Town Creek, Alabama, US

2) High Falls to Lake Guntersville (Lower Town)

Usual Difficulty	II-III(V) (for normal flows)
Length	5.8 Miles
Avg. Gradient	44 fpm
Max Gradient	80 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
Town Cr near Geraldine
tva-tg007	250 - 2000 cfs	II-III(V)	02h27m	450 cfs (rc= 0.1 )
	Upper limit for best boatability uncertain. Please help your fellow boaters with a comment or report.

River Description

Town Creek is a nice introduction to creeking for aspiring Alabama Creekers. The put-in is just below High Falls (class 5), a 30- 35 foot near-vertical falls, which has been run on occasion.

The action starts quickly and continues all the way to the lake. There are class 3 rapids galore, some of which may have a few interesting slots and moves, though most are fairly staightforward. The canyon is heavily forested with large cliff bands up above.

About two-thirds of the way down the river lies the Blockage - a big class 5 that is normally portaged. There is always a bit of apprehension because the approach to the Blockage does not look that different from the entrances of many of the class 3 rapids crowding the run. Be aware of a larger than normal horizon line and get out and scout or portage on the left. The blockage is a steep rock bound series of chutes with some badly placed undercuts. An open boater was killed here a few years ago when he fell into the river and was washed into the rapid as he prepared to portage. It is often run by hardcore creekers who may be spending the day slumming on Town with less able friends.

Below the Blockage there are more class 3 rapids to the lake. The lake paddle is mild compared to some of the other Guntersville runs but there is a short hike up a hill at the take-out. This run is well worth doing especially for boaters who are not up to the tougher runs in the area. Then again, if you run High Falls and the Blockage, you've turned it into a pretty tough run.

DIRECTIONS TO PUT-IN AND TAKEOUT
From Ft.Payne take AL 35 west to Rainsville. In Rainsville turn south [left] on AL 75. Go 12.8 miles turn right on AL 277. After 4.5 miles turn left on County Road 356. After 1.5 miles turn left on CR 144. Follow CR 144 to a stop sign at 0.7 miles. Go straight across intersection thru gate into High Falls Park. Follow road to a parking lot and picnic area at 0.2 miles. Walk down hill to High Falls overlook. The trail to the put-in at the base of the falls heads down to the right from the overlook.

To get to the take out:
Go back out CR 144 to cr 356 turn right. Follow CR 356 to AL 277 turn left. AL 277 comes to a stop sigh in 1.5 miles turn left (staying on AL 277). Continue on AL 277 to the Marshall/Dekalb County line take out is along roadside 3 miles past county line. Lake Guntersville will come into view briefly on the left. The takeout is along here at a pull off with 4 wheeler trails going down to the lake. If you cross under a high voltage powerline you have driven past the pull off.

FINDING THE TAKEOUT FROM THE LAKE

The cars are not visible from the lake so here is a description of how to find the trail to the cars from the lake:

The lake paddle is about 1.5 miles, about a third of the way in there is a large wooded island on the right side of the channel. At about 1.3 miles there is a second small island in the middle of the channel with 4 or 5 trees growing on it. The trail is just beyond this island. Begin heading to the right shore. There is a small fishing shack. About 50 yards past the shack is a small creek coming into the lake, follow old road bed up along creek to AL 227.

NOTE: DO NOT USE THIS TAKEOUT:  This historic takeout  is initially on State Park lands however landowners have contacted AW to let us know that the trail promptly enters and crosses private, posted lands that are leased for hunting.  The landowners have asked that paddlers NOT USE this takeout, which requires use of private land.  Paddlers should find a new takeout and post it to this site as soon as possible. 

Whitewater Sourcebook, by Richard Penny (Menasha Ridge Press; 1989)

See also www.alabamawhitewater.com