Blue Hole
Near Allison Mills, Alabama · on Dry Creek
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- waterfall pool
- FALLS
- Waterfall on site
- ACCESS
- Local spot, unofficial
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Blue Hole
Blue Hole is an informal waterfall and swimming hole in Talladega National Forest in Talladega County, Alabama, on a tributary of Shepherd's Branch near the community of Smelley. It sits about a mile from the Parksland Retreat campground on Germany Mountain Road and is reached via an unmarked forest trail.
The spot lies within Talladega National Forest along Germany Mountain Road, a rural, forested area in Talladega County near the small communities of Allison Mills, Smelley, Thornhill, and Bemiston. Access is via an unmarked footpath off the dirt road rather than a maintained park entrance.
Swimming at Blue Hole
Described by locals and a nearby campground as a waterfall with a pool below it and a small beach-like area where visitors can swim and view the falls; it is used as a natural swimming and cooling-off spot rather than a formal swim facility.
How to get to this swimming hole
From Parksland Retreat, exit the driveway and turn right, walking about 1/4 mile along Germany Mountain Road to an unmarked trail entrance on the right, then follow the trail about 1/4 mile to the falls. A separate driving account describes turning onto dirt Germany Mountain Road, going about 1 mile, and parking near a jeep marking the trail area.
Parking: No formal lot; visitors describe informal roadside parking along Germany Mountain Road near an unmarked trail entrance
The hike in
- To the water
- About 1/4 mile from the Germany Mountain Road trailhead to the top of the falls, then roughly another 1/4 mile further to the pool/beach swimming area (so about 1/2 mile one-way from the road, or about 1 mile total if starting from Parksland Retreat's driveway).
- Time on foot
- Roughly 15-20 minutes each way to cover the ~1/2 mile of trail, plus a few extra minutes of road walking if starting from Parksland Retreat.
Difficulty: Moderate for a short distance: the path is steep and narrow and can be slippery when wet, per the nearby retreat's own visitor directions; no bridges, cables, or maintained tread are mentioned.
Trailhead: Unmarked/unnamed footpath off Germany Mountain Road (a dirt forest road) in Talladega National Forest, south of Talladega near Smelley. From Parksland Retreat's driveway, exit and turn right, walking about 1/4 mile along Germany Mountain Road to an unmarked trail entrance on the right (identifiable mainly by roadside litter, per the retreat's own directions). A separate account instead drives about 1 mile up Germany Mountain Road and parks near a jeep marking the trail area.
This is a short, informal, unnamed spur path directly off Germany Mountain Road to the falls and pool -- it is not part of a longer named or maintained trail system, and no official U.S. Forest Service trail designation was found for it.
Trailhead is unmarked and easy to miss; the nearby retreat says it is best identified by litter along the roadside and runs an informal trash-for-treats cleanup incentive for visitors who pack out bags of trash.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
The access trail is described by a nearby retreat as steep, narrow, and slippery after rain, and the trailhead itself is unmarked; there is no mention of lifeguards, fencing, or graded footing anywhere in the sources found. Suitable for older, sure-footed kids with close adult supervision rather than toddlers or those unsteady on uneven ground.
Parking
Free
No formal lot. Visitors describe informal roadside parking along dirt Germany Mountain Road near the unmarked trail entrance; one account describes parking about 1 mile up the road near a jeep that marks the informal pull-off/mound area.
Restrooms
None on site
No restroom or facility of any kind is mentioned at Blue Hole itself in any source found; it is described as an informal, unmarked forest site with no developed recreation infrastructure. The nearest facilities would be at Parksland Retreat campground about a mile away, which is a paid-guest amenity, not a public restroom.
On the water
Blue Hole is a small forest waterfall and plunge pool on a tributary of Shepherd's Branch/Dry Creek, not a body of water suited to kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or motorized craft. No source mentions any watercraft use here, and none would be practical given the setting.
What regulars say
Trip reports from waterfall enthusiasts show the falls, a tributary of Shepherd's Branch in Talladega National Forest, partially visible from the informal parking and trail area, and confirm that locals commonly call this unnamed falls 'the Blue Hole,' with some also labeling it 'Dry Creek (Blue Hole) south of Talladega.' Searches for this exact Alabama site are complicated by an unrelated, more famous 'Blue Hole Falls' near Buford, Georgia, and little additional visitor commentary has surfaced beyond these trip reports. The clearest recurring visitor-reported issue is litter and trash accumulation at the informal trailhead, serious enough that the neighboring Parksland Retreat campground runs its own pack-out-trash incentive program for guests who visit.
Blue Hole: FAQ
Is Blue Hole kid friendly?
The access trail is described by a nearby retreat as steep, narrow, and slippery after rain, and the trailhead itself is unmarked; there is no mention of lifeguards, fencing, or graded footing anywhere in the sources found. Suitable for older, sure-footed kids with close adult supervision rather than toddlers or those unsteady on uneven ground.
How hard is the hike to Blue Hole?
A hike is required, about About 1/4 mile from the Germany Mountain Road trailhead to the top of the falls, then roughly another 1/4 mile further to the pool/beach swimming area (so about 1/2 mile one-way from the road, or about 1 mile total if starting from Parksland Retreat's driveway). to the water (roughly 15-20 minutes each way to cover the ~1/2 mile of trail, plus a few extra minutes of road walking if starting from parksland retreat.). Wear real shoes, since approaches to natural swim spots are often rocky or rooty.
Where do I park for Blue Hole?
No formal lot. Visitors describe informal roadside parking along dirt Germany Mountain Road near the unmarked trail entrance; one account describes parking about 1 mile up the road near a jeep that marks the informal pull-off/mound area.
What water body is Blue Hole on?
Blue Hole is on Dry Creek, a natural waterfall pool verified in USGS hydrography data.
More swimming holes near Allison Mills
Coleman Lake Campground and Picnic Area
Fruithurst, Alabamalake
⛺🛶🏄
R. Shaefer Heard Park
West Point, Georgiareservoir
⛺🛶🏄🚤
Silver Comet Trail -- Coot's Lake Beach Trailhead
Rockmart, Georgialake
Rocky Branch Public Use Area
Brookwood, Alabamalake
⛺🚤
★ Top verifiedCallaway Gardens Robin Lake Beach
Pine Mountain, Georgialake
⛺🛶
★ Top verifiedPayne Lake Recreation Area
Moundville, Alabamalake
🛶🏄