Buck's Pocket State Park: Point Rock Trail (Blog Hike #1061)

Trail: Point Rock Trail
Hike Location: Buck's Pocket State Park
Geographic Location: west of Rainsville, AL (34.47527, -86.05100)
Length: 2.3 miles
Difficulty: 8/10 (Difficult)
Date Hiked: March 2025
Overview: An out-and-back, partly along cascading Little Sauty Creek, to fantastic Point Rock Overlook.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/bucks-pocket-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=981260
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming May 29, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From Rainsville, take SR 75 south 9.3 miles to CR 400 and turn right on CR 400.  Drive CR 400 west 5.2 miles to CR 402 and turn right on CR 402.  Drive CR 402 north 0.8 miles.  Turn left and immediately turn right to continue north on CR 20.  Drive CR 20 north 1.8 miles to CR 557 and angle softly left on CR 557.  Drive CR 557 north 0.5 miles to CR 172 and turn left on CR 172.  Drive CR 172 west 0.7 miles to the park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the day-use fee, and park in the perpendicular parking area on the left just after crossing Little Sauty Creek but just before reaching the campground entrance.

The hike: The large number of turns and county roads in the driving directions to reach Buck's Pocket State Park testifies to this park rural and rustic location.  Possibly the most remote state park in Alabama, Buck's Pocket State Park protects 2080 acres in and around a pocket canyon in the northeast part of the state.  The park consists of land purchased from a farmer combined with land donated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and it opened in 1971.  Several theories and legends have been advanced to explain the pocket canyon's name, but none have been substantiated.

            True to its rustic nature, Buck's Pocket State Park offers limited amenities that include only a cozy 23-site developed campground, some picnic areas, and seven trails.  All of the park's hiking trails are short, and this park's signature hike is the Point Rock Trail described here.  This out-and-back connects the campground with the trail's namesake Point Rock while passing the fantastic scenery of this park's scenic but rugged pocket canyon.

Lower trailhead near campground

            From the parking lot outside the campground, walk back out the entrance road, cross Little Sauty Creek on the road's bridge, and then look to the left for the start of the Point Rock Trail.  Several small wooden signs mark this trailhead.  The Point Rock Trail begins as an old road with the creek on your left, and the trail surface alternates between smooth dirt and rough rocks, roots, and boulders.  The rough areas are quite primitive, and they make this hike harder than the distance and elevation gain would indicate.

Rough wooden steps

            At 0.3 miles, you cross a side stream at a point that forces you to scramble over some boulders.  Soon comes a steep section that climbs some rough wooden steps built into the ground.  Just past 0.5 miles, you cross Little Sauty Creek without the aid of a bridge.  All of these obstacles are manageable for most people, but they slow your progress and make you plan your steps.  Cascading Little Sauty Creek keeps you constant company through the challenges, and red aluminum discs nailed to trees mark the way.

Little Sauty Creek in Buck's Pocket

            0.7 miles into the hike, a spur trail exits right that leads to a small waterfall.  The harder and wetter the creek crossings and boulders have been so far, the better this waterfall will be.  Next the trail embarks on a short but steep and rocky final climb to the rim of the pocket canyon.  When you make the final switchback to reach the rim, the hardest part of the hike is over.

View west at Point Rock Overlook

View south at Point Rock Overlook

            The hike along the rim is an easy glide, and 1 mile into the hike you reach the Point Rock Overlook parking area.  Angle left through the parking area and walk down the gravel and boardwalk trail that accesses the overlook.  What a view!  The pocket canyon you climbed through sits to the left, while the larger South Sauty Creek canyon sits to the right and directly ahead.  Benches and rock slabs make great places to sit and rest.  There is only 1 trail to this overlook, so after enjoying the view retrace your steps back down to the campground to complete the hike.

