Mulberry Fork
Above Old US 31 to Whitewater Drive(Lower Mulberry)
| Difficulty | II |
| Length | 3.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Reach Info Last Updated | October 30, 2019 |
Put In Information
Put in at the Garden City River Park, located on Old U.S. Highway 31 past the water treatment facility.
Take Out Information
The Birmingham Canoe club owns the take out at the end of Whitewater Drive in Hayden, Alabama. It's advised that paddlers use the changing rooms and don't trespass on nearby landowners property. Parking in the cul-de-sac outside of the BCC parking lot is also not permitted.
If the BCC parking lot is full, you must drive back towards the put in, cross the bridge, turn left at Short St (or 10th St) in town, left again on to 2nd Ave/River Rd/CR509 and drive 2.7 miles along this road on river right and park on the side of the road on the bluff overlooking 5-0.
Note on Flow Information
The USGS gauge for this section of the Mulberry has been taken off-line as of 1-1-2016. Local paddlers have made a gauge here:
http://www.streambeam.net/Home/Gauge?siteID=2
The foot correlations on the visual gauge at the link are matched to the old bridge gauge at the putin.
River Description
One of the most popular whitewater runs in Alabama, the Mulberry is a fun, wide play river enjoyed by both beginners and experts at different river levels.
Most paddlers prefer flows over 2' when the surfing starts to get good, though you can still run it well below 1.5'.
The first mile is pretty tame. After a few shoals the river bends to the left around an island. The river left side of the island leads to a shallow ledge that forms a surfing wave and 360 spot. The right side of the island features a rapid called Glen Clark Memorial with a pour-over rock in the center flow that is great for enders. After the island things begin to pick up a bit. There are a number of play spots which come in at various levels. The first good play spot is calle
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Stay to the right of the island. There is a boof rock in the center of the rapid that forms a great ender spot on the river right corner.
Ledge drop rapid. Makes a great surf spot even at lower levels.
Easily identified by the rock cliff on river right, a great place to practice ferrying or combat rolls.
A couple of shoals are just above the surf wave. Even at low levels Hawaii 5-O is a great park and play spot.
Jan 3, 2018
This gauge on the old bridge at the Mulberry putin has been used for decades. The levels mentioned in the description for this run correlate to this gauge.
Jan 3, 2018
Video of Glen Clark ender spot, Lunchstop surfing wave, and 5-0 surfing wave at 2.5 feet on the old bridge gauge:
Apr 15, 2011
Nathan Hatch runs Lunch Stop on the Mulberry
Apr 17, 2001
Posted on Boater Talk (http://boatertalk.com) on 4/17/01 by 'Paddler':
All ye Mulberry Fork boaters take note. Although the water is about gone, a few people go up in the afternoon to mess around. I was one of them. Last week I was doing a towel change at dusk and our neighbor had a few choice words for me. Two days later when I went back I had a 'little' trouble with my truck upon leaving the river. The problem turned out to be a half gallon of sand, rocks, twigs, leaves, and a little water to soup things up in my gas tank!!!
Please for your own sake use the changing room. Also do not drink at the take-out, smoke a bowl or have words with McCrary. I must point out after McCrary cursed me I simply left. I did not respond in any way as I did not want to provoke him. ;-O A lot of good that did me.
Please get the word out to be careful at the takeout.
