Hurricane Creek Park — Attraction in Cullman

This is a State Park you DO NOT want to miss!!! It has a very small parking area and a building that looked like it had a purpose at one time, but was closed. So when you first start on the trail, you really don't know what to expect. Immediately, you can hear the waterfalls and could barely see the top of it through the trees as you first make your way down the first part of the trail that had steps that were not spaced properly but help you navigate the terrain. The trails can be very challenging to get to the bottom of the falls! There are MANY steep steps and if you are not in shape for a hike, this isn't the place for you. Just a gentle warning. I myself, could not complete the journey to the bottom of the falls and chose to stay and sit on some rocks in the sun where I could hear the falls and enjoy the breathtaking view! My husband took our dog and went on the "short" version of the hike to the falls. He was breathing rather heavily by the time he came back to me. Lol. He's in good shape, so I thought it was humorous that he was so winded. The trail is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! I would dare say it was one of he most beautiful falls we have ever been to and it is so worth the climbing and navigating the hills, rocks, and awkward stairs! There are many steps and when we started on the trail, I had noticed several "natural" wooden walking sticks that before us had left so others could use them while hiking the paths. Dogs are welcome as long as they stay leashed. It is a green Oasis and there is so much to take in. I recommend this stop with a hundred stars if I could. And I didn't even make it all the way to the bottom of the falls! It's breathtaking, natural, unspoiled with litter. It can be a challenge for some people to get to the waterfall, but is so worth the effort! Just an FYI, I read several comments that people's navigation took them to a private house or a completely wrong destination. We had no trouble at all using Google Maps. I just didn't understand how some people had those terrible experiences, when we found it with ease, they even had signs pointing to Hurricane Park. Our experience was totally the opposite of many reviews! Follow your GPS and you will get there just...

The park is located at the steep entrance to a small canyon. There are 2 main trails and many shortcuts created by regular users of the park. The trails are not well maintained and besides a few signs not blazed, which might be a bit confusing but rest assured you cannot get lost. The climb in and out of the canyon is a bit of a workout and not stroller or wheelchair accessible. The trails are adventurous including passing through small waterfalls (wait for some good rain the day before your visit), over riggedy bridges, sharp switchbacks with a 30 feet drop off, end on bluffs and are as much fun as you can find on a trail. A fieldstone dam creates a nice swimming hole that you can reach using a shortcut that starts under the porch of the entrance building. A great variety of wildflowers is located alongside the creek and climbing the opposite side of the canyon, the trail will lead you through Mountain Laurel thickets sprinkled with high blueberry bushes while box elders and big leaf magnolias are abundant throughout the park. The twilight tunnel is a highpoint of every visit but I realized that I like it better when climbing up than down. Several bluffs in the 40' - 80' height range provide anchor points for repelling. Best time to go is during wildflower bloom, when blueberries are ripe, rain enhanced waterfalls and creeks, or you want a short hike with densely...

A beautiful park overall with some challenging hiking trails. NOTE: Trails are very technical and are poorly maintained and marked at times. Some stretches of the trail have no railings and steep drop offs. I would not recommend approaching this if you don’t have good hiking footwear and/or aren’t in good shape fitness-wise. Also, some wooden bridges you’ll encounter on the trail are rickety and need attention (particularly the one near the park entrance). The park has some sort of maintenance building at the front that appears to have been abandoned; note that this means there are no bathroom facilities etc here. There are also signs stating that you can rent repelling gear on site; all of that appears to have been shut down as well.That said, you’ll get some great views and there’s some nice...