Lake Guntersville State Park: Dry Falls/Taylor Mountain Loop (Blog Hike #1060)

Trails: Dry Falls, Terrell, Taylor Mountain, and Golf Course Trails
Hike Location: Lake Guntersville State Park
Geographic Location: northeast of Guntersville, AL (34.39527, -86.20502)
Length: 4 miles
Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: March 2025
Overview: A loop hike down and up a steep rocky hillside.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/lake-guntersville-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=981185
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming March 20, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of US 431 and SR 227 in Guntersville, take SR 227 south 7 miles to the signed park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, then turn right at the first intersection to follow signs for the park's lodge.  Drive the main park loop road 1.8 miles to Lodge Drive and turn left on Lodge Dr.  Park in the lodge parking lot, which is 0.1 miles ahead on the right.

The hike: At 69,100 acres of surface area, Guntersville Lake is the largest reservoir in Alabama.  The lake was formed in the late 1930's when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) built Guntersville Dam on the Tennessee River for purposes of flood control, river navigation, and hydroelectric power generation.  The lake and dam are named for the nearby town of Guntersville, which in turn is named for John Gunter, an early settler in the area.

            Perched near the southeast corner of its namesake lake is 5909 acre Lake Guntersville State Park.  The park was formed in 1947 when the TVA transferred 4000 lakeside acres to the State of Alabama, but it did not open until 1974.  The park is one of the best-amenitied state parks in Alabama, and it offers a golf course, a lodge and convention complex, a fishing center that makes this park a top-tier fishing destination, several cabins, a 282-site developed campground, and a zip line.

            For hikers, Lake Guntersville State Park offers more than 30 trails totaling over 36 miles.  Many routes with many types of scenery are possible, and the route described here goes down and up one of the park's main ridges.  Even better, this hike begins at the park's lodge, thus allowing you to hit the trail without ever getting in your car if you are spending the night here.

Lodge trailhead

            From the front door of the lodge, walk across Lodge Drive to find the lodge's trailhead.  A wooden sign and red aluminum disc mark this trailhead.  The single track dirt trail heads into the dense pine woods that dominate this ridge.  At the first trail intersection, angle right to pass over a low knob.

Start of Dry Falls Trail

            At 0.2 miles, you reach a major trail intersection with trails going straight, left, and right.  The trail going right is the Nature Trail; it leads back to the lodge parking lot in only another 0.3 miles.  The trail going left is the Golf Course Loop; it will be our return route.  Continue straight to head south on the Dry Falls Trail and begin a counterclockwise journey around our loop.

Heading off of the ridge

            Soon the descent steepens as the trail drops off the top of the ridge, and you find yourself in a rocky ravine that feels cut-and-pasted from the Appalachian Mountains to the northeast.  The trail map says that the Dry Falls Trail is marked with yellow markers, but I saw quite a few green aluminum discs marking the trail.  As you descend the rocky trail into the ravine, the pine trees give way to a mixed forest that features plenty of sweet gum trees.  At 0.7 miles, you descend past a rock jam in the stream that is the dry falls for which this trail is named.

Rock jam in ravine

            0.9 miles into the hike, you reach the lowest elevation on this hike and the lower end of the Dry Falls Trail.  An alternative parking lot with a bench provides the only good resting point on this hike.  Turn left to begin the Terrell Trail.

Starting the Terrell Trail

            The Terrell Trail embarks on a rolling course with Aubrey Carr Scenic Drive through the trees to your right.  Several streams are crossed with the aid of wooden footbridges.  At 1.2 miles, you reach another trail intersection.  The Terrell Trail turns right to cross the road, but this hike continues straight to begin the Taylor Mountain Trail.

Starting the Taylor Mountain Trail

            The Taylor Mountain Trail dips to cross one final stream before beginning its long gradual climb.  Honestly, the Taylor Mountain Trail can get annoying: it stays near the park's main loop road for its entire distance, and it uses far more switchbacks than necessary to climb the ridge.  At 2.8 miles, you make it back to the ridgetop and reach the upper end of the Taylor Mountain Trail where it intersects the Golf Course Loop.  Angle softly left to join the Golf Course Loop, which is the last leg of this hike.

