Day Trippin' › Alabama › From Birmingham › Little River Canyon National Preserve
The drive from Birmingham to Little River Canyon National Preserve takes about 1 hr 56 min (northeast of Birmingham), by real roads from ZIP 35203. Along the way we found 31 stops within a short detour: 5 coffee shops, 7 ice cream and treats, 13 places to eat and 6 quick sights.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Birmingham) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: Richard A. Weaver, CC BY-SA 4.0
National park
A deep canyon on top of Lookout Mountain with a scenic rim drive, overlooks, Little River Falls and spots for paddling and climbing.
Heads-up: Pets on a 6-foot leash. Swift water and cliffs; swimming can be dangerous.
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About 1 hr 56 min by road, heading northeast from the middle of ZIP 35203. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Vintage 1889 (Fort Payne). The page lists 23 in all, in driving order.
Golden Cup Boba Tea in Roebuck Plaza, Sherry's Cafe in Woodward, Ellianos in Trussville and Wildcats Nutrition in Fort Payne. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill in Stonehedge, Rock N Roll Sushi in Trussville, Ay Guey Taqueria Bar in Saint Clair Springs and Jack's in Whitney.
Southern Museum Of Flight in Birmingham, Mil Mi-25s 88-0616 in Trotwood Park, Trussville Entertainment District in Trussville and Standard Oil Products Museum in Trussville.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.