north | Appalachian Highlands | Black Belt | coastal
Alabama
If you know the song “Sweet Home Alabama,” then you know the skies are (so) blue. What you might not know is that the terrain is so diverse there—from the mountains to the forests to the beaches—that you can have a multitude of outdoor adventures in the state. In fact, the outdoors are so great in Alabama that even Mother Nature has given it her stamp of approval: a total of 430 different bird species can be seen (and heard) here at various times of the year.
To celebrate this fact, the state declared 2023 the Year of Alabama Birding. So whether you’re an avid birder wanting to explore the state’s eight different bird trails or simply an outdoor adventurist ready for serene surroundings, Alabama has plenty of reasons for you to visit, not least of which is a unique birdsong soundtrack. Base yourself in one of four major regions and then start exploring with this guide.
Huntsville shed its farming town image in the 1960s, when rocket scientists at the NASA center here designed Saturn V, the rocket that sent Apollo astronauts to the moon. Since that time, it has steadily gained publicity, with even The New York Times calling it a top place to go in 2019. There’s much to see and do around here, including attending an event at downtown’s Big Spring International Park (aptly named after the water source in its center), strolling the 118-acre Huntsville Botanical Garden or visiting Burritt on the Mountain, a 167-acre site overlooking the city, and hiking its nature trails that circle Round Top Mountain.
Of course, this is just one of Alabama’s most famous canyons. Another—Dismals Canyon in the northwest part of the state—is home to something you’ll find in only a few places on earth: the glowworm-like bioluminescent "Dismalites" worth visiting on a night tour of the canyon walls. By day, explore the canyon’s mossy walking trails, caves, gorges, natural bridges and waterfalls.
Make your nest
The landscapes in this area include tupelo swamps, wildflower fields, oak and hickory forests as well as open water. Depending on the season, you might spot neotropical songbirds, breeding woodland species, migrant waterfowl and a variety of raptors. Look for America’s national bird, the bald eagle, when large roosts come here in the wintertime; Lake Guntersville State Park, which covers 2400 hectares of natural woodlands, holds Eagle Awareness Weekends during this time.
Other spots on the North Birding Trail include DeSoto State Park, whose Talmadge Butler Boardwalk Trail gives visitors a chance to hear Kentucky and Hooded Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers and Yellow-Throated Vireos, along with native wildflowers and blooming shrubs. Be sure to also check out DeSoto Falls, a 32-metre waterfall on the west fork of the Little River; one of the most visited waterfalls in Alabama, its water level is highest in the winter and early spring.
Why you should flock to
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Full of rivers and valleys, the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail offers a diverse habitat for many birds, including the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker; the 1335-square kilometre Talladega National Forest is a great place to spot this particular species.
Located within the national forest, Cheaha State Park is a mountaintop retreat and the highest point in Alabama. As you hike or bike the trails, you might spot Summer Tanagers, Wood Thrushes and Yellow-billed Cuckoos. The real must-do here is to head up to Pulpit Rock for its panoramic views of the forest; at the higher elevations, you’re also more likely to spot soaring hawks, as well as Scarlet Tanagers and Ovenbirds.
Find feathered friends
For more hiking trails (nearly 20 kilometres of them) as well as rock climbing, head further south to Moss Rock Preserve in Hoover. The preserve is home to six rare species of plants as well as a rare variant of Little River Canyon Sandstone Glade, thought to be one of only 35 worldwide occurrences. Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham is also popular with hikers, as well as mountain bikers and horseback riders. At 47 square kilometres, Oak Mountain is Alabama’s largest state park. Venture about an hour east of Birmingham to Coldwater Mountain for its 56 kilometres of bike trails ranging from beginner to expert.