View on the Golf Course Loop

            For such an uninspiringly-named trail, the Golf Course Loop offers a reasonably pleasant hike.  On the down side, the park's main loop road stays close on the right.  On the bright side, the trail has only minor undulations, and long partially-obstructed views can be had to the left during the leafless months.  At 3.8 miles, you close the loop.  Turn right and hike 0.2 miles gradually uphill through dense pine woods to return to the lodge and complete the hike.

Gulf State Park: Beach Mouse Bypass Trail (Blog Hike #1041)

Trail: Beach Mouse Bypass Trail
Hike Location: Gulf State Park
Geographic Location: Gulf Shores, AL (30.25516, -87.64361)
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: An out-and-back on boardwalk along the south shore of Middle Lake.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/gulf-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=979495
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming January 30, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: This hike starts at the Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion, which is located on SR 182 2.8 miles east of SR 59 or 3.6 miles west of SR 161.  Be sure to pay for parking at the large beach pavilion parking lot before you start your hike.

The hike: For my general comments on Alabama's Gulf State Park, see my hike on this park's Catman Road Trail, which is described elsewhere in this trail journal.  I first came to this park in October 2007 3 years after Hurricane Ivan had destroyed its buildings and nature trails.  Only asphalt trails such as the Catman Road Trail existed here then, but nearly 10 years later a system of elaborate wooden boardwalks was built on the south side of the park's Middle Lake.  This hike stays on boardwalk for its entire length, and it features the boardwalk system's main trail: the Beach Mouse Bypass Trail.  As a bonus, this hike begins and ends at the beach that makes this park famous, so you can also get some beach time before or after your hike.

Pedestrian bridge near trailhead

            From the west end of the beach pavilion parking lot, head west on the boardwalk, which climbs slightly as it passes between a restroom building and the interpretive center.  The interpretive center contains some interesting exhibits about the beach, sand dunes, and wetlands that will be seen on this hike and about the plants and animals that live there.  A single boardwalk "switchback" lifts you up to concrete pedestrian bridge over SR 182.

View of beach pavilion from pedestrian bridge

            After crossing the pedestrian bridge, another boardwalk "switchback" takes you down to an intersection with the Beach Mouse Bypass Trail at 0.3 miles.  The entrance boardwalk ends here, and the Beach Mouse Bypass Trail, which is also a boardwalk, goes left and right.  We will go both ways eventually, but first turn left to begin heading west toward the park's main campground.

Beach Mouse Bypass Trail

            The Beach Mouse Bypass Trail is named for the Alabama and Perdido Key beach mice, a pair of federally endangered species of rodents.  The Alabama beach mouse was reintroduced at Gulf State Park in 2011, but it continues to struggle due to loss of coastal dunes habitat.  I did not see any beach mice on my hike, which is unsurprising: they are mostly nocturnal creatures.  The boardwalk lets you bypass the beach mice in the sense that it keeps you off of the sand dunes in which they live.

Trail shelter

            The boardwalk passes through a single trail shelter on its way to its west end.  The trail shelters on this boardwalk offer benches and partial shade on an otherwise mostly sunny hike.  This part of the boardwalk also offers the best views of Middle Lake with the park's main campground visible across the lake.  I saw many waterfowl here including coots and egrets, and I saw some turtles sunning on logs.

Campground across Middle Lake

            At 0.5 miles, you reach the west end of the Beach Mouse Bypass Trail where it enters the campground.  As an alternate to this hike, you could form a loop around Middle Lake by turning right, hiking through the campground, and then hiking the Campground, Cross Park, and Rosemary Dunes Trails to get to the east end of the Beach Mouse Bypass Trail.  All of the other trails in that loop are asphalt trails, and I wanted to stay on the boardwalk.  Thus, I turned around and started hiking the Beach Mouse Bypass Trail eastbound in the opposite direction from which I had just come.

