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.
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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 AlabamaWhitewater 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.