IF YOU GO
Created by an act of Congress in 1992, the Little River Canyon National Preserve encompasses nearly 14,000 acres in northeast Alabama. Managed by the National Park Service, its main geologic feature is a rugged, narrow, 600-foot deep canyon across Lookout Mountain — the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River. Steep, sandstone cliffs tower above the canyon floor.
The Little River, which carved the canyon, is unique because it flows for most of its length atop the mountain — the nation’s longest mountaintop river. Boasting three waterfalls, the river also is among the cleanest and wildest waterways in the South.
The preserve’s geology and other features make it a haven for more than 100 rare, endangered or threatened state or federally listed plant and animal species. A 23-mile scenic drive allows visitors to view the canyon and other features at several overlooks. A short paved trail provides views of the biggest waterfall, Little River Falls. A day-use area at the mouth of the canyon provides places for picnics and swimming.
Little River Canyon National Preserve. Visitor center: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed on most major holidays. Free admission to the park except for $3 user fee at the canyon mouth picnic area. All areas of the park are open only during daylight hours. 472 Ala. 35, Fort Payne, Ala. (about a two-hour drive from Atlanta). 256-845-9605, nps.gov/liri
In our never-ending quest for rare and interesting plants, several of us Georgia Botanical Society members ventured last weekend into northeast Alabama to explore the late summer flora of the Little River Canyon National Preserve — said to be the nation’s deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River.
The main stem of the Little River, which carved out the canyon over eons of time, also is said to be unique because it flows for almost all of its 23 miles atop Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, Ala.
Our botanizing took place at one of the several sandstone outcrops and related “sandstone glades” along the canyon’s rim. A glade is an open area where the bedrock is at or near the surface, and where soils are so thin, trees and shrubs find it tough to grow. Yet, several rare and unique plants thrive there because of the chemistry and other conditions that the habitat provides.
One such plant that we especially wanted to see was the Menges' fameflower, or large-flowered rock-pink (Phemeranthus mengesii). It grows in shallow pockets lined with thin layers of soil in the exposed bedrock.
A peculiarity of the plant is that its dark pink flowers bloom only a few hours in the afternoon, beginning around 2 p.m. or so, noted our leader, Richard Ware of Rome. It was not blooming yet when we arrived, so we went about examining some of the glade’s other rare wildflowers that were in bloom — including the purple small-headed blazing star; the bright yellow Lookout Mountain tickseed (found only in Alabama); the longleaf sunflower; and the Nuttall’s rayless goldenrod.
Then, we heard Richard yell: “The rock-pink is blooming.” We hurried across the rocky terrain to see the elusive flower and get a photo. The blooms, we were told, would last only two to four hours, and then would be gone.
In the sky: From David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer: Autumn officially begins (autumnal equinox) at 4:21 a.m. Wednesday. The moon will be first-quarter Sunday, in the south at dusk. Mercury is low in the west just after sunset. Brightly shining Venus is low in the east just before sunrise. Mars rises out of the east about an hour before sunrise. Saturn is in the southwest just after dark and sets just before midnight. Jupiter is becoming visible again — in the predawn sky, just below Venus and Mars in the east. Coming up Sept. 27: A "really nice" full lunar eclipse that will commence at 9:06 p.m.
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