Middle Lake

            0.7 miles into the hike, you get back to the entrance boardwalk, which exits right.  The entrance boardwalk will eventually be our route back to the beach pavilion parking lot, but for now continue east on the Beach Mouse Bypass Trail.  This boardwalk is also open to bicycles, and a large number of two-wheeled trail users zoomed past me as I hiked here.  Bicycles on a boardwalk feels strange, but the boardwalk is plenty wide to allow them to pass safely.

East end of boardwalk

            The east end of the Beach Mouse Bypass Trail traverses land that is a couple feet higher in elevation than the west end.  Therefore, the marsh is not as wet, and large numbers of live oak, palmettos, and even pine trees grow here.  I saw many common woodland birds including red-winged blackbirds, mourning doves, and goldfinches while hiking this part of the boardwalk.  More trail shelters provide good opportunities to sit, rest, and do some bird watching.

Gulf State Park beach

            At 1.6 miles, you reach the east end of the boardwalk and its intersection with the Rosemary Dunes Trail.  If you took the alternate route around the lake I described earlier, you would approach this intersection via the asphalt trail to the left.  Turn around and retrace your steps first west on the boardwalk and then south across the SR 182 pedestrian bridge to return to the beach pavilion parking area.  No trip to Gulf State Park is complete without seeing the beach, so why not take the short mesh walkway across the dunes to the south to get to the white sand beach?  The view was surprisingly natural and uncluttered when I came here on a Tuesday afternoon in early February, and a walk along the beach made the perfect finish to my boardwalk hike at Gulf State Park.

Meaher State Park: Boardwalk Trail (Blog Hike #1040)

Trail: Boardwalk Trail
Hike Location: Meaher State Park
Geographic Location: east of Mobile, AL (30.66625, -87.93194)
Length: 0.8 miles
Difficulty: 0/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A short boardwalk over Mobile Bay.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/meaher-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=979493
Photo Highlight:

Short Video: (coming January 27, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: In the middle of Mobile Bay, take I-10 to US 90/98 (exit 30).  Exit and go east on US 90/98.  Drive US 90/98 east 3 miles to the signed entrance for Meaher State Park on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the small entrance fee, and park at the boat ramp parking lot at the rear of the campground.

The hike: Located on an island in the north end of Mobile Bay, Meaher State Park protects 1327 acres along the estuary created by the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta and Mobile Bay.  The 5 Rivers Delta Center, which is described elsewhere in this trail journal, is technically part of this park and is located directly across US 90/98.  The Delta Center contains several short hiking trails and many interesting exhibits about the large estuary.  Meaher State Park is named for Augustine Meaher, who donated the land to the State of Alabama for recreational use in 1989.

            Perhaps this park's best amenity is its 61-site developed campground, which provides easy access to the bay for fishing and boating.  Mobile Bay also makes this park a major birding destination.  For hikers, the park has only the short boardwalk trail described here, but this boardwalk is a nice one that provides good wildlife viewing and scenic views across the bay.

Trailhead for Boardwalk Trail

            From the boat ramp parking lot, walk south on the campground road, following signs for the Delta Boardwalk.  After less than 500 feet, you exit the campground and begin walking on a dirt road, still heading south.  A small parking lot sits at this corner of the campground, and you could park here to skip the walk through the campground if you wanted to.  I walked through the campground to make the hike longer, thereby doing more bird watching, and to avoid overcrowding at the small trailhead parking lot.

Starting the boardwalk

Mobile skyline

Boardwalk loop

            Just shy of 0.3 miles, you reach the start of the boardwalk.  This boardwalk forms a short lollipop loop around a small island that would be accessible only by boat otherwise.  I saw many common songbirds here, and the City of Mobile's skyline can be seen across the bay to the west on a sufficiently clear day.  Only constant traffic noise from nearby I-10 mars the ambiance.  A west-facing bench allows you to sit and enjoy the saltwater marsh.  After hiking the short boardwalk loop, retrace your steps to the campground to complete the hike.

