Traveling the Great Loop

Join us as we travel North America's rivers, waterways, and canals; visit U.S. and Canadian cities, historical landmarks, national parks and river towns. We may even take you to the Bahamas.

Guntersville, Lake Guntersville, Alabama, Tennessee River

Nov. 10; Mile.349; Day’s Run: 79 miles

Guntersville is located on the far right-side of the map.

We left Wheeler State Park around 7am in light rain. Most other Loopers returned to the Wheeler Lock to head south. We headed in the opposite direction towards our next destination, Chattanooga.

25 miles upriver, ( near Decatur,) we passed beneath a railway bridge with a lift span. In the down position the bridge has a 9.8 clearance at normal pool. Our air draft is 14 feet plus antennas. Calling on VHF 13, we requested a bridge opening. (The TVA has authority to issue a $10,000 fine for unnecessarily requesting a bridge be opened.)

Before the bridge span could be lifted, we needed to wait 40 minutes for this train to arrive and cross it.

The bridge is located on the same site as the former Memphis & Charleston Bridge, which was burned by the Union Army in 1862, to stop a Confederate advance.

Downriver, we pass beneath a series of highway bridges, U.S 31, U.S. 72 & I -65. (In the early ’70s, while the I-65 bridge was under construction, the building of it would be interrupted for several months to avoid disturbing nesting birds in the nearby Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. )
These grain elevators handle feed for N Alabama’s Poultry industry …
…and supply soybeans to local farmers.
Although difficult to see, the tower in the distance, is part of the Marshall Space Flight Center located in Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, where the U.S. space program began in 1960.
Continuing on, we passed 15 miles of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is the southernmost wintering area for Canada Geese. (I have often wondered where those flying V-formations were headed to.)

Click on the small pictures below to enlarge them.

After passing several miles of industrial-lined waterfront, there was nothing other than 20 miles of scenery: no towns, no industry, no cottages or country homes, no towboats, not even a buoy.

Calling the Guntersville Lock to request a lock through, we learned we would need to wait for an upriver-bound tow to lock through first.

When the gates opened, we stared down a massively large bow of barges waiting to exit.

As the tow was preparing to leave, the operator called; ‘Tow to waiting pleasure craft”; “Can you get behind the red buoy and stay out of my way when I come out?” Thinking there was nothing I would rather do than keep out of his way, ” Yes, sir, that’s not a problem”.

Nearing Guntersville, the shoreline becomes more populated.

Guntersville: population 8000. Named after Gunter, a Scotsman who came to live among the Indians in 1785.

Guntersville City Harbor offers free dockage, but with no amenities.

There are several historical homes in Guntersville.
The Col. Montgomery Gilbreath house (1848), is one of two structures left standing in Guntersville after the Civil War ended.

From the city docks, we could walk uptown.

A Collection of Boat Names:

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