Photo: Mike Tilley · CC BY 3.0Upper Caney Falls
One for the list
Is it plungeworthy?
A waterfall on Caney Creek.
The details
- Watercourse
- Caney Creek
- Coordinates
- 34.24589, -87.43319
About Upper Caney Falls
Upper Caney Falls is a waterfall in Alabama, on Caney Creek.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Upper Caney Falls 3.5/10 — one for the list. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
This is the falls Alabamians know as Caney Creek Falls — a 20-foot curtain over a wide rock ledge in Winston County, one of the most photographed drops in the state. The "Upper" prefix distinguishes it from Lower Caney Creek Falls, a separate 20-footer 0.8 miles downstream.
The complication is the trailhead: it sits on private land. The landowner runs a donation-box parking lot (about $20/car suggested) at a farmstead at the end of County Road 2.
Parking on CR2 itself gets vehicles towed — actively, since February 2019, per local news. The donation lot is the only move.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Private farmstead lot at the end of County Road 2, near Double Springs
- Parking
- Donation-box lot on private land (~$20/car suggested)
- Road
- Gravel County Road 2
- Hike
- 1 mi round trip, 300 ft of climb (moderate)
- Heads up
- Do not park on CR2 — tows are real and ongoing. Use the donation lot.
When to go
Winter and spring are full-curtain season; late summer can thin it to a veil.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Donation requested (~$20/car) at the private lot
- Warnings
- Roadside parking on County Road 2 has been towed since February 2019 — use the donation lot only.
Researched from Northwest Alabamian — Caney Creek parking coverage. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Upper Caney 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
Where is Upper Caney Falls?
Upper Caney Falls is a waterfall in Alabama, at 34.24589, -87.43319.
Is Upper Caney Falls worth visiting?
One for the list — Plungeworthy rates it 3.5/10.
Gear for the trip
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