Walls of Jericho Trail is a 6.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Estillfork, Alabama that features a waterfall and is rated as difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until November. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail.
Make sure you park on the AL side, there is a portable toilet and plenty of parking. Turn right at Clark Cemetery, don't go straight! Great hike, the trail is well marked the whole way with paint marks on trees. The trail was also well planned out as there is a lot of incline but not that steep at once. The last mile or so is pretty flat after crossing the river on the first bridge. There's an old cemetery of the Clark family from the late 1800s which is pretty cool. The final destination is awesome, a lot of water coming out of the rocks without seeing from where. It can be quite slippery at times. Estimated time of completion 4 - 5 hours.
This hike never disappoints! Water was flowing ok (not great), but definitely enough to make it worth the hike. Trail was dry and in great shape.
I apologize in advance for the lengthy review but it is absolutely necessary as I am an actual resident of the land.... this is LITERALLY my back yard so of course I LOVE this trail/Park , or this part of the Appalachians also known as God's Country It's usually heavily populated during the day, anytime of the year which also warrants alot of rescue operations, but as long as you do not veer off course you're good... this is my #1 favorite place in the .Not just because it is literally my backyard, but because it is as close to the Amazonian rainforest you can get in America,in my opinion if you go there and you're lucky enough to be one of the only ones out there find a park bench close your eyes and just listen, it's as if you have astrol projected yourself into the Amazonian rainforest. so many different varieties of birds chirping, water flowing, and the sound of wind whistling and flowing smoothly through the mountain Hollers. This is also known as the second home, and favorite hunting grounds for Davy Crockett. I am very proud to be from this area. Not only do I have tens of thousands of acres to hike, or hunt, but takes you back to an untouched Adam and Eve era type setting that not only humbles you, but seems impossible to justify with words not only is this the old home of Davy Crockett but it also belonged to my not so distant ancestors the Cherokee Indians. this area literally was at one time a very happening place for the Cherokee/Creek/Creet/some Blackfoot/Choctaw and Chippewa/ Chickasaw Natives. However the residents of this area were mainly Cherokee/Porch and Creek Indians. this area is very rich with artifacts in, and above ground. Do not get caught doing any kind of excavating/archeology around here though because if caught it comes a very large fine with jail time attached... people are caught far too often, and here lately a lot of construction projects have been stopped and have made top news due to either a vast amount of artifacts being found or Indian remains. I watched a documentary on this area and the archaeologist that was interviewed said that if you take a step in this whole North Central Northeast side of Alabama you are more than likely stepping on artifacts or some of your ancestors remains... this is one of the most heavily populated Native American territories in all of North America, with good reason.. we have more combined, continuous rivers, streams, and cave systems right here in this part of central- the Northeast corner of Alabama through the Northwestern corner of Georgia then there is anywhere else in the entire world.. so much that they've actually dropped Bear Grylls off here on one of the Bear Grylls survivor episodes. believe it or not this area of North Alabama also has Gators , few black bear, few Black Panthers/Puma's, Mountain Lions, Bobcat, Lot's of Coyote, few Elk( sadly tho the game wardens usually puts them down, a very large population of white tail deer, Turkey sooooo much more! sorry so lengthy but figured you guys would prefer an actual resident over someone who'd only visited briefly....
This hike did not disappoint! I was glad to have my hiking poles, especially for the last section of the trail past the small cemetery. The trail was super muddy and very slick in some sections, so caution is needed. I also did the short rim trail. It was incredibly steep, and the view wasn’t that great, but it was a good workout. Can’t wait to do this one again. Trail was not crowded at all early on a chilly Tuesday - saw 2 other people the entire time.
Beautiful hike. Really muddy and technical near the end, but worth it for the waterfalls.
Extremely difficult due to mud. We saw at least 4 people fall - one had to wait several hours for medical attention. Definitely a trail you WILL get wet and muddy and just be prepared with a first aid kit and backup clothes and food. My watch and phone registered 7.75mi there and back total. Absolutely beautiful views. Be sure to climb up the rocks for the big waterfall because if you stop early you only get to see the smaller one. Definitely wade across the river to make sure you can get to the falls!
Great hike, TOUGH hike! Make sure when you get to the water fall to cross the water and keep climbing, there are 2, YES TWO more water falls to see. Beautiful place. So, about the trails, very technical and plenty of elevation. The last part of the hike between Clark Cemetery and the falls is the most challenging! Be ready for it!
Second time doing this hike from the AL trailhead. Such a rewarding hike, that is for sure. Be careful to watch weather this time of year because I do believe the waterfalls would be very difficult to maneuver with ice. Some spots along the trail are still very muddy so be extra careful if you go after or during a storm. There have been some trail improvements made but looks like they tore down the original bridges to make these improvements. Also, we carried out a ton of trash. Be sure to practice the 7 Principlesm of Leave No Trace while visiting public lands.
Today was my second time hiking the Walls of Jericho. Make sure you park on the AL side, there is a portable toilet and plenty of parking. Last time we went the wrong way and spent several miles in the wrong direction. This time I knew where to turn and completed it in a little under 4 hours (turn right at Clark Cemetery, don't go straight!). This is not 9 miles, closer to 7 or 7.5 I think. One of the best hikes in the area!
great trail. very slippery. I would rate it difficult but is worth the trip. beautiful falls