Collier Creek Falls - Bankhead

“I've been told that there is a "large falls" on Collier Creek along with a beautiful waterfall further down the creek.

You are supposed to access the creek by going through the lumber yard in Grayson.

Can anyone tell me where to find the "large falls" on Collier Creek? I'd rather not bushwhack too far in without knowing where I should be looking.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.”

“I can't say as I have ever been down that way in the Bankhead but looking at the map it looks like you should hit some falls fairly soon after leaving Grayson : note the contour lines around where I marked map . In general I would say to drop into the drainage north east of Grayson and just head downstream. If you prefer hiking up stream there appears to be a road off of Mt Olive Road just east of the turn off for Grayson leading down to where Collier Creek meets Brushy Creek and then you can hike upstream but I am betting that the falls are up fairly close to Grayson just looking at the map.
last edited: 7/12/05 7:12:03 AM”

“I was looking at my trail map last night and focused in on the same area. It looked, to me, like the section beginning just where you marked to about 1/2 mile downstream was the best area to search for both falls.

HOI, you up for some bushwhacking? ;-)”

“BTW, this is one of the falls I've been told (by the photographer) is on Collier Creek. It's not the "large falls" but further down stream.


last edited: 7/12/05 10:17:45 AM”

“its not that its a little warm right now but its more like the 11 hour drive that cuts down my bushwhacking time in the Bankhead - maybe latter this fall - either before or after the Sipsey Trail Maint. trip.”

“Very nice falls”

“Oops. Wrong thread...

EDITED
last edited: 7/12/05 10:52:59 AM”

“Here is the e-mail from the photographer. The book he is refering to will be out by early August. It's called "Alabama Canyons, The Bankhead National Forest" and will be for sale at Books-A-Million:

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I just realized, it is Collier creek. If you start at the headwaters from the large falls you walk thru several waterfalls during the wet season and when you get to that one [THE ONE IN THE PICTURE] it is very pretty..not really big, but nice.

Wait to you see the ones in the book. It has directions to all the good spots and you can see thru the pictures step by step what you will see.

I left Collier Creek out of the book for one reason and that is that you have to go thru Grayson and into the lumber yard to get to the beginning and I really did not know if was safe to do so.”

“Very cool. I can't wait to buy a copy. Can you say the authors name online?”

“Hello HM. My wife and I visited the two falls in Collier Creek canyon last March. The best access I know is from Winston County Road 63 (also called Cheatham Rd). CR 63 crosses Collier Creek at approx. N34 16.414, W87 19.270 (this is an estimate; I may have GPS coords at home, and if so, I'll let you know). There is room to pull off the road here on the shoulder, and the creek itself at this point is rather small. This was an off-trail hike, but just following the creek eastward (downstream) from CR 63 will lead to the canyon at the upper falls. There is mountain laurel on the ridges there, so this time of year it would not be an easy hike. Also, there are not many ways down to the canyon floor; the one we found was about halfway between the upper and lower falls, after leaving the creek and traveling over the ridge through the brush. At the upper falls, which you can see from above if you hike in that way from the road, keeping along the creek instead of cutting across the ridge, there is massive deteriorating stonework from an old mill or trestle. The picture you showed looked like the lower falls, though there was not as much water flow when we visited. There is a great pools at the bottom, though. To go from the lower falls to the upper falls within the canyon involves many rock-hops across the creek, but all were easy that time of year. I estimate the distance from CR 63 to the lower falls is about three miles, less than that to the upper falls.”

“After checking my photos, the picture you posted doesn't look like either of the Collier Creek falls I visited, though it's hard to be sure because of the difference in water flow. This is a picture I took of the lower falls.
”

“Here is a shot of the upper falls:
”

“@madseason: YOU ROCK! Thank you for the directions! I hope I can do you a favor sometime.

@dayhiker: Yes. I'm sorry. I thought I had. He's Charles Seifried and his web site is http://www.seifriedphoto.com

He's a great photographer and already has one book out.”

“When ya going? I would like to do a trip this weekend at Sipsey if someone wants to go. Drop me a e-mail if interested.”

“Man, yall are brave going in this heat.

HikerMike, thanks for the link.”

“PS. HikerMike, what part of the state are you? I'm east of B'ham by about 30 minutes.”

“@dayhiker: I'm in Birmingham near the northern I-459/I-59 interchange. Very close to Medical Center East. East of B'ham by 30 mins could be Springville or Pell City. Am I close?

@karo: As much as I'd LOVE to take you up on the offer, my wife & I have to go to Dallas for a conference next weekend so if we hike this weekend, it will be with the kids. Now... with that said, if my wife doesn't want to go this weekend then I'm open for bidness. :-)

I'll let you know by tomorrow in this thread or via e-mail if you want.

Anyone else wanna go if I can't (or even if I can)?
last edited: 7/12/05 6:44:15 PM”

“Bring the kids, I am still a big kid myself. I am of work this week, so I could be down there on Friday. I will ask a few people around here and see if they want to go.”

“may your nether regions stay free from ticks and chiggers...have fun..it's about 40 degrees too warm for the Sips to get me out”

“I thought about going to the Smokies or somewhere in East Tn, NC or VA for the weekend. I gotta get out somewhere or I'll go crazy. Two week annual shutdown and I haven't done anything since July 4th. Between Cindy (the Tropical Storm) and Dennis the Menace raining on our vacation last weekend, I have had no vacation. I am caught up around the house except my daughter is moving on Thursday. I figure I can stay in the water at Sipsey as much as possible.”

“nissan's been shut down for 2-3 weeks also...car makers do it july 4th, and then x-mas-new years”

“OPIE - I hear ya. It'll be Nov before I can even think of going. You need to email Bama, btw.

HikinMike - you hit it the 2nd time. I was going to email you to say hi, but your email isn't listed in your profile.”

“I too will probably be waiting for fall before returning to Sipsey --- hoping for an early cool weekend in September. Have fun, those of you going. Hope to meet you soon on the trail.

Hiker Mike, sounds like you live very near me. I am in Roebuck Springs, maybe a mile from where Roebuck Mazda used to be on Parkway East. My wife used to work at Med Center East.”

“@dayhiker: I was in Pell City 2 weekends ago. There is a nice blueberry & blackberry u-pick-it farm there. We took the kids on Sunday afternoon. I'll put my e-mail address in my profile.

@madseason: Sounds really close. I live in Roebuck Plaza very near the Elks Lodge. I take it Roebuck Springs is near the Roebuck Spring that begins Village Creek. My grandfather worked at Roebuck VW/Mazda for many, many years. I still miss the old McDonald's that was next door. Best fries on the planet...”

“I know Roebuck Plaza --- seems like I pass near the Elks lodge when I head to Trussville on US 11.

Roebuck Springs is just slightly closer in to Birmingham than that. I'm nestled on a ridge about halfway between I-59 and Ruffner Mountain (Rutherford Drive area). Where Gadsden Highway hits Center Point Pkwy you would turn left (away from Ctr Pt) to go up my way.”

“you've got mail”