Reviews

Eric B

Quick walk from the parking lot to the falls viewing area down a flight of cement steps. At the landing you can walk out on top of the falls and you can walk to the end of the railing along the cliff and see the full length of the falls. A dam right above the falls forms a lake in front of the parking lot. Nice peaceful area. Restrooms there and a they are building an attached gift shop and heating the whole thing so it can be used on a more year round basis instead of shutting the water down during the winter. Worth a stop if you are nearby.

Julie Turner

My cousin and I spent 3 days at the state park primitive campground. It was so quiet and peaceful. The entire park was well appointed. The hiking paths were clear and easily accessible.

VICTORY Redemption

🌲 DeSoto State Park – A Hidden Gem in Alabama! 🌊 DeSoto State Park is truly a gem! Conveniently located just eight miles northeast of Fort Payne, Alabama, it’s nestled atop the breathtaking Lookout Mountain. The park is surrounded by rushing waterfalls, peaceful trails, and the sweet fragrance of wildflowers that will absolutely take your breath away. The cabins are gorgeous — so well maintained and beautifully kept! The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the trails, always ready to help and share great tips. And the restaurant… Wow! The food is absolutely amazing, full of flavor, and served with such warm hospitality. From the peace and tranquility of nature to the soothing sound of the waterfalls, this place is pure healing for the soul. I didn’t want to leave! I can’t wait to come back and experience this slice of paradise again. 🌿💧✨

Laura McCann

This is officially one of my favorite state parks now! Everyone was so friendly! The staff and campers. I felt very welcome here. Lots and lots of stuff to do with just the campground! Including the DeSoto falls. The only negative thing was the roads in and out we're so dangerously steep. But if you can make the climb, then it's definitely worth this stay!

Kaja SWIEB

Beautiful place, waterfalls, hiking trails, pool and campground. Restaurant open on the weekends. Different picnic areas, dog friendly. Some easy hikes and some strenuous if you want to get to the bottom of DeSoto falls.

Adrianna Libersat

We’ve camped here two years in a row and drive the 13 hours because we LOVE it here. It’s so nice and calm in primitive camping. Theres the options to showers and flush toilets in the main campground included if you’d like them. Some good little hikes in the area & our dog just loves the fall foliage

Lisa Johnson

We have held the Johnson family reunion here for 40 something years now where most of our family from all over the southeast US converges to enjoy a long weekend together. We always enjoy our time here whether we're in an A-frame chalet or a rustic cabin. They have two dog friendly cabins which we always take advantage of, as well as a fire pit (bring camp chairs), a front porch that used to be screened (but is no longer screened and that is something I do miss). There is a fully equipped kitchen, although I always prefer to pack my favorite easy-clean pans, skillets and utensils. The cabins have a wood-burning fireplace indoors as well so the cabins typically do smell a bit like campfire indoors-something to note if you were sensitive to that. Their front desk is always helpful with information regarding the local hikes available. There is a park, a volleyball court, and a swimming pool, on site as well as a store with basic food and camping supplies and gifts. You can buy firewood there as well as fire starters, lighters etc. at the country store they have also subtracted the screaming eagle zip line and that's something you can also pay to do. It's about $70 per person which is a little bit steep considering the zip line but our two teenagers had fun doing this. There's also a kayaking tour available nearby and that something a big group of our family did together that was fun. There are trails right from the state park as well as numerous local trails and things to do. De Soto Falls in Indian River, Falls and Little River Canyon scenic Drive, and Little River Canyon Center are also something I'd recommend along the way. The country music group Alabama has a museum about 20 minutes away since they are from Fort Payne as well. Because there is bear activity, you have to take your trash to the front desk to dispose of it and dumpsters. We have over the years, found a dead scorpion between our sheets, and this particular year ticks are extremely active and have had multiple people with ticks on them, even not being in the woods just walking through the grass so just a heads up to remember to check for ticks! This is a state park that we really enjoy.

Anthony Stowe (Future Speed PC)

We had a wonderful time. There's so much to do here. The campground is clean and well-maintained. The campground itself has plenty to do, but there there's a lot of sightseeing around the area. Caves, mountains, canyons, waterfalls plenty of God's beautiful creation to take in. We spent a full week packed with activities. The number one

Susan Hardee

First, I’ll start with the campground ⛺️. Hands down the best campground I’ve camped at to date. The ladies at the Country Store where you check in are super friendly and very helpful. Warning cell service in the campground is very limited and the only service that works is Starlink. Also, deer frequently run through the campground so take care about leaving food out unless you don’t mind sharing with the wildlife. Second, De Soto Falls is about 7 miles up the road. Very beautiful man made falls surrounded by the beauty of nature, some very cool artistic stairs, and a very cold mountain water lake. No shore fishing permitted and its swim at your own risk. And again, warning no cell service available here. You have to get five miles towards town before you pick up cell service. Third, this is the home town of the band Alabama so if you’re a fan you can drive in to the historic downtown area and take selfies with their statues.

Sheryl Scott

Can't say enough good things about this park. Great sites. Pretty private. Super clean. Peaceful. Lots of trails. The waterfall is close. Fort Payne is also close, and a cute little town.

Mark McGraw

First time visiting here, and it is such an amazing place. We live two hours away, so it's not a bad drive. There are plenty of things to do with family, and they even have a nice playground for the kids. The falls were awesome and easy to get to. We also ate breakfast at the lodge, which was very good. All of the staff at the park are very friendly and do a great job.

Lydia Nelson

Christmas camping was the best! We dos most of the trails amid camped 6 nights at the campground. Was absolutely beautiful but super cold forest couple days but we had warm clothes and were able to explore and see some awesome views and waterfalls. The store is great to grab a soda or stop at bathroom coming or going to hiking trails. Camping was great but I think arriving Christmas Day and the super cold weather kept people away so it was pretty empty. That being said I can’t imagine how busy and crowded it would be over spring and summer breaks. But definitely a great memory maker it was for Christmas 2024!