Exploring Mentone & Surrounding Areas

This past winter, my wife Jamie and I traveled to Mentone, AL to explore the surrounding areas.   Mentone is a small town located in northeast Alabama with a population of just a few hundred.  It’s located atop Lookout Mountain and has the highest elevation of any incorporated town in Alabama.  We decided to visit DeSoto Falls, the Welsh Caves and Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia.  We stayed in a VRBO on Little River just below the Falls.

DeSoto Falls: We viewed the Falls from the overlook and by hiking down below.  Views were spectacular and worth the effort.

Welsh Caves: The caves are unmarked and are located in the general vicinity of DeSoto Falls.  The local legend is the caves were built by a Welsh explorer before DeSoto explored the area.  They are also thought to have been used by the local Indians hundreds of years ago.  Access to the caves could be considered precarious, slippery or intriguing…depending on who you ask.

Cloudland Canyon State Park is in northwest Georgia, on the western edge of Lookout Mountain and a short scenic drive from Mentone.  We were very surprised to see a 1,000-foot canyon in the southeastern United States and could not believe this impressive scenery is so close to home.  The Waterfalls trail meanders down to the depths of the canyon  leading you to Hemlock and Cherokee Falls.

We highly recommend visiting Mentone and discovering all of what the area has to offer.