Jun 29, 2015 sipsey wilderness loop hike trip report 2 nights, 22. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. If you are familiar with how to use a map and compass you should explore the areas off the trail, but if you are not, please remain on or very near the path, as its not hard. The sipsey river trail is rated as moderate and primarily used for hiking, trail running, and camping. We stopped by the picnic area on highway 60 at the sipsey river, and walked to a little fall in the area, which was not flowing of any significance.
Primitive restrooms available at the sipsey trailhead but not the others. Horseback riding is allowed on trails specifically designated for horses. Best trails in sipsey wilderness alabama alltrails. Trail 208 is an old road traversing the sipsey wilderness and is one of the few trails in the sipsey wilderness that horses can be ridden. It gains approximately 200 feet of elevation and offers an opportunity to see the untouched wilderness up close. With deep canyons, high waterfalls, and forests of hemlocks and mountain laurel, the sipsey seems out of place in north alabama. Sipsey wilderness loop hike trip report 2 nights, 22. I will be leading a group of scouts through the sipsey wilderness in 2 months. The sipsey wilderness, part of bankhead national forest in northwestern alabama, is the third largest wilderness area east of the mississippi river. Wild souths wild wednesday hikes in the bankhead national forest are. Sipsey wilderness trail part 3s 2006 other trails journal. Looking for a great trail in sipsey wilderness, alabama.
Dogs, onleash, are okay for the sipsey river trail. The creeks and tributaries snake through the wilderness, wildflowing and uninhibited. Sipsey wilderness is home of some of the last virgin timer in the state. The sipsey wilderness lies within bankhead national forest around the sipsey fork of the. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever. Guide to sipsey wilderness area trails light inside. Borden creek trail in the sipsey wilderness wards of the. Sites temporarily suspended virtual services where are we burning today. The sipsey is a beautiful place that should be on anyones list to visit. A day hike into the sipsey wilderness down trail 200. No fires in the sipsey wilderness and various other counties across alabama because of severe drought conditions.
I will try to provide some additional information here and links to other sites which i. Rangers into alabamas three national forest wilderness areas the sipsey. Tubing on clear creek, miles of walking or mountain biking trails, hiking and backpacking in the famous sipsey wilderness area, sitting in the gazebo. Trail maps can be downloaded from the sipsey wilderness hiking club website.
This remote wilderness area boasts a 95 mile trail system and the 60 mile long west fork of the sipsey river. See more of sipsey wilderness hiking club on facebook. Sipsey wilderness lawrence county, alabama on the trail on 200. The purpose of this guide is to help those who know little about the swa sipsey. Wild wednesdays in the bankhead national forest wild south. This trail as it is marked on older fs maps is incorrect. We have created a trail in the sipsey wilderness which is. Sipsey trailhead is also the only one accessible over paved roads. The vegetation from these three unique environments blend into a remarkable diversity of species, with overlapping ranges creating many unusual plant associations. The trail head is in the sipsey river recreation area located where cranal road, lawrence county rd 6 and winston.
Longest trail in the sipsey wilderness description. Apr 27, 2016 the first time i hiked in the sipsey wilderness i felt like id wandered into some strange oasis. Sipsey wilderness bankhead national forest alabama gpx files. Motorized vehicles are not allowed inside the sipsey wilderness boundaries. There is a fork in this trail just less than one mile from the trail head. With my itinerary shot from the late start on day 1, i elected to day hike from base camp further up the sipsey river trail to the east bee branch trail, which was supposed to lead to the legendary big tree, a 500 yearold poplar. Bought a trail map in huntsville and we were easily able to navigate the 209202201 for a 16 mile loop from the sipsey trail head. Sipsey big tree loop hiking trail, phil campbell, alabama. The sipsey wilderness has a good deal of camping, hiking and canoeing options.
The club will be having its monthly meeting the first tuesday of each month at 7 pm at the bernice hilton walker building at double springs on hwy 195. Now more than ever we understand that communities must come together to protect. There are miles of trails in the sipsey wilderness designated for horses. Sipsey wilderness winston county, alabama turkey foot falls in sipsey wilderness. Does anyone have any gpx files for trails in this area. The wilderness has an abundance of waterfalls, and the color of the water in the streams is opal blue. As part of the rei coop family, were dedicated to making websites and mobile apps that help outdoor enthusiasts connect, share information and get out into the places they love to play. The best info weve found about the sipsey is on the site for the sipsey wilderness hiking club. From the upper parking lot go down over the bridge and then there is an almost hidden trail that starts.
