The Little River Canyon is a unique geological feature that is carved into the top of Lookout Mountain in Northeastern Alabama. Over time, the Little River has cut vertically into the hard layers of sandstone found on the mountain top, creating the deep canyon features and waterfalls that visitors enjoy daily inside the Little River Canyon National Preserve. In December, 2009, the Alabama Chapter of The Nature Conservancy purchased 2,178 acres located adjacent to the brow of the canyon from the Hancock Timber Resource Group. These lands offer a tremendous forested buffer to the canyon itself and will be enjoyed by future generations. Six hundred fifty (650) acres will be added to the National Preserve. The remainder of the land will be conveyed to the Forever Wild Program. This area will be managed as a state wildlife management area, open to the public for hunting, hiking, and bird-watching. The forest itself is part of a unique high ridge eco-region that includes a wide diversity of plant and animal life including ridge top and cove forests, rock cliffs, and unique boulder fields.