Make your nest
Extending for nearly 3,200 kilometres, the Appalachian Mountains run from Newfoundland to central Alabama. Drive south along the Appalachian Highlands Scenic Byway, about 125 kilometres in the northeastern part of the state, for incredible mountain views, before turning west to stay in Birmingham. Get acquainted with the natural side of the city and take advantage of free admission at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Drive 15 minutes south of Birmingham for some hiking, biking and ziplining at Red Mountain Park. Encompassing 607 hectares of land along the Red Mountain Ridge, the park features more than 24 kilometres of trails, including the Butler Snow Sensory Trail, which allows people with developmental differences (like low vision and hearing) explore 14 activities along a 225-metre trail. There is also an ADA-accessible treehouse.
Full of dark, rich soil, Alabama’s Black Belt stretches across south-central Alabama, from Georgia to Mississippi. Opportunities on the Alabama Black Belt Birding Trail include canoe rides on one of Alabama’s river systems to city and state parks as well as National Wildlife Refuges.
One example is Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge, an area of more than 4,000 acres of rivers, sloughs, bottomland hardwood forest and tall-grass cropland. The primary goal of Choctaw is to give Wood Duck babies, or brood, a habitat and protect waterfowl in the winter; up to 200 broods of Wood Ducks are born annually in the refuge’s artificial nest boxes and winter waterfowl numbers can exceed 10,000.
Find feathered friends
For a slower pace in the water, try the lower end of the Coosa River, which is found just northeast of Montgomery. Here you can go kayaking or fishing, particularly for large spotted bass river fish.
Nature walks and biking are available at The Joe Farm, a historic facility in Newburn, but the main attraction is the bird-watching. In 2018, the Joe family decided to diversify its 200-acre Black Angus cattle farm and started a birding tour company called Connecting with Birds and Nature Tours, LLC on its property. Visitors can walk the 6-plus miles of trails or be led on an 18-foot hay ride trailer.
Make your nest
The capital city of Alabama, Montgomery, sits beside the Alabama River and is full of green spaces. Head over to Montgomery Riverfront Park and hop aboard the 19th-century Harriott II Riverboat for some dinner, dancing and live entertainment.
Minutes from downtown is the recently opened Montgomery Whitewater, an adventure park featuring an advanced whitewater channel system. The 670-metre-long Creek Channel is a Class 2 experience and for beginners. Those with more advanced skills can head for the 488-metre-long Olympic-standard Competition Channel. Whitewater kayaking, SUP and inflatable kayaking are also available.
The Coastal Birding Trail encompasses over 200 miles in Baldwin and Mobile counties. One of the first stops of migrant birds, the 164-acre Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary is maritime pine forest containing several miles of trails. Walk along the boardwalks to avoid the alligators and look out for Swainson’s Warbler and Black-whispered Vireo.
Head to nearby Goat Trees—so named because wild goats climbed the trees at night to avoid predators, according to local legend—and listen to the warblers, tanagers and vireos.
Find feathered friends
From Mobile, you can choose to journey north or south for more outdoor activities. Go south to the 65-acre Bellingrath Gardens and Home, which offers two miles of pathways nearly every day of the year. Head to the annual Fall Outdoor Cascading Chrysanthemums display (late October-November) when four-foot long flower chains are hung on bridges and balconies throughout the gardens. It’s the largest show of its kind in the U.S.
Head directly north of Mobile Bay to the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, which encompasses 260,000 acres of diverse ecosystems, making it Alabama’s largest wetland ecosystem and America’s second largest river delta. It’s approximately 45 miles long and averages eight miles wide. Take an airboat ride for a closer look at the hundreds of plant and animal species that live here.
Make your nest
If your heart desires seafood, there is no finer place to be in Alabama than in Mobile, a port city on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. The abundance of seafood can be seen on every menu throughout the year. Drive or stroll around to see the 288 buildings that are part of the city’s Oakleigh Garden District, an area listed on America’s National Register of Historic Places; its tree-lined streets are perfect for some urban bird-watching.
Commonly referred to as the Gateway to the Gulf, downtown Mobile is also just a short drive from 32 miles of white-sand beaches. Head to Gulf State Park to explore its 3.5 miles of beaches or to hike the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail. Voted the best recreational trail in the country by USA Today’s readers in 2023, this 28-mile paved trail system weaves throughout the 6,150 acres of the park.
