Martha's Falls

Fort Payne, Alabama

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Martha's Falls, also known as "The Hippie Hole," is a popular swimming destination located within Little River Canyon National Preserve. The popularity of this area has increased in recent years due to international media coverage touting it as one of the nation's best swimming holes. The hike to the river from the parking area is roughly a mile. The addition of stone steps makes the hike down more manageable but it is still considered a moderate trail. Be prepared to pack out what you pack in. There are no restrooms available at this site, so plan to go before you leave the parking area. We encourage visitors to foster an attitude of stewardship when visiting any of the sites on Little River, but especially this one due to the number of visitors and the distance of the hike in.

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WATER QUALITY

Meets water quality standards
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on August 15th, 2019. Little River Waterkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

For water quality icon legend, click:

Report Pollution

MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

At all sites, water is sampled for E. coli, total coliform.

Disclaimer:
The Little River Waterkeeper reserve the right to publish test results for public knowledge. Test results are fact-based science research used to identify types and location of pollution issues. The tests are 99.9% accurate.

The Little River Waterkeeper utilizes the standardized state and federal criteria of 235 col/100 ml for collecting and analyzing water samples. Test results are expressed as Most Probable Number (MPN) of E.coli CFU (colony forming units) per 100 ml.

Water samples are collected every Wednesday from May 21-September 3. Results are posted as soon as lab results are available. Results posted here on Swim Guide indicate E. coli concentrations.

Data from water monitoring is used by the Little River Waterkeeper to determine a source of pollution. Further sampling is taken by the Waterkeeper when necessary.

A beach is marked Green when single sample results are under 235 E.coli / 100 ML water.

A beach is marked Red when the results are equal to or above 235 E.coli / 100 ML water.

A beach is marked Grey when there are no current results or there is no available information.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH

Martha's Falls

Fort Payne, Alabama

Managed by Little River Waterkeeper

WATER QUALITY

Meets water quality standards
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on August 15th, 2019. Little River Waterkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

For water quality icon legend, click:

MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

WATER QUALITY GRAPH

Beach	Location	Water Quality
Blue Hole Fort Payne, Alabama	Fort Payne, Alabama	Current Status
Indian Falls Fort Payne, Alabama	Fort Payne, Alabama	Current Status
Little River Canyon Mouth Park Cherokee County, Alabama	Cherokee County, Alabama	Current Status
Johnnie's Creek Lick Skillet, Alabama	Lick Skillet, Alabama	Current Status

Other Beaches Near This One

Beach	Location	Water Quality
Blue Hole Fort Payne, Alabama	Fort Payne, Alabama	Current Status
Indian Falls Fort Payne, Alabama	Fort Payne, Alabama	Current Status
Little River Canyon Mouth Park Cherokee County, Alabama	Cherokee County, Alabama	Current Status
Johnnie's Creek Lick Skillet, Alabama	Lick Skillet, Alabama	Current Status

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Swim Guide shares the best information we have at the moment you ask for it. Always obey signs at the beach or advisories from official government agencies. Stay alert and check for other swimming hazards such as dangerous currents and tides. Please report your pollution concerns so Affiliates can help keep other beach-goers safe.

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	Green means the beach’s most recent test results met relevant water quality standards.

	Red means the beach’s most recent test results failed to meet water quality standards.

	Grey means water quality information for the beach is too old (more than 7 days old) to be considered current, or that info is unavailable, or unreliable.

	Green means the beach passed water quality tests 95% of the time or more.

	Yellow means the beach passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time.

	Red means the beach failed water quality tests 40% of the time or more.

	Green means the beach has historically excellent or pristine water quality, but there is no current data.

	Red means the water at the site has water quality issues or there is an emergency.

	Grey means there is no current water quality information, the beach is under construction, there has been an event that has rendered water quality information unreliable or unavailable.