Here is a complete guide to hiking in North Alabama with its great trails and beautiful views that will enrich your travel experience and make you a storyteller!
Hiking in North Alabama is an enthralling journey of a lifetime. It has various national parks with landscapes, waterfalls, bridges, and creeks to leave you spellbound.
The trails have clear markings to guide your way, and there are camping grounds for a delightful experience. Whether you’re looking for waterfalls, caves, or a leisurely walk through the woods, no matter where you live in North Alabama, a stunning hike is right in your backyard.
1. Stillhouse Hollow Falls Trail
The trail is nestled in a dense jungle with lush green landscapes, with its expanse reaching over 90 acres. The towns of Summer town and Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, adjoin this trail.
Beautiful wooden bridges are spread over various sections off the trail, and the views are rendered mesmerizing when you step on the waterfall to cross over to the next section. Beautiful wooden bridges are spread over various sections of the trail.
The views are rendered mesmerizing when you step on the waterfall to cross over to the next section. The trail’s difficulty can be graded as moderate since it is only 2 miles long, but look for some steep rises during your journey, which can get tricky to traverse.
You can expect to get an enriching experience of hiking in North Alabama, in the heart of a dense forest, with its tranquil scenery changes. Still, the downsides of the trail not being labeled might disappoint you.
2. The Walls of Jericho
This is one of the most mesmerizing trails to go hiking in North Alabama, which stretches over 21 acres.
You will be elated and exhausted because of this region’s expansive, unending landscapes and countless caves. The hiking trail now comes under the nature conservancy and has been made open to the public.
2.1 What to Expect:
Before mentioning any further, a word of caution would be to prepare yourself extensively for this hike, as hiking takes a heavy toll on your physical stamina because of the long distances and some challenging sections.
2.2 Best time to visit:
The hike spans 7.9 kilometers, and the best seasons for visiting here are from March to November.
2.3 Highlights:
The interesting fact about this Hike is that it begins from the top of the mountain and takes you on a downward journey into the heart of the forest, with incredible waterfalls, green fields, creeks, and rocks.
After you have reached the Walls, the views are stunningly breathtaking, with crystal Blue turquoise waters in the mountains and green landscapes’ backdrop.
Once you have traveled for a quarter of a day, expect to reach the camping ground, which calls for a grand adventure.
3. Joe Wheeler State Park
3.1 Highlights
This trail runs along the Tennessee River in Rogersville and is famous for its exquisite scenic views of the lake. The lake glistens with Blue crystal waters, and it’s a perfect place to enjoy quaint solitude in the wilderness.
Hiking in North Alabama is an experience of one of its kind, with loop trails coming into the picture.
Here, mountain biking trails offer scenic views into the denser parts of the trail. This perfect combination of hiking and biking trails will give stunning views of the first creek, making it Instagram-worthy.
3.2 The Trail Route:
Reaching the start point of this trek is easy and can be identified by a lodge parking lot at shelter number 3; the trail maps are available here in the lobby.
This terrain is not physically commanding and is graded as Easy by the officials. However, it would help if you looked out for a while going for the Hike while there are some steep hills.
A color-coding system makes it very easy for hikers to follow the trail. Walking to the yellow trail alongside the Tennessee River, starting with the red trail loop.
This section is beautiful, with the hills and the river in the backdrop, and it escalates to the blue trail, which leads you to the first creek.
Plenty of wildlife, especially deer, coexist in this region, making it a visual treat for the eye. You can follow the same path and make a complete round trip to return the same way.
A few hiking trails in North Alabama offer some facilities, including washrooms and picnic tables in the lobby. Owing to this, you can head here with your family for a beautiful trip.
4. Bankhead National Forest
Hiking in North Alabama is incomplete without visiting the Bankhead National Forest, which extends over 30 miles, giving you a culmination of waterfalls, canyons, and beautiful creeks.
4.1 Best Seasons to visit:
This forest ground features lovely camping places, including Houston, Corinth, and the Clear camping ground.
The best time to go camping here is from April to October when there are clear skies and calm winds. The forest officials have provided an excellent arrangement with camps and water hookups to facilitate an exceptional experience.
4.2 Gradient Watch:
Many hikes run in this National park, giving a wide range of options. The parameters would be distance and difficulty. The park also has the largest tree in Alabama and some serene waterfalls and deep caves.
Bankhead National Forest is a famous place for hiking in North Alabama. Many activities, from horse riding to swimming, are enjoyed by people from all walks of life.
5. Cane Creek Natural Preserve
The mountain nature preserve exudes absolute freedom with its expensive wide trains and lush green forests.
The land trust of Cane creek natural preserve is privately owned, but the trail is open to the public for hiking in North Alabama. The hike is on hike Possible during the day, and visitors must sign a form with land trust near the parking area.
This aesthetic preserve is at a distance of 10 miles south of Tuscumbia. While reaching the Lace field property, a parking permit is needed, and grab hold of the maps, which will guide you into the 15 miles of hiking trails inside the preserve.
5.1 Marked Trails:
The forest trails of this hike of North Alabama are very well marked and safe for solo and family hikes. There are two ends to this expansive landscape, so you must start exploring from the south to get the most out of it.
Very serene waterfalls and wooden bridges take you up to The point. Just hold your breath because the canyon views are simply mesmerizing, with a sharp contrast to the green landscapes.
The best time to hike in North Alabama’s trails would be in November, after the autumn descent.
A hike to the devil’s open trail will be the best choice if you have time to explore from the north end. The Karen falls are gushing with water, with the canopy of trees from either side.
Here is a complete list of waterfalls in North Alabama to mesmerize you with their beauty.
6. Monte Sano State Park
People often go hiking in North Alabama, choosing this serene place as their preferred option.
This park is nestled on top of Monte Sano Mountain in East Huntsville; there are over 20 miles of trails that this place boasts of traveling.
This region has moderate trails that offer a perfect blend for experienced and novice hikers. Some challenging hiking trails in North Alabama are the mountain mist, cold springs, and Arrowhead.
7. Lake Guntersville State Park
Lake Guntersville State Park trails are among the best hiking in North Alabama experiences one can get.
Many activities include championship golf courses, an eagle zipline, 36 miles of hiking and biking routes, and fishing options in the lake. Opt for the biking trail, as you will cover a vast region of the park in a brief period.
With clearly marked-out trails that dive deep into the forests, the lake’s calm waters with the peaceful backdrop of The hills make this park a complete package for hiking in North Alabama. The sunrise and sunset views are out of this world.
The evenings here turn this place into a riot of colors from pink & violet that paint the sky, and the golden lights of the resort make it overwhelming. For a more detailed itinerary, click here.
Closing Thoughts
After providing all the hiking options in North Alabama, We hope you’ll have a wonderful time embarking on a journey that will be hard to forget, staying with you forever. May the journey bring forth a beautiful discovery.
Some other hiking trails didn’t make this list but are worth visiting. These include a green mountain nature preserve, Madison County Nature Trail, Alum Hollow Trail, other worthwhile places worth visiting, Monte Sano Nature, Laurel Falls, and Wheeler State First Creek Boat Ramp.
Also, check out, Best Beaches in Alabama
Last Updated on by Saket Kumar
