Alabama whitewater - Cahaba River, Jefferson County Jefferson county, Lovick Bridge to Grants Mill section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II     5.9 miles   I recently paddled this part of the Cahaba and had a blast. Although it does have a class II rating I only encountered four areas where the river produced what I would call true rapids. Most of these areas were short two to three foot falls followed by a run produced by the current. And one was just a long series of wide wave trains. I did enjoy the rapids but even a novice paddler with a few trips under their belt could handle this section. The only bad part was the long flats inbetween the rapids. I was lucky in that I timed my trip two days after a heavy     rain so the current was nice and steady. If not for that I would have been exhausted from paddling across the flats. Luckily the scenery is good and there is plenty of wildlife to enjoy. The put in at Lovic bridge is tricky. Its a pretty steep grade and full of mud and sand. I ended up just getting in my canoe and slidding down the hill into the water. Thats a good way to flip so take a friend and you could rope your boat down much easier. The take out at Grants Mill is alot nicer. It has a nice gravel parking lot and a concrete ramp down to the river with a concrete docking pad in the water. You NEED to go look at the take out before you go on your trip though. The take out is nice but its positioned weirdly. You come down river to it after your last rapid and if the water is up or moving along well then you really have to   back paddle to make the docking pad. Also if you miss the pad the current picks up dead even with the pad and will take you on down river before you realize it. Just check the weather and the USGS sites for the water level and better yet go look at it at the put in and the take out to get a better idea if you can. The Cahaba is a great river to paddle it just isnt forgiving if its high or low! Says Big Mick The average whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master in this state than those in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that rivers here are less forgiving. The wonderful Alabama scenery and the cool fresh water beats anything. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, around here you'll find a large number of good rivers. A good workout and spending some quality time in nature will have you coming back for more. The starting location is a short drive from Birmingham-Hoover, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The Lovick Bridge to Grants Mill section of Cahaba River in Jefferson County is 5.9 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class II section of whitewater. This stretch has has enough mileage, good for a one day paddling trip. This is one of a small number of paddling sections in this river system, there are a few others too. If you'll be staying in a hotel you're in luck, lodging is available very near the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. There's camping available near Cahaba River. Briefly about the general area: A tour to Weems Gap is always fun. Through the days of summer highs here at Cahaba River reach the 80's while overnight lows are ordinarily in the 60's. The winter comes with highs in the 50's; winter nights come with lows in the 30's to Cahaba River. Cahaba River mostly gets a lot of precipitation; March is the wettest month with most rain; the driest month of the year is October. Cahaba River, Lovick Bridge to Grants Mill road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II Length: 5.9 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 33.55419 Longitude: -86.6139 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 33.48519 Longitude: -86.70851 Paddler input for Cahaba River, Alabama: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Cahaba River, Alabama Local climate location: BIRMINGHAM FAA AP 17 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites BIRMINGHAM-IRONDALE (EAST), Irondale Stay Smart at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Birmingham East-Irondale, where you®ll find comfort and luxury meeting side by side. The pet friendly Holiday Inn Express is located I-20 at exi... Quality Inn Birmingham, Irondale 2 miles away The quality Inn located in Irondale alabama, a century of southern heritage at the threshold of new horizons nestled in the heart of alabama. Perfectly located as a hometown of 10,000 people and over... Americas Best Value Inn, Irondale 3 miles away Nestled in the heart of Alabama, on the eastern edge of Jefferson County, the Americas Best Value Inn Irondale is a three story, exterior corridor facility that offers 86 spacious guestrooms. Our attr...   All Alabama Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Alabama. Books about whitewater paddling on Cahaba River, Alabama List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Cahaba River, Alabama. Find a whitewater outfitter in Alabama Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama, the metro area neareast to Cahaba River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Cahaba River.   Whitewater Near Cahaba River: Cahaba River, Jefferson County , 8 miles away, Class I-II - 7 miles long (US Route 11 to County Route 10) Yellowleaf Creek - North Fork, -blank- County , 9 miles away, Class III+ - 1.5 miles long (Ivy Branch to Old Highway 280) Gurley Creek, Blount / Jefferson County , 16 miles away, Class II-III - 3.5 miles long (Narrows Road to State Route 79) Warrior River - Blackburn Fork, Blount County , 22 miles away, Class I-III(V) - 4.5 miles long (Dirt Road off Route 15 to Route 1) Warrior River - Calvert Prong of the Locust Fork, Blount County , 25 miles away, Class II-III - 2.2 miles long (CR 33 to Deavers Town Road) Mill Creek, Blount County , 25 miles away, Class III - 0.5 miles long (Rt. 31 to Dirt Road off CR 5) Chitwood Creek, Blount County , 25 miles away, Class III-IV - 3.2 miles long (CR 1 to CR 33) Warrior River - Locust Fork, Blount County , 27 miles away, Class II-III+ - 7 miles long (US 231/79 to Nectar Bridge) Warrior River - Locust Fork, Blount County , 27 miles away, Class I-III - 10 miles long (CR 1 to US Route 231) Mulberry Fork, Cullman/Blount County , 28 miles away, Class I-II - 10.8 miles long (Old US Route 31 to bridge above I-65)   Hotels Near Cahaba River: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites BIRMINGHAM-IRONDALE (EAST), Irondale , 1 miles away Quality Inn Birmingham, Irondale , 2 miles away Americas Best Value Inn, Irondale , 3 miles away Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham SE/Liberty Park, Vestavia Hills , 4 miles away Park Inn Birmingham Airport, Birmingham , 4 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Cahaba River: Holiday Travel Park, Leeds, 7 miles away City of Hoover RV Park, Hoover, 13 miles away Pelham Koa Kampground, Pelham, 17 miles away   Golf Courses Near Cahaba River: Roebuck Golf Course, Birmingham , 5 miles away   Lakes Near Cahaba River