The best historic waterfalls in Alabama are Georgia Falls, Noccalula Falls, De Soto Falls and 6 more. Falls with a written record: a USGS naming history, a gazetteer description or older recorded names.
See every waterfall on the Alabama waterfalls page or the Alabama waterfall map, or browse by town: East Florence, Gadsden, Fort Payne, Wetumpka, Smiths Station, Pelham.
How we picked: We took the 9 publicly accessible Alabama waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
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1. Georgia Falls
Georgia Falls is a named waterfall about 1.7 miles southeast of East Florence. USGS notes: Approx. 70 ft. high. On the S side of the Tennessee River below Wilson Dam, where water from Wilson Lake seeps through bedrock and flows over a cut rock face
Colbert County, AL (GPS 34.7941, -87.6265)
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Approx. 70 ft. high. On the S side of the Tennessee River below Wilson Dam, where water from Wilson Lake seeps through bedrock and flows over a cut rock face. Name history: Named for Georgia Myrick (2005-2017), who died at the base of the falls. The nearest town is East Florence, about 1.7 miles to the northwest. The nearest other named waterfall is The Fall Off, about 16.8 miles to the southeast.
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2. Noccalula Falls
Noccalula Falls, near Gadsden, is next up, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 1,271 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: 90 feet high. Located in sec 29,T11S,R6E, Huntsville Meridian. Older records also call it Nachalula Falls and Black Creek Falls. Visitors rate it 4.7 stars across 1,271 Google reviews. The nearest town is Gadsden, about 2.1 miles to the southeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Swindell Falls, about 17.0 miles to the north.
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3. De Soto Falls
De Soto Falls, near Fort Payne, is next up, rated 4.8 out of 5 from 568 reviews.
DeKalb County, AL 35984 (GPS 34.5490, -85.5905)
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Vertical drop of 104 feet, Located in sec 4,T6S,R10E, Huntsville Meridian. Older records also call it DeSoto Falls. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 568 Google reviews. The nearest town is Fort Payne, about 10 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Little Falls, about 2.3 miles to the southwest.
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4. Wetumpka Falls
Wetumpka Falls near Wetumpka rounds out this stretch of the list, rated 3.6 out of 5 from 13 reviews. Visitors come here for walking.
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Older records also call it Wetumke Falls and Wetumkee Falls. Visitors rate it 3.6 stars across 13 Google reviews. The nearest town is Wetumpka, about 0.8 miles to the west. The nearest other named waterfall is Tallapoosa Falls (historical), about 18.3 miles to the east.
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5. Great Falls
Great Falls near Smiths Station rounds out this stretch of the list, rated 4.6 out of 5 from 82 reviews.
Lee County, AL 36874 (GPS 32.5087, -85.1842)
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Older records also call it We-tum-cau Falls. Visitors rate it 4.6 stars across 82 Google reviews. The nearest town is Smiths Station, about 5.4 miles to the northeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Cascade Falls, about 37.8 miles to the northeast.
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6. Peavine Falls
Peavine Falls near Pelham is another strong option, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 57 reviews.
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Older records also call it Peavine Waterfalls. Visitors rate it 4.5 stars across 57 Google reviews. The nearest town is Pelham, about 3.4 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Davis Falls, about 15.3 miles to the southwest.
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7. Great Falls
Great Falls near Ashland rounds out this stretch of the list, rated 2.0 out of 5 from 4 reviews.
Talladega County, AL 35160 (GPS 33.2507, -86.0183)
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Older records also call it Upper Falls. Visitors rate it 2.0 stars across 4 Google reviews. The nearest town is Ashland, about 11 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Rendalia Water Falls, about 9.5 miles to the west.
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8. Ragsdale Falls
Ragsdale Falls near Arab is another strong option, rated 1.5 out of 5 from 4 reviews.
Marshall County, AL 35976 (GPS 34.3345, -86.4092)
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Older records also call it Beech Creek Falls. Visitors rate it 1.5 stars across 4 Google reviews. The nearest town is Arab, about 5.1 miles to the west. The nearest other named waterfall is Thompson Falls, about 1.6 miles to the southwest.
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9. High Shoals Falls
High Shoals Falls near Roanoke is worth the drive, rated 2.3 out of 5 from 3 reviews.
Randolph County, AL 36274 (GPS 33.2371, -85.3328)
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Older records also call it High Shoal Falls. Visitors rate it 2.3 stars across 3 Google reviews. The nearest town is Roanoke, about 6.4 miles to the south. The nearest other named waterfall is Salt Creek Falls, about 37.7 miles to the northwest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best historic waterfall in Alabama?
Georgia Falls tops our 2026 list. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Approx. 70 ft. high. On the S side of the Tennessee River below Wilson Dam, where water from Wilson Lake seeps through bedrock and flows over a cut rock face. It is near East Florence in Colbert County.
How many historic waterfalls are in Alabama?
9 of the 37 waterfalls we track in Alabama qualify. This page ranks the top 9; every waterfall in the state is on the Alabama waterfalls page.
How was this list made?
We took the 9 publicly accessible Alabama waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
Which counties are they in?
The 9 on this list are in Colbert County, Etowah County, DeKalb County, Elmore County, Lee County, and Shelby County and others.
More Alabama Waterfalls by Type
- 10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Alabama
- 5 Most Visited Waterfalls in Alabama
- 5 Must-See Waterfalls in Alabama
Or browse every type on the historic waterfalls by state page and the waterfall types hub.