Approximately 10.5 miles, 4-5 hour float at level 2.7-2.9
On April 19, 2014, I went with members of the Birmingham Grotto for a paddle down the Locust Fork, section 6, as mentioned in the classic Foshee book
Alabama Canoe Rides and Float Trips. I was a passenger in Dave H's venerable Blue Hole OCA canoe for half of the trip, and swapped out with my friend Moe so I could try out her little flatwater kayak.
There are many sections of the Locust Fork, which is a river with many Friends. Years ago the B'ham Water Works quietly started buying up land around the river, in a plan to eventually build a dam and create another water supply (lake) for the city. The Friends of the Locust Fork group came together to protect the river, which they successfully did. The Friends of the Locust Fork continue to protect and advocate for this great watershed. Check them out at:
http://friendsofthelocustforkriver.org/
This section of the Locust Fork is not whitewater, but it has two or three sets of class I shoals that could tump the unwary, the first being at the putin. It took us around 4-5 hours to leisurely paddle this section, with no portages or dragging the boats, at a level of 2.7-2.9 on the
USGS gauge.
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| The river is wide and scenic on this section |
There was little trash on the river, but we stopped for lunch at a
sandstone boulder island that had a lot of trash collected in its trees. My guess is that it forms a whirlpool eddy underwater when the river is in flood. We took a good 30 lbs of trash out with us, a lot of it was sodden clothes/blankets which is why it was so heavy.
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| Class I shoals at the put-in |
There is a gorgeous wide bit with shoals, where you paddle past (not over!) a scenic waterfall.
Link to a gallery of my photos from this trip:
http://dangerjudy.smugmug.com/Other/PADDLING/Locust-Flatwater-Section/
Below is a screenshot of the map for this section. Click on it for a live map:
The put-in has a gate to the road that goes down to the river. Some of us parked in the gravel area off of Hwy 13, being careful not to block the gate. A local landowner talked to us and gave me permission to park at his property across 160, as he wasn't sure about permissions at the put-in itself. If anyone has information about access permission here please message me. As it was, we had no problems with the cars parked in the gravel area.
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| Riverside at the put-in |
The take-out is sandy and a bit steep; once over the hump of sand at the river bank you will find a muddy mess. A vehicle with good traction, good clearance, and not much concern for aesthetics can be driven down a rough dirt road to this point. It's not far but it would save what would be a chore to carry up. We had
other cars parked at the road in a large clearing.
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Mud waller at the take-out
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SAFETY WARNING
