Little River Canyon filled with cool stuff

By Scott Wright

LITTLE RIVER FALLS — The Little River Canyon National Preserve is officially in its 15th year, but Park Ranger Larry Beane said the National Park Service continues to look for new and innovative ways to help visitors take advantage of natural beauty millions of years in the making.

Little River Canyon is 12 miles long and about 550 feet deep. It was carved out of sandstone by Little River, the longest mountaintop river in the Southeast. The river begins at 1,900 ft. above sea level on Lookout Mountain and drops to 650 ft. above sea level at Weiss Lake.

The preserve that encloses the canyon protects over 14,000 acres of the 199-square-mile Little River watershed and many rare and endangered species of plants and animals.

Beane talked excitedly about the four main criteria which led to creation of the preserve in 1992: scenic beauty, natural resources, recreation and cultural resources such as history and archaeology.

"Everybody's been coming here to have fun for a long time, so the recreation is written in," said Beane. "But the National Park Service also protects the natural resources and this preserve has over 100 rare species of plants and animals."

Beane, a park ranger since 1982, said three of those are considered endangered and two more are on the list of threatened species.

"There are others that occur no where else on earth other than in Little River Canyon," Beane said. "There are at least six or seven bugs that aren't anywhere else and one plant that is supposed to be in two other places, depending on who you ask."
Beane said those plants are examples of the unique beauty he points out to park guests who take part in the programs he is conducting this summer from various points along the canyon rim.

Park expanding programs

Beane has already led sessions on geology and fossils, wildlife, unique plants and wildflowers, snakes, and history. He also held a special children's program in July that focused on fish and plant life. Additional programs are scheduled for most weekends through Oct. 6.

"We have new brochures now and we're putting up bulletin boards in places," Beane said. "We're trying to get the information out to the public. We have schedules of all the programs we're doing and we've increased those programs a great deal."

Beane said in the past, most Park Service programs have been conducted in conjunction with Jacksonville State University, which operates a field school nearby.

As he and the Park Service become more familiar with the area, however, they are creating more and more new programs of their own design. He said participation typically ranges anywhere from five to around 20.

"I consider five to be successful, but I had 33 at the geology program I conducted last Saturday," he said. "A few came late because the yard sale was in their way, but that was still a record turnout."

This month, Beane will conduct a history walk Aug. 19, another children's program on Aug. 25 and a wildflower walkabout from an overlook on Highway 176 (Canyon Rim Drive) on Aug. 26.

"The wildflower walk from Lynn Overlook is something we do several times a year," Beane explained. "It is the neatest spot in the park -- has the best biology. You can go there and see some unique things all in one place."

Regarding the history hike, Beane said anyone who takes part is sure to learn some little-known facts about the park.

"There was a gristmill sitting on Little River Falls that was operated by a man named Hill," Beane said. "Actually, the grind stone and the axle are still in the water down below the falls. We don't have anywhere to store them right now so we're just hoping they will stay there and stay as protected as they have for the last 100 years."

Beane said some people are hopeful the grind stone and other artifacts from the park will eventually be displayed in the new Little River Canyon Center.

Groundbreaking was held in June for the 25,000-square-foot facility. When it opens in 2009 the center will house the Jacksonville State University field school, office space and for the National Park Service, a visitor center, classrooms and an exhibit hall.

Next month, Beane has programs planned for Sept. 9 (wildflowers and insects), Sept. 22 (geology of Little River Canyon), Sept. 23 (wildflower walk), and Sept. 29 (history hike). The final program of the year is Oct. 6 (camouflage critters).

Beane said his goal is to help to create a memorable park experience for all the different types of visitors who make their way to Little River Canyon. Sometimes, he said, it helps visitors if they have someone to point out examples of the reasons the Little River Canyon National Preserve was created in the first place.

"Otherwise, visiting the park can be like driving down the interstate," Beane said. "You miss the small, interesting stuff."

A National Preserve is a designation applied by Congress to protected areas that have characteristics similar to National Parks but where certain activities not allowed in National Parks are permitted.

At Little River Canyon, visitors are welcome to swim, hike and fish in designated areas. Alcoholic beverages, firearms and jumping from the falls are not allowed. It is also illegal to pick wildflowers growing inside the preserve.

For more information about Little River Canyon National Preserve, visit www.nps.gov/liri or call 256-845-9605.