Encounter a New World on the Forest Floor

When hiking our northeast corner of Alabama, we encounter sights that are nothing short of breathtaking. Visitors travel from miles around to excite their senses and fill their camera rolls with scenes of the majestic Little River Canyon, its namesake river, wooded trails, and waterfalls that are among the most photographed in the region.

But have you ever paused a moment to look down? If not, you may be missing some of the more interesting sights our trails have to offer.

Local resident and outdoors enthusiast Matt Genereux has spent countless hours exploring local trails alongside his wife, Belinda.

“Hiking brings me a deep sense of peace. I’m constantly drawn to small details that catch my eye — moments I want to capture and share with others through photography,” Matt says. ”I love observing how things change with the seasons. Even when I walk the same trail, there’s always something new to notice — a shift in color, a bloom I hadn’t seen, a bird I hadn’t heard. Each hike reveals a different layer,” he explains. “To me, this area feels like one of the most beautiful places on earth.”

Belinda echoes that the trails bring a tranquility found nowhere else. “Back in the ‘90s, I had a college biology professor who assigned something he called an ‘Awareness List’ — a list of 50 things we might not otherwise notice,” she says. “At the time, I didn’t fully understand the purpose of the exercise. But over the years, I’ve come to appreciate its impact. It taught me to be intentionally aware of the world around me. For me, hiking has become both a therapeutic and spiritual experience,” she continues. “It deepens my appreciation for the beautiful creatures and plants that surround us, and it reminds me of how deeply connected we all are.”

Photos by Matt Genereux

A talented photographer, Matt has captured fascinating details from the forest floor. His Facebook and Instagram feeds are filled with images from the natural world that may not be rare but are rarely noticed.

Pausing along a trail and kneeling to look around can reveal shapes, textures, and tones that many people miss in their steady pace to reach the next milestone. As one of America’s most biodiverse states, Alabama is home to a variety of species waiting to be observed and appreciated. This includes mushrooms, lichens, mosses, wildflowers, and grasses.

You are also likely to encounter ants, beetles, millipedes, spiders, and other crawling inhabitants of the forest floor.

When hiking along Little River or the area’s many creeks, Matt encourages us to look for fish and amphibians in and around the water. “While exploring the outdoors in this area, we’ve come across a variety of fascinating critters — from crawfish and several species of shells and mussels to non-venomous water snakes, tadpoles, fish, and a wide array of insects, including dragonflies and damselflies. We’ve also spotted tracks left behind by otters, deer, snakes, bears, raccoons, and more,” Belinda says.

Slowing down is the key to observing a secret world just a few feet below our normal gaze. By training yourself to look for the surprising details, you will enrich your hiking experience beyond the incredible views in and around Little River Canyon National Preserve and DeSoto State Park.