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Birmingham Botanical Gardens
North
Appalachian Highlands
Black Belt
Coastal
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Red Mountain Park
Plan your trip
Gulf Shores
Oak Mountain State Park
Mobile-Tensaw Delta
Birding in Congo Nature Preserve
Bald Eagle, Lake Guntersville
Montgomery Whitewater
Swallow-tailed Kite
Gulf State Park
Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary
Bellingrath Gardens and Home (left); Mobile-Tensaw Delta (right)
The BLOX Building (left); The Black Diamond (right)
Photo credit: Daniel Rasmussen
Find feathered friends
There are 16 kilometres of trails that wind through the Hays Nature Preserve—suitable for hiking or mountain biking—and follow the Flint River. Species you might see include Great Blue and Green Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Bluebirds and Song Sparrows. Keep your ears open to hear the singing of Grasshopper Sparrows and Dickcissels calling across the open fields of Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge.
Eastern Bluebird
Along with blue-grass concerts and Native American festivals throughout the year, Horse Pens 40 also hosts permanent residents like Eastern Towhees and Chipping Sparrows. Situated atop the southwestern end of Chandler Mountain, one of the main features here is the boulder field where Carolina Wrens tend to hang out.
Stroll along the boardwalk of Ebenezer Swamp Ecological Preserve to get close to year-round residents such as Pileated and Red-Headed Woodpeckers; Prothonotary Warblers and Common Yellowthroats are common in spring and summer.
Horse Pens 40
Close to downtown Selma, Bloch Park is a mix of hardwoods and pines; Brown-headed Nuthatches and Pine Warblers can be spotted year-round. Pair this with a visit to Live Oak Cemetery, a well-maintained property full of rows upon rows of Spanish-moss-draped trees, which just happen to delight Cooper’s Hawks, Barred Owls and a variety of warblers, flycatchers and woodpeckers.
The smallest in America’s national forest system, the 11,252-acre Tuskegee National Forest includes mixed pine and hardwood groves, broad ridges, creeks and floodplains where visitors can hike, fish or camp. Birds spotted here include Yellow-throated Vireos, Great Crested Flycatchers, Kentucky Warblers and Bachman’s Sparrows.
Live Oak Cemetery
Full of prehistoric Native American mounds and a preserved Civil War Battlefield, Historic Blakeley State Park covers 3,800 acres of river bottoms and upland hardwoods. Sightings here have included Bald Eagles, Osprey, Northern Parula and owls.
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge has a number of trails, ranging from wheelchair-accessible to strenuous. The various terrain includes a maritime forest, a swamp as well as scrub and dune habitats. While different birds can be found here during the year, listen at dusk and dawn for Chuck-will’s Widow and Great Horned Owls. Just don’t get too entranced by birdsong as the refuge closes at dark.
Great Horned Owl
Cathedral Caverns
Go from high in the mountains to underground with a visit to Cathedral Caverns. Part of the 493-acre Cathedral Caverns State Park, Cathedral Caverns have been open to the public since the 1950s. Measuring 126 feet wide and 25 feet high, the entrance is incredibly massive, but there are even more jaw-dropping features inside, like “Goliath," one of the largest stalagmites in the world, measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet in circumference. Cave tours are scheduled throughout the day.
Saturn V (left); Big Spring International Park (right)
This part of Alabama is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, which means there are plenty of hiking trails and gorges to explore, made even more beautiful during the fall. Head to Little River Canyon National Preserve in northeast Alabama, just off highway 176, which is full of wildlife, waterfalls and wow moments. One of the deepest canyon systems east of the Mississippi River and the deepest in the state of Alabama, Little River Canyon reaches 180 metres down in some sections. The 14-metre Little River Falls starts the formation of the canyon.
Big Spring International Park
Lake Guntersville State Park
DeSoto Falls
Coldwater Mountain
Oak Mountain State Park
Moss Rock Preserve
in collaboration with:
Cheaha State Park (left); Summer Tanager (right)
The Joe Farm
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north | Appalachian Highlands | Black Belt | coastal
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