Anniston Outdoor Association

We are knocking on the door of April, Earth Month! Spring has sprung in so many ways. Wildflowers, migratory birds, new life is all around us. Let us celebrate by enjoying the outdoors on your public lands. Wild Alabama has so much going on and we want you to join us as we celebrate life and the great outdoors! Check out our events flyer. To find out more about any of these events, visit our website home page, scroll down to the events calendar and click on each one to find out more information and who to contact to sign up.

www.wildal.org
https://www.wildal.org/outreach-hikes.html

We had a great waterfall tour in the Talladega National Forest. 15 participated. We hiked to Hidden Falls, Devil's Den Falls, Cheaha Falls, and High Falls. We had planned to conclude with a visit to Shinbone Falls but by the time we finished visiting High Falls, group concesus was that it was getting too late and we were tired, so we decided to wait until another time to visit them. The weather made for a perfect day and last week's rain made the falls very nice with significant water flow. A good time was had by all!

Photos are courtesy of Wright Willingham and I.

🚣‍♂️ 🚣‍♀️ ALABAMA CUP RACES: The Locust Fork Races at King’s Bend are quickly approaching!
👉 FLFR is a sponsor and needs volunteers! 💢

🗓 April 2 & 3

👏 If you are interested, click the link to learn more & sign up to volunteer.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://alabamacupraces.com/&ved=2ahUKEwjX_cPZ6cP2AhWOZd8KHY0IC-QQFnoECAUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2xKIBLDqLUWX_FbfDcmH0o

Check out our list of upcoming events below!!!

Archaeology Hike: Sacred Stone Structures
Rock mounds, stone effigy structures and more…join JSU archaeologist, Dr. Harry Holstein, for this fascinating hike in the Mountain Longleaf Refuge near White Plains, AL. The group will begin with a 45 minute ‘Sacred Stone” program in the Archaeology Lab at JSU. Hikes are moderate level with some steep, short trails to get to these structures.

Date: Saturday, March 5, 2022

Where: Meet in Room 142 Martin Hall (JSU Campus); JSU Van tour starts on Choccolocco Mountain

Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (CST)

Fee: $20 per person (Ages 14 and older); Pre-registration required, https://secure.touchnet.net/C20901_ustores/web/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=1&CATID=1&SINGLESTORE=true. Please call 256-845-3548 for questions.

Here is a sneak peek at our March events. Might be adding more but go ahead and get on our website to learn more details about each event. www.wildal.org

A few belated group photos from
Last Saturday’s hike on the Pinhoti Trail. A special thanks to Linda Gunnoe, Belle Hamiter, and Anona Aderholdt for leading the hike!

More pictures from today’s hike courtesy of Doris Hatch.

Pictures from Saturday’s trip to participate in the Eagle Awareness Program at Guntersville State Park courtesy of Belle Hamiter.

More photos from yesterday's hike courtesy of Doris Hatch.

Pictures from our Christmas Party on Thursday night. Everyone had a good time and enjoyed plenty of good food. Besides good fellowship, our outing leaders were recognized for their service and the history of our our association was discussed in light of its 30th birthday in November. A good time was had by all and a special thanks goes out to Renee Rainey and the Cheaha State Park staff for allowing us to use the Cleburne Room on such short notice.

Good hike today on the CCC road in the TNF. Nice weather, nice group of people, and a nice historic path to follow. What else could you ask for?

Photos from our Hike Inn Trip courtesy of Linda Gunnoe.

Photos from today’ maintenance hike on the Pinhoti Trail.

More photos from our Pisgah National Forest trip led by Mike Martin. Photos courtesy of Doris Hatch. Thank you Doris for the great photos!

Wild Alabama is seeking volunteers to assist with trail maintenance this coming Friday and Saturday in the Cheaha Wilderness. We will be brushing and clearing the Odum Scout trail. Begin and end the day at High Falls trailhead and enjoy three cascading waterfalls! Round trip for this work will be 3-4 miles depending on how much work gets done. Meet our new Talladega National Forest Stewardship Coordinator Brittany Seaborg. All tools and guidance will be provided. Meet at High Falls trailhead at 8 a.m. Email Kim Waites to sign up. [email protected]

We are mid way into September and we have a lot going on this month for you to get involved in! Clean up days, trail maintenance, guided hikes, so much to do! Visit our website for more information on events and how to register! General questions can go to [email protected]

We had a good trip on Big Wills Creek yesterday. 13 participated. The weather was perfect for the outing and the water was flowing the best that I've ever experienced on the creek at a rate of a little over 200 cfs through our trip. The only negative was the large volume of boats on the water due to 3 groups being on the creek (us, a Birmingham Meet-up group, and a Huntsville group). However, that was only a slight hindrance and we were able to paddle ahead of the big groups after a lunch break to enjoy solitude for the remainder of the trip. A thank you to everyone who participated and to Kris Theall for sharing her photos from the trip.

