DeKalb County, Alabama
Waterfalls Near Fort Payne, AL
9 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Fort Payne, 2 of them inside 10 miles. The nearest is Little River Falls, 6.3 miles southeast of town. De Soto Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.8 stars from 568 Google reviews).
Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.
Best Waterfalls Near Fort Payne at a Glance
9 Waterfalls Near Fort Payne, Ranked by Distance
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Little River Falls
Little River Falls is the closest named waterfall to Fort Payne, 6.3 miles to the southeast in DeKalb County. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Fort Payne. Water rushing over rocks into a deep pool, with swimming holes & an observation deck.
- Rating
- 4.8 (174 Google reviews)
- Address
- DeKalb County, AL 35973 (GPS 34.3951, -85.6269)
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Little Falls
Little Falls lies 8.1 miles northeast of Fort Payne in DeKalb County, number 2 of 9 by distance. It ranks 8th for review count among waterfalls near Fort Payne.
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 Google reviews)
- Address
- DeKalb County, AL 35984 (GPS 34.5193, -85.6105)
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De Soto Falls
De Soto Falls lies 10 miles northeast of Fort Payne in DeKalb County, number 3 of 9 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Fort Payne. Waterfall on the West Fork of the Little River & named after the Spanish explorer, Fernando de Soto.
- Rating
- 4.8 (568 Google reviews)
- Address
- DeKalb County, AL 35984 (GPS 34.5490, -85.5905)
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Griffin Falls
Griffin Falls lies 16 miles southwest of Fort Payne in DeKalb County, number 4 of 9 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near Fort Payne. Its own nearest town is Crossville.
- Rating
- 4.4 (40 Google reviews)
- Address
- DeKalb County, AL 35962 (GPS 34.2874, -85.9304)
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Swindell Falls
Swindell Falls lies 17 miles southwest of Fort Payne in DeKalb County, number 5 of 9 by distance. It ranks 7th for review count among waterfalls near Fort Payne. Its own nearest town is Crossville.
- Rating
- 5.0 (2 Google reviews)
- Address
- DeKalb County, AL 35961 (GPS 34.2773, -85.9385)
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High Falls
High Falls lies 20 miles west of Fort Payne in DeKalb County, number 6 of 9 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Fort Payne. Its own nearest town is Crossville.
- Rating
- 4.7 (47 Google reviews)
- Address
- DeKalb County, AL 35951 (GPS 34.4001, -86.0680)
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High Falls
High Falls lies 28 miles north of Fort Payne in Jackson County, number 7 of 9 by distance. It ranks 6th for review count among waterfalls near Fort Payne. Its own nearest town is Bridgeport.
- Rating
- 4.2 (12 Google reviews)
- Address
- Jackson County, AL 35966 (GPS 34.8373, -85.6416)
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Little Falls
Little Falls lies 28 miles north of Fort Payne in Jackson County, number 8 of 9 by distance. It ranks 9th for review count among waterfalls near Fort Payne. Its own nearest town is Bridgeport.
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 Google reviews)
- Address
- Jackson County, AL 35979 (GPS 34.8465, -85.6410)
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Short Creek Falls
Short Creek Falls lies 29 miles west of Fort Payne in Marshall County, number 9 of 9 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near Fort Payne. Its own nearest town is Albertville.
- Rating
- 3.4 (28 Google reviews)
- Address
- Marshall County, AL 35951 (GPS 34.3224, -86.2043)
Where the Waterfalls Are
Fort Payne sits in or near the Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain area of Alabama. The plateau country of northeast Alabama holds the state's best-known falls. On Lookout Mountain in DeKalb County, the Little River cuts a canyon into the plateau, and Little River Falls, De Soto Falls on the river's West Fork, High Falls and Griffin Falls all lie within a short drive of Fort Payne. At the southern tip of the mountain, Noccalula Falls drops about 90 feet into a gorge on the edge of Gadsden and is surrounded by a large city park. Across the Tennessee River valley, Sand Mountain in Marshall County has smaller tiered cascades such as Thompson Falls and Short Creek Falls, which run best after rain. Read the Alabama waterfall guide.
By direction from Fort Payne: 2 to the north, 2 to the northeast, 2 to the southwest, 2 to the west, and 1 to the southeast. They are spread across DeKalb County (6), Jackson County (2), and Marshall County (1). The average distance is 18.1 miles.
By Distance
Within 10 miles of Fort Payne
Little River Falls (6.3 mi), Little Falls (8.1 mi)
10 to 20 miles of Fort Payne
De Soto Falls (10 mi), Griffin Falls (16 mi), Swindell Falls (17 mi)
20 to 30 miles of Fort Payne
High Falls (20 mi), High Falls (28 mi), Little Falls (28 mi), Short Creek Falls (29 mi)
Nearby Towns With Waterfalls
Waterfalls Near Fort Payne: FAQs
How many waterfalls are near Fort Payne, AL?
9 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Fort Payne: 2 within 10 miles, 3 10 to 20 miles, 4 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What is the closest waterfall to Fort Payne?
Little River Falls in DeKalb County is the closest, about 6.3 miles southeast of Fort Payne.
What is the best-rated waterfall near Fort Payne?
De Soto Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 4.8 stars from 568 Google reviews.
Which counties are the waterfalls near Fort Payne in?
DeKalb County (6), Jackson County (2), and Marshall County (1).
How does Fort Payne compare with other Alabama towns?
Fort Payne ranks 4th of the 25 Alabama towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.