Camp Mac Falls is in the Talladega National Forest. The fall unfortunately goes by a variety of names, and this whole post is really to clarify the name. Most falls come down to some official body naming something, and failing that, going by whatever the locals call it. In this case you’ll find some reference materials out there calling it Hopeful Falls and Hidden Falls. From what I’ve figured out some really old blog posts over a decade ago that are still easy to find when searching the web made up the name Hopeful Falls due to proximity of the falls to a town of similar name. There’s even a street of similar name near the falls. This name then got used by others who had nothing better to go with and made it into print. I don’t know where Hidden Falls entered the mix, but it gets used as well even though there are many other falls by that name out there in various places. Camp Mac Falls seems appropriate because the fall is next to the camp. But here’s the catch – the trailhead for the fall starts on a road known as Bass Lane. The name “Bass Falls” doesn’t seem to pop up anywhere online. Here’s a related tale now to finish this thought;
I was leaving another fall not far from here and a local lady driving a residential garbage truck pulled up to say hi and see if I’d enjoyed my trip to the (other) fall. She then asked if I’d been to “Bass Falls” yet. Confused, I asked her if she meant Camp Mac Falls, Hopeful Falls or Hidden Falls. She’d never heard of those names. But here was a local telling me how she and family would go to Bass Falls frequently and the location was a perfect match. Therefor the LOCALS call it Bass Falls since the trailhead is on Bass Ln. So that’s the real name as far as I’m concerned. Locals for the win.
So find this fall by doing a Google search for Camp Mac in Alabama at the edge of the Talladega National Forest. There’s a pair of little lakes and bordering one of them is the residential neighborhood of Bass Ln. Just drive down it, find the 7 ton bridge and park there. You’ll find the trailhead beside the bridge heading away from the lake.
The fall itself might be best in the wetter time of year, but it’s fairly tall and there is an easy hike to reach it less than a mile long round trip. If you’re searching other sites for into on this fall you’ll likely read about or see pictures of people crossing a large downed tree over a stream. That’ll be your clue that we’re all talking about the same fall with 4 different names at this point. But seriously, Bass Falls. Let’s go with that since the locals do.