Outreach Hikes

Outreach Hikes Wild Alabama Guided Hikes Wild Alabama staff and volunteers lead hikes in the Bankhead National Forest and Talladega National Forest year round. Driven by our mission to inspire people to enjoy,...

Additional photos from yesterday's trip on the Chattooga River Courtesy of Doris Hatch.

We had a good float yesterday on the Chattooga River in Lyerly, GA. 11 participated, the weather was nice, and the current was good. There were a few downed trees that we had to negotiate around or over but everyone survived them OK. It was a little disappointing that we could not find a spring remembered from a previous float on the river 20 years ago but everyone still had a good time.

Photos from yesterday’s trip on the Tallapoosa River from Horse Bend Military Park to Jaybird Creek Landing. 12 paricipated, the water was up, and everyone enjoyed the trip! A special thanks to Chuck Browne at Off the Beaten Path outfitters for providing rental kayaks and shuttling our boats.

Photos from yesterday's float down the Paint Rock River near Woodville, AL. All flat water but nice current due to all the recent rain. Nice forest canopy cover the entire float. 12 participated and all had a good trip!

Additional photos from Saturday's Flint River Trip courtesy of Dorris Hatch. Thank you Dorris for participating in the trip and for providing the excellent photos!

Yesterday’s float on the Flint River. 8 participated. Good float with a good current and nice scenery. The only negative would be the excessive number of people on the river due to the increase in outfitters over the past couple of years. We may try a different section next year.

Happy Birthday Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Today marks 87 years that the park has been in service to the public as an official national park. We celebrate this beautiful place and everyone who supports preserving and protecting it for future generations to come.

Photos from Starlet Shimizu Rosser's post

Tomorrow's float trip on Terrapin Creek has been postponed to Saturday, May 22 due to unsafe water conditions resulting from this week's heavy rains.

Saturday's hike on the Pinhoti & Chinnabee Silent Trail has been postponed to May 1 due to Saturday's forecast calling for inclement weather.

Tomorrow's loop hike on the Pinhoti and Cave Creek Trail has been postponed to April 17 due to tomorrow's forecast calling for inclement weather.

National parks and forests in Southern Appalachia occupy more than 2.2 millions of acres of land connected by rivers, trails, parkways, and history. Discover all there is to offer—camping, horseback riding, biking, and more—in the Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Map.

Recently reprinted to include an enlarged chart of where to find different activities and important Bearwise bear safety information, the map is available three ways: 1) find it for free at GSMNP visitor centers and GSMA bookstores, 2) download it for free from recreationlinks.org, or 3) get one mailed to you for a small fee by ordering from the GSMA web store.

Join Wild Alabama on a guided hike to Holmes Chapel Falls and Rush Creek in the Bankhead National Forest.
Saturday, April 3, 9:30 a.m. at the Rush Creek bridge on Mount Olive Road.
Distance: Approximately 2.5 miles roundtrip.
Rating: Moderate. No trail but doable for most hiking abilities.
Be prepared for rough, rocky, slippery footing, stream crossings, mud. For virus safety, wear a mask when a distance of at least 6 feet from other hikers lessens.
Bring: daypack with lunch, snacks, water.
Group size will be kept to no more than six. Signing up in advance is required. Sign up at [email protected].

Additional pictures from yesterday’s Waterfall outing courtesy of Belle Hamiter. Thanks Belle!

We had a good hike yesterday on the Pinhoti Trail between Pine Glenn and USFS 533. 10 participated, the weather was great, Shoal Creek was flowing nicely, Sweetwater Lake was beautiful, and the Laurel Shelter was in great shape! A special thanks to Linda Gunnoe, Belle Hamiter, and Anona Aderholt for leading this hike!