Roland Cooper State Park: Chipmunk and Lakeside Trails (Blog Hike #1039)

Trails: Chipmunk and Lakeside Trails
Hike Location: Roland Cooper State Park
Geographic Location: northeast of Camden, AL (32.05258, -87.24844)
Length: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A double loop on 2 short nature trails with views of Dannelly Reservoir.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/roland-cooper-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=979434
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming March 3, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From Camden, take SR 41 northeast 2.5 miles to an unnamed road with a sign for Roland Cooper State Park.  Turn left on the unnamed paved road.  Drive the unnamed road 0.3 miles to its end at CR 43 and turn right on CR 43.  Drive CR 43 northeast 2.9 miles, turning left where Gladney Road angles right, to reach the park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the park entrance fee, and park in the small perpendicular parking lot in front of the park office.

The hike: Located in the remote and rustic area southwest of Montgomery, Roland Cooper State Park consists of 236 acres on the east shore of Dannelly Reservoir, a man-made lake on the Alabama River.  The park came to be in 1969 when the State of Alabama leased land from the Army Corps of Engineers on the newly constructed reservoir.  Originally called Bridgeport State Park, the name was changed in the late 1970's to honor Alabama State Senator Roland Cooper after he was murdered.  This park was one of 4 Alabama state parks closed for budget reasons in 2015, but thankfully it reopened a year later.

            In addition to excellent fishing and other aquatic recreation on Dannelly Reservoir, the park offers a cozy 41-site developed campground and 12 cabins.  The park's rural location makes for great star gazing, and its sky earns the next to best rating on the Bortle scale.  For hikers, the park offers 2 short and easy nature trails, and combining them with a road walk through the developed area of the park forms the hike described here.

Start of Chipmunk Trail

            From the park office, walk back out to the main park road, turn left, and walk a couple hundred feet along the road to find the signed start of the Chipmunk Trail on the right.  Just as the chipmunk is one of the most common animals in the forest, short wooded nature trails like this one are very common in parks throughout the country.  The trail heads due east through dense pine forest, and the forest has enough row-and-column structure to make this area look like a pine planting.

Hiking along the park boundary

            At 0.2 miles, the trail curves right to head south along the park's east boundary.  Red stripes painted around trees mark the park's east boundary, and parts of this trail appear to follow an old road.  After curving right to leave the old road, the Chipmunk Trail ends at the park road near the park entrance 0.5 miles into the hike.

Chipmunk Trail

            Next comes the road walk segment of this hike.  Turn right to walk the main park road back to the park office to complete the first loop.  Turn left to walk past the park office, then turn right to walk through the park's main campground on the campground road.  The signed start of the Lakeside Trail is located near the bathroom building at the north end of the campground loop.

Start of Lakeside Trail

            The Lakeside Trail starts by heading north, but quickly it curves 180-degrees to the left to begin heading south through a narrow strip of land between the campground uphill to the left and Dannelly Reservoir downhill to the right.  The lake makes this trail more scenic than the Chipmunk Trail.  While pines still dominate the forest, some holly makes an appearance in the understory.

Sunset over Dannelly Reservoir

            1.5 miles into the hike, the Lakeside Trail ends at a very scenic lakeside spot with some picnic shelters and a fishing pier.  I did this hike less than an hour before sunset, and the winter sun reflected off of the water like gold.  After admiring this spot, turn left and head slightly uphill on the park road, which in about 1000 feet returns you to the park office to complete this hike.

Paul Grist State Park: Red Trail (Blog Hike #1008)

Trail: Red Trail
Hike Location: Paul Grist State Park
Geographic Location: north of Selma, AL (32.59877, -86.99130)
Length: 3.7 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2024
Overview: A loop hike around Valley Creek Lake.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/paul-grist-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=957206
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of US 80 and SR 22 on the north side of Selma, take SR 22 north 11 miles to CR 222 and turn left on CR 222.  Drive CR 222 west its full length of 1.7 miles to CR 37 and turn right on CR 37.  Drive CR 37 north 1.2 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the park entrance fee, and drive the main park road to the park office, which is located at the entrance to the main campground.  Park in the parking lot in front of the park office.

