround sinkholes, while in other places springs flow from the hillside over the rock. Still others form moss-covered fortresses. All in all, it's a great experience as I cover this first and longest section of the hike. I do encounter a number of other hikers, but as usual, they are all extremely friendly and they graciously allow me to pass by them.

Nearing the bottom of the hillside, I can see the fast-moving Hurricane Creek below me. After a few long switchbacks, I reach the stream and the junction of the Alabama and Tennessee trails leading to this magical place. A large campsite at the junction is occupied, for the moment, but a group of folks who are packing up. The river itself is a murky bluish-gray color and seems to be a bit high at the moment. A well-engineered foot bridge allows passage over the swiftly-moving waters. 

Once on the other side, the trail begins a new distinct section, which is essentially the bottom of the large valley formed by the creek. This area is more temperate and has a few extremely muddy sections. The trail is easy enough to follow and eventually leads to another creek crossing, this time of Turkey Creek, which is looks to be considerably more shallow than the larger creek it flows into. The bridge here is of the same design and construction and offers a sturdy path to the far side. 

The area on the far side of the creek is a large open clearing with several obvious campsites and another steep rocky hill climbing to form the western side of the valley. As I look at these sites, I consider the idea of leading the Meetup group on an overnight trip to this area in the early fall perhaps. It's something to think about, at least. Another trail junction presents itself with a sign labeled South Rim Trail pointing up the hill, though after researching I'm unable to identify this other trail. No matter - it's not the way I'm going today.

Just past the junction, an old family cemetery is in disrepair. I don't know much about the family that rests here, but it is labeled Clark Cemetery. At the very least, they have an absolutely beautiful area to spend eternity. From here though, the trail gets more challenging as it climbs up the tall canyon formed by Turkey Creek.

Unlike the gentle sloping hills above Hurricane Creek, this section is a deep canyon cut into tall limestone cliffs on either side. The creek passes serenely below, but the narrow trail rises and dips on it's ascent up the canyon. Several places are quite slick and a misstep would likely result in my falling a couple of dozen feet down the steep and muddy hillside to the cold waters below. I take my time and use my poles wisely to ensure I have good footing as I make my way. I'm generally not a fan of trekking poles, but there are some places where they can come in handy - this is one of them.

After about half-a-mile, I reach a series of low cascading waterfalls, where the coloration of the water and the limestone present almost like marble. It's breathtaking. And beyond, I can see the lowest of the waterfalls for which this area is so renown. To get there and beyond though, I will have to cross the creek. Planning for this eventuality, I had brought along my water shoes, which I now change into. The creek is shallow, but the waters are pretty frigid. I'm able to make my way across the first section easily and then onto the center island before crossing the next section, which is slightly deeper, but still well below my knees. From here, I have to climb up a steep embankment and then curl around the bend to reach the money shot.

Before me now lies one of the most gorgeous natural scenes I have ever seen (and I've seen a lot). A limestone basin has been carved out of the hillside by the rushing creek. A dry waterfall passes over the top, but to the left of it water rages out of a hole in the canyon wall forming the second waterfall. I spend some time exploring this area. It's absolutely stunning and great fun to walk around, though anyone visiting should be careful here. One wrong step could send you plummeting over the falls. This water is shooting out with a lot of force. As I walk across the dry falls, I consider climbing up to see what lies above, but as it is dry and I assume the water coming from the hole in the canyon is coming in from far above, I decide to avoid the slightly dangerous climb. 

I make my way back across the creek and change back into my hiking shoes before enjoying a Clif bar and some water. Time to head back. The trail seems easier and less dangerous going back down the canyon, but this is likely to my having just done it on the way up. As I cross back over Hurricane Creek, I come up on a couple that I had encountered at the waterfalls. They had decided to climb the dry one and inform me that there is a third waterfall beyond there pouring into a hole in the limestone, which is presumably the source of the second waterfall coming out of the cliff. Damn!! I should have climbed up there. That said though, it gives me one more reason to return here, though I will probably take the Tennessee trailhead next time just to see another section.

The return trip is uneventful, though a good workout as I make my way back up the long hillside. As I'm training for an upcoming backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, I try to maintain a fairly fast pace up hill. It feels good. Finally reaching my jeep, I check in on my distance and see that I've covered about 8.3 miles and gained/lost over 2,100' of elevation. The Alltrails description is a bit off on this one, but that's okay, it was a fabulous hike and I will return to this place someday in the near future.