Photo: dmtilley · CC BY 3.0Bee Branch Falls
Worth a detour
Is it plungeworthy?
A waterfall on Bee Branch.
The details
- Watercourse
- Bee Branch
- Coordinates
- 34.32861, -87.445
About Bee Branch Falls
Bee Branch Falls is a 70-foot waterfall in Alabama, on Bee Branch.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Bee Branch Falls 6.3/10 — worth a detour. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
A 70-foot falls deep in the Sipsey Wilderness, earned with an 11.4-mile round trip through one of the largest old-growth hardwood tracts left in the Southeast — Johnson Cemetery Trail to Sipsey Fork to Bee Branch.
Don't confuse it with East Bee Branch Falls, a separate 70-to-90-foot falls reached from the Thompson Creek trailhead — different route, different canyon.
The Bankhead's "Land of a Thousand Waterfalls" nickname gets earned out here after rain.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Johnson Cemetery Trailhead, Sipsey Wilderness
- Parking
- Trailhead lot off a gravel forest road
- Road
- Gravel forest road
- Hike
- 11.4 mi round trip, 800 ft of climb (strenuous — distance plus unbridged creek crossings)
- Heads up
- Remote, little to no cell service. East Bee Branch Falls is a separate feature from a different trailhead.
When to go
Winter and spring rain bring the falls up — and can make the unbridged creek crossings genuinely dangerous. Pick your storm gap.
Remote enough that even weekends stay quiet.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- A $3/day fee applies at the Sipsey River Recreation Area; confirm whether it covers this trailhead
- Dogs
- Allowed; leash recommended in the Wilderness
- Camping
- Dispersed backcountry camping permitted in the Sipsey Wilderness
- Warnings
- Multiple unbridged creek crossings that can become impassable at high water.
Researched from USFS — National Forests in Alabama. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Bee Branch Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
How tall is Bee Branch Falls?
Bee Branch Falls drops about 70 feet, in Alabama.
Where is Bee Branch Falls?
Bee Branch Falls is a waterfall in Alabama, at 34.32861, -87.445.
Is Bee Branch Falls worth visiting?
Worth a detour — Plungeworthy rates it 6.3/10.
Gear for the trip
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