Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (Blog Hike #256)

Trail: Battlefield Nature Trail

Hike Location: Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

Geographic Location: north of Dadeville, AL (32.98042, -85.73507)

Length: 2.3 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: December 2008, January 2016

Overview: An easy to moderate front-country hike passing many historic sites.

Park Information: http://www.nps.gov/hobe/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=721796
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From US 280 just north of Dadeville, take SR 49 north 11.3 miles to the park entrance on the right.  The trail begins at the overlook parking area 0.25 miles from the park entrance on the left.

The hike: It was an unusually warm and muggy afternoon in December when I arrived at Cholocco Litabixee, as this place is called in the Creek tongue.  I imagined it might have been a similar afternoon in March of 1814 when the respective courses of the American and Creek nations would be changed forever.  General Andrew Jackson (who would later become the 7^th President of the United States) led the direct American assault on the Indian village, while Brig. General John Coffee lie in wait across the river to clean up any enemy warriors who tried to escape.  The hostile faction of the Creek nation, Red Sticks as they were called, were led by Chief Menawa and had fallen back to Cholocco Litabixee after defeats further north.

On March 27, 1814, the American army united with some friendly Creek forces engaged and defeated the outgunned and outmanned Red Stick army.  Trapped in the horseshoe bend of the Tallapoosa River, the Red Sticks chose to die rather than surrender.  Some died at Jackson’s hands, but others were killed by Coffee’s forces as they tried to escape downriver.  As a result of this battle, the Creeks would cede a large portion of land comprising most of present-day Alabama and southern Georgia.

A visit to the park should begin at the Visitor Center, which features some exhibits, a short film documenting the battle, and restrooms.  Next, to obtain an overview of the park, you should drive the 3 mile tour road.  Of course, you will see things on the trail you will not see on the road, but in this case the opposite is also true, as the road provides some nice views of the river.  Finally, you should go back to the overlook parking area and hike the nature trail, which forms a loop through the park.

Trailhead at overlook parking area

            Contrary to the park map, the loop does not begin at the overlook but at the overlook parking area.  You will pass the overlook at the end of the hike, so to start, look for the gravel trail as it leaves the right (south) side of the parking area and heads into the woods.  The trail is blazed with white paint blazes, but the wide gravel trail is hard to miss.  The forest here consists mainly of hardwoods such as oak and hickory with a few tall pines.  Many ferns inhabit the understory.

The trail passes through a couple of ravines.  After a short, steep climb out of the second ravine, the trail arrives at a light blue cannon and the Congressional monument to the battle.  You are now standing on Gun Hill, so named because Jackson had stationed his cannons here to attack the Red Stick defenses.  A shelter with some interpretive signs gives some information about this phase of the battle.  The white posts below you mark the log barricade which comprised the Red Sticks’ main line of defense.

White posts marking Red Sticks' barricade

            The trail crosses the tour road for the first of three times and heads downhill toward the river.  Before actually reaching the river, the trail curves left and passes through the former barricade at roughly the point where Jackson attacked it.  As might be expected given the outcome of the battle, no visible evidence remains of the barricade.  Now in brushy forest, the trail maintains a fairly level elevation before angling left and crossing the tour road for a second time.

Now inside the loop of the tour road, the trail rises gently to arrive at Village Overlook shelter at 1 mile.  As its name suggests, this overlook sits some 30 feet above the historic Red Stick village site, which was called Tohopeka and was located at the very front of the horseshoe.  Some more interpretive signs tell of village life before the attack, and benches in the shelter make a nice rest stop near the midpoint of the hike.

Red Stick village site

            Past the Village Overlook, the trail becomes blacktop for a short section until it reaches a parking area along the tour road.  The trail does not cross the road here but parallels the road for a few hundred feet before curving sharply to the right and crossing the road for the last time.  The areas near the road contain numerous termite and fire ant hills.  Of course, you are best advised to leave these nests alone.

Fire ant hill beside trail

            Across the road, the trail descends to the Tallapoosa River floodplain using one switchback and begins heading upstream parallel to the river.  This stretch of trail lies the farthest from the tour road and hence offers the most solitude and best wildlife viewing.  The dense vegetation near the river makes a particularly good haven for birds.  I did not see any exotic birds on my visit, but I did see numerous cardinals, blackbirds, and sparrows.

Although you know the river lies only feet to your right, the dense vegetation mentioned above blocks your view.  Just when you think you may never get a clear view of the river, a gap created by a fallen tree creates such an opportunity.  Here you can look for waterfowl, but you can also see across the dark, still Tallapoosa to where Coffee’s troops lied in wait for fleeing Red Sticks.

Tallapoosa River entering Horseshoe Bend

            Just past this opening, the trail curves left to begin its ascent away from the river.  This ascent begins in a small ravine where the trail crosses a stream several times, each one on a wide wooden footbridge.  Soon the grassy battlefield comes into view ahead and on the left as the trail continues climbing.  At 2.2 miles, the trail arrives at the last overlook shelter.  This shelter sits at the highest point on this trail and offers wide views of the entire battlefield.  After taking in the view and reading the interpretive signs, a final stretch of downhill blacktop trail remains to return to the parking lot and complete the hike. 

Battlefield overlook