“It’s really special to us because it was special to him… when we’re at the falls now, we feel very close to Max,” Cochran said.

Although there are many spots around Noccalula Falls Park and Campground that Cochran loves to go, her favorites are Max’s memorial bench and the location of his funeral.

“We chose to have his funeral there. We didn’t know if that was possible or if it had ever been done, but it just felt right. So that’s what we did, and it was a beautiful day,” Cochran said.

Occasionally, Cochran will travel with her husband David or daughter Callie to a different venue around Gadsden to take a walk or relax. She said although a change of scenery is nice sometimes, her heart always finds its way back to the falls.

Although not every citizen of Gadsden has a story like Cochran’s, it is evident that feelings of appreciation and love for the property are common around the town in Northern Alabama. Many of the landscapers, train drivers, cashiers and petting zoo workers who are employed by the park grew up visiting themselves.

Jen Weathington, parks and recreation director for the city of Gadsden, is among the locals who can’t get enough of the park. Originally from Ohatchee, Alabama—a 30-minute drive south from Noccalula Mountain—Weathington grew up visiting the falls.

After traveling throughout the United States and working in parks and recreation positions in places such as Colorado, Weathington returned to the place that stole her heart as a child. She now enjoys spending a majority of her workdays supervising and managing the falls’ affairs. Recently, this has meant overseeing additions to the park such as the botanical gardens, a series of trails and a new electric train that will be fully installed later in 2022.

The features of the falls that continue to draw in locals like Weathington include a 90-foot waterfall that cascades into the Black Creek Ravine, the 1.7-mile crushed stone Black Creek Trail, and over 5 miles of single-track trails for walking, running or mountain biking that weave throughout the Black Creek Trail.

Visitors can experience a petting zoo, pioneer village, miniature train, botanical garden and souvenir shop for a fee of $6 for adults or $4 for children and veterans. They can also travel 350 feet southeast to the Noccalula Falls Miniature Golf Course where they can pay $5 for adults, $4 for children ages 12 and under and seniors ages 55 and over or $3.50 for groups of ten or more to play a round of 18 holes.

Although locals primarily utilize the natural features of the park, the well-kept trails, full trash cans and lack of litter throughout the entirety of the park reflect their appreciation and love of the property.

One group in particular went above and beyond in 2019 to establish a non-profit organization, “Friends of the Falls,” to make sure the property is well maintained. Their goals are to promote the scenery of the property, develop partnerships that will preserve it and provide opportunities for those interested to engage in volunteer work.

“That organization has been great to help get people involved in keeping the park clean,” Noccalula Falls Supervisor Christina Richardson said.

Whether the people of Gadsden are remembering a loved one, taking advantage of a hiking or biking trail, searching for a day’s worth of activities for their children or simply looking to relax, Noccalula Falls Park and Campground remains a popular destination.