There are many trails located within the sipsey wilderness, and. There are a few wetweather waterfalls along the way, falling off cliffs on the left, but they are all generally unimpressive. May 10, 2019 trail maps can be downloaded from the sipsey wilderness hiking club website. Designated in 1975 and expanded in 1988, 24,922acre 10,086 ha sipsey is the largest and most frequently visited wilderness area in alabama and contains dozens of waterfalls. Places of hidden beauty always hold a certain fascination for me. I will try to provide some additional information here and links to other sites which i think are reliable. The sipsey wilderness lies within bankhead national forest around the sipsey fork of the black warrior river in northwestern alabama, united states. Sipsey wilderness loop trail is a 24 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near haleyville, alabama that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. Located within the bankhead national forest, a 25,000 acre parcel makes up the sipsey wilderness, the second largest wilderness land east of the mississippi river. Thanks again to everyone that works on this trail in sipsey. There are many established campsites, with water and firewood available. January outing will be sipsey overnight day hike starting at randolph trailhead 8am saturday 18th. Birmingham profiles the areas best day hikes within roughly an hours drive of the birmingham metro area.
As you begin planning a winter trek, be sure to check out the sipsey wilderness hiking club website for details on trails. I finally got some time to hang and i thought i would share the route we took in the sipsey wilderness. There are trails for the picking up here, and we have done several, never to be disappointed. We parked one vehicle at the braziel trailhead, took trail 223 south to trail 208. Trail 204 starts from fs road 224 which is blocked to vehicles at borden creek bridge and is now trail 224. Mar 19, 2016 located a few miles south of moulton, ala. For sources generally further than 50 km from a class i area, the visibility threshold for concern is not exceeded if the 98th %ile change in light extinction is. Exploring a classic backpacking route in the sipsey wilderness. Along with the ranger program, wild south organizes helping hands work days. National forests in alabama districts usda forest service.
I would take the sipsey river trail upstream, ford the river one more time, and break the rim, reaching the rippey trail. Located in the center of the sipsey wilderness you can find the largest tree in the southeast aptly named big tree. The sipsey river trail is a rather uneventful trail, as ti follows the sipsey fork the entire time. Part of menashas premier series of city hiking guides, 60 hikes within 60. There was a reasonable bathroom facility at that trailhead and many established campsites along the 209.
Hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing are permitted in the sipsey wilderness. I would finish by following the rippey trail back to the. Due to the tricky navigation, its a good idea to do your homework before a trip and compile maps and trail descriptions. Its as if, by some miracle, a 25,000acre chunk of north georgia was transported 190 miles to the west. Whether its building trails, planting trees, picking up litter or. An easy hike to see a really big tree huntsville outdoors. Mar 10, 2016 there are trails for the picking up here, and we have done several, never to be disappointed. Directions to trailheads are available from the sipsey wilderness hiking club.
Take a walk on the 200 borden trail of the beautiful sipsey wilderness. In 1924, the forest service began a road improvement program for not only the roads. Aug 19, 2017 take a walk on the 200 borden trail of the beautiful sipsey wilderness. Follow trail 223 gum pond south until it ends at trail 208 northwest. Hike to the sipsey wilderness waterfalls, sipsey wilderness. Part of menashas premier series of city hiking guides, 60 hikes within 60 miles. Trail 200 features a walk through a canyon, a large waterfall, and caves one of which the trail runs through. Explore the best trails in sipsey, alabama on traillink.
Because wilderness areas are kept in a relatively pristine state, the sipsey has minimal trail signs and several unofficial, unmarked paths. I was wanting to spend a weekend or at least a day exploring woh. There is much information available online about the area. Back to the sipsey again, this time with a group of 4 or 5 hikers. The sipsey wilderness is located in northwest alabama at the juncture of three separate geologic areas.
Trail 209 or sipsey river trail follows the sipsey river for its duration, crossing it once near the end of the hike. The older members can think back to when we started this project some 20 years ago. Sep 03, 2017 sipsey wildernesss