The hike: Somewhat of a hidden gem in rural western Alabama, 1080-acre Paul M. Grist State Park has a long and somewhat tortured history.  The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930's as Valley Creek State Park.  In 1973, the Alabama State Legislature renamed the park to honor Paul Malone Grist, a nationally famous director of the YMCA who lived and worked in this area.

            In 2015, the park was closed by the state due to budget cuts, but 2 months later an agreement reached with Dallas County allowed the park to reopen under joint county/state management, a status that continues today.  The cozy park is centered around its 100-acre Valley Creek Lake, and it features swimming and fishing on the lake, a small 11-site developed campground, some picnic areas, and several trails open to hikers and equestrian users.  The hike described here forms the shortest loop around the lake.  I came into this park with a little trepidation, but I had a great hike and left the park with a high opinion of it.

Lake dam at end of park road

            The park road runs right along the west lake shore, and therefore this hike begins and ends with a road walk.  Head south along the park road, walking back out the way you just drove in.  At the first road intersection, turn left to stay close to the lake, heading for the primitive campground.  After 0.5 miles of road walking, you reach the primitive campground near the lake's dam.  The park road ends here.  Walk across the dam, looking for red trail markers.

Trail markers near spillway

            Upon reaching the spillway, the trail rolls off the right (downstream) side of the dam and crosses Valley Creek on a raised concrete structure.  Now the trail leaves the developed park area and enters the woods, where we will stay for most of the rest of this hike.  The forest here features some beautiful large beech trees, but the most common tree is the pine.  All of this park's trails are open to horses.  While this park is most famous as an equestrian destination, the trails did not show signs of heavy horse use on my visit.

Hiking the Red Trail

            At 0.75 miles, the Orange Trail exits right for the first of 4 times.  In all cases the Orange and Red Trails come back together, and the Orange Trail forms a looser loop around the lake.  Thus, you could use the Orange Trail if you wanted to lengthen this hike, but I chose to stick with the Red Trail to get better lake views.  I saw a large number of Canada geese and other birds in the lakeside areas of this hike, and some benches encourage you to sit, rest, and enjoy the lake.

Looking across the lake

            1.5 miles into the hike, the trail curves right to leave the lakeside area and embark on a rolling course in and out of a couple of ravines.  Soon the Orange Trail exits right for the last time, and shortly thereafter the trail starts heading northeast up one of the 2 main feeder streams for Valley Creek Lake.  A steep hillside can be seen to the right, and a marshy wetland area can be seen to the left.

Bridge over feeder stream

            2.1 miles into the hike, the trail curves left to head into the wetland.  Plenty of wet areas will need to be negotiated, but both of the main feeder streams are crossed on nice wooden bridges.  I managed to keep my shoes mostly mud-free while walking through the wetland.  A low ridge is crossed in between the two bridges, and this ridge provides the steepest areas on this hike.

Returning to the lake

            At 2.9 miles, you cross the second feeder stream.  The balance of the hike heads south on a wide trail.  The hillside rises on your right while first the wetland and then the lake appear on your left.  Ignore the Green Trail where it exits right.  At 3.5 miles, you come into the small developed campground, and 1000 feet later you return to the park office to complete the hike.

Joe Wheeler State Park: Champion, Wheeler River, and Day Use Trails (Blog Hike #952)

Trails: Champion, Wheeler River, and Day Use Trails
Hike Location: Joe Wheeler State Park
Geographic Location: west of Rogersville, AL (34.81160, -87.33247)
Length: 2.8 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: May 2023
Overview: A semiloop with good Wheeler Lake views passing 2 state champion trees.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/joe-wheeler-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=935611
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In northern Alabama, take I-65 to US 72 (exit 351).  Exit and go west on US 72.  Drive US 72 west 22 miles to the entrance for Joe Wheeler State Park on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and drive the winding main park road to the park's lodge at the road's end.  The trailhead is located at the far (west) end of the lodge parking lot.

