Gadsden preparing to reopen Noccalula Falls campground with 73 full‑hookup sites, city officials say

Christina Richardson, manager of Noccalula Falls for Gadsden City, said the city plans to reopen the park’s campground with 73 full‑hookup sites after it had been closed for about a year.

Richardson told a Mayoral Office “Meet the Staff” conversation that the upgraded campground will offer full sewer, power and electric hookups at every site, and that the city added a new administration building to improve traffic flow into the campground. “It was around a 20 sites. Yeah. And we're gonna be going to 73 sites, but they're all full hookup,” Richardson said.

The campground work is part of a broader series of upgrades at Noccalula Falls. Richardson and John Moore, who works in the mayor’s office and hosted the interview, said the city added a pool with a zero‑entry splash pad, plans a new playground, and renovated a parking lot by the chapel. Richardson said a brand‑new animal barn opened in November and that the city has continued to add features to the park.

Moore and Richardson discussed the park’s financial investment and tourism role. Richardson said, “We've spent about 12 and a half million up here,” adding that the administration expects a strong return on that spending. Moore said of the mayor’s approach: “for every dime we spend up there, we're gonna get 10 back.”

Speakers described Noccalula Falls events that draw visitors. Moore and Richardson highlighted the annual lights display and the Smoke on the Falls barbecue festival, which Moore said attracts visitors from other states. Janet Terrence was identified as the lead for Smoke on the Falls. Richardson said the city bought the Barbarian Challenge event in 2015 and that it brings roughly 1,200 to 1,500 runners each year; she credited Cal Burr and Bridal Stevens with helping run the event.

Richardson and Moore gave different visitor estimates for the park this year: Moore said “I think we ended up with probably a 50,000 visitors,” while Richardson said the number was “probably pushing 200,000 visitors this year.” Both figures were cited as estimates during the conversation and were not accompanied by a cited source or official attendance report.

The speakers also described a feature added for the Barbarian Challenge: a roughly 70‑foot rope climb off the side of the waterfall. Richardson said that, “from what we can tell, [it is] the highest rope climb in the state of Alabama.” She said Gadrock and other partners helped make that addition possible.

No specific reopening date for the campground was given during the conversation. Richardson said staff were “ready to get back over there and get back to work” at the campground but did not provide a timeline.

City officials framed the park improvements as part of a tourism and community‑development strategy; they emphasized staff effort running large events and the aim of increasing overnight stays and visitor spending at the falls. Planned and completed upgrades described in the discussion include the campground expansion to 73 full‑hookup sites, a new administration building, pool and splash pad, a new playground (planned), a renovated parking lot by the chapel, and the new animal barn that opened in November.

Moore closed the segment by thanking Richardson for her work at the falls and noting the conversation was part of the mayor’s office “Meet the Staff” series. The transcript did not include formal agenda votes or a staff report with an official opening date or detailed budget line items.