The hike: At 72 feet high and 6342 feet long, Wheeler Dam in northwest Alabama is the longest of the 9 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams on the Tennessee River.  Like most TVA dams, Wheeler Dam was built in the 1930's for the main purpose of hydroelectric power generation, and it is capable of generating up to 411,800 kilowatts of electricity.  The dam forms Wheeler Lake, which at 68,300 acres is the second largest lake in Alabama (second only to Lake Guntersville, another TVA lake located 60 miles upstream).  The park, lake, and dam are all named for U.S. Representative Joseph Wheeler, who represented this area in the late 1800's.

            Joe Wheeler State Park came to be when the State of Alabama purchased 2550 acres from the TVA in 1949.  The park underwent a major upgrade to resort park status in 1973, and the results of the upgrade still entertain visitors today.  Amenities include a fantastic resort lodge and restaurant, an 18 hole golf course, a 140-slip marina, and a developed campground.  For hikers, the park features several trails including the Champion Trail, which is named for 2 state champion trees that the trail passes.  Combining the Champion Trail with 2 other trails forms the barbell-shaped semiloop described here.

Trailhead near lodge

            Only a small triangular sign with the universal hiker symbol marks this trailhead, but the dirt trail heading into the woods is obvious.  Marked by blue rectangular paint blazes, the Champion Trail climbs a short distance before splitting to form its loop.  To get to the state champion trees quickly, I continued straight and used the trail going left as my return route, thus hiking the Champion Trail counterclockwise.

Hiking the Champion Trail

            A state champion tree is simply the largest tree of its species in the state, and soon you come to the Alabama state champion September elm, which is marked by a small official-looking sign.  The American elm population has been decimated by Dutch elm disease, but this elm is doing better than most.  After topping the ridge, the trail descends steeply while crossing the park's cottage access road.  Look for the blue blazes downhill and across the road to stay on the trail.

Wheeler Lake

            At 0.4 miles, the Champion Trail turns left where a spur trail to the lakeshore exits right.  First take the spur trail to the right, which leads to a nice (and windy, on my visit) viewpoint along the shore of Wheeler Lake.  Back on the main trail, the trail climbs moderately to pass the state champion Chinkapin oak at 0.7 miles.  This oak is indeed quite impressive, although I have seen larger oak trees in other states.

State champion Chinkapin oak

            0.8 miles into the hike, you reach a trail intersection.  The Champion Trail continues to the left, and you could go that way now if you are running short of time or energy.  To see more of this park's trail system, turn right to begin the Wheeler River Trail.

Starting the Wheeler River Trail

            Marked with yellow rectangular paint blazes, the Wheeler River Trail dips through three steep but fairly shallow ravines.  Despite this trail's name, only partially obstructed views of the lake emerge through the trees to the right, and there are no more large trees like the ones you saw on the Champion Trail.  After climbing out of the last ravine, the Wheeler River Trail ends at an intersection with the Day Use Trail, which goes left and right.  Turn right to begin a counterclockwise journey around the Day Use Trail.

            Marked with red rectangular paint blazes, the Day Use Trail passes through the park's disc golf course, which has its own system of unmarked trails.  At 1.6 miles, you reach a sunny grassy ridgetop area that overlooks a parking lot and picnic shelter with the lake in the background.  Continue around the Day Use Trail to complete its loop, then backtrack on the Wheeler River Trail to get back to the Champion Trail.  Some benches on the Wheeler River Trail invite you to sit and rest on your way back.

"Overlook" of day-use area

            Upon returning to the Champion Trail, turn right to continue the Champion Trail's loop.  The trail crosses one final low ridge, and it crosses the cottage access road one more time.  Upon closing the loop, turn right and walk the short entrance trail back downhill to the lodge parking lot to complete the hike.

Rickwood Caverns State Park (Blog Hike #893)

Trails: Fossil Mountain, Moss Rock Connector, Picnic, and Karst Trails
Hike Location: Rickwood Caverns State Park 
Geographic Location: north of Warrior, AL (33.87390, -86.86129)
Length: 1.8 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: March 2022
Overview: A loop hike on the rocky karst roof of Rickwood Caverns.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/rickwood-caverns-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=903490
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: North of Birmingham, take I-65 to exit 289.  Exit and go west 0.7 miles to Rickwood Caverns Road; turn left on Rickwood Caverns Rd.  The park entrance is 2.4 miles ahead on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and park in any of the large parking lots near the park office and gift shop.

The hike: Established only in 1974, Rickwood Caverns State Park protects 380 acres above its namesake caverns.  Before it was a state park, the caverns were operated as a commercial cave from 1954 until 1974.  The park offers guided tours of the caverns, which are known for their soft limestone walls that contain fossils and for their spring-fed pools.  The caverns are named for Eddie Rickles and Sonny Arwood, a duo that brought public attention to the caves in the early 1950's.

            In addition to the cave, the park today offers a cozy 18-site campground that features 13 developed sites and 5 primitive tent-camping sites.  For day-use visitors, the park also offers a playground, numerous picnic shelters, and 4 short nature trails.  This hike uses parts of all 4 nature trails including the park's two newest trails, thus sampling all of this park's hiking options.

Main trailhead

            The hike starts at the park's main trailhead, which is also the start of the Fossil Mountain Trail.  This trailhead is located across the park road from the park office and gift shop.  A bright yellow sign warning of caves marks the spot, and this trail is marked with yellow paint blazes.  After only a few hundred feet, the Fossil Mountain Trail splits to form its loop.  This hike turns left to begin a clockwise journey around the loop.

Climbing on rocky trail

            The area's rocky terrain quickly becomes apparent with chunks of the limestone bedrock jutting up everywhere around you.  The persistent rockiness makes the footing in some areas more tricky than would normally be the case, but the relatively low relief compensates for the rockiness.  A few deep holes that could be cave entrances appear beside the trail, so you have to be careful where you step if you stray from the trail.  

Possible cave entrance

            After climbing slightly and then descending, the trail makes a sweeping right turn to head for this hill's summit on a persistent but moderate grade.  Jack-in-the-pulpit and purple violets brightened my path when I came here in mid-March.  At 0.5 miles, the trail reaches its highest point atop some slabby rock that stands about 180 vertical feet above the trailhead.  Next you begin a rather steep descent.  In contrast to the previous rocky section of trail, the steepness and rockiness combine to make this descent slow going.

Near the mountain summit

            At 0.8 miles, you reach a trail intersection where a decision must be made.  The Fossil Mountain Trail continues straight and closes its loop in another 0.2 miles.  To see more of this park's trail system, turn left to begin the Moss Rock Connector, which is this park's newest trail.

Start of Moss Rock Connector

            Marked with red paint blazes, the Moss Rock Connector continues the rocky descent.  This trail is not yet worn in due to its newness, so you need to keep an eye out for blazes to stay on the trail.  The trail starts to flatten out as you pass a sinkhole on the right.  Sinkholes such as this one are above-ground evidence of the cave system that lies below this mountain.

Picnic Loop Trail

            1 mile into the hike, you reach the Moss Rock Connector's lower end at an intersection with the Picnic Loop Trail, which goes left and right.  The option going right forms the shortest route back to the parking area, but this hike turns left to take the longer route.  The Picnic Loop Trail is this park's oldest trail, and it forms a flat and rather uneventful loop around the upper end of this park's hollow.

Hiking the Karst Trail

            At 1.4 miles, you reach another trail split.  The Picnic Loop Trail stays right and continues its uneventful journey back to the parking area.  For a more interesting route, angle left to begin the Karst Trail, which is another of the park's newer trails.  The Karst Trail follows a rolling course that passes several of the sinkholes and small cave openings that characterize the karst topography.  After passing a small cemetery that contains the grave of Alexander Burns Sr., a Revolutionary War veteran, you come out at a small picnic area.  Walk downhill to return to the parking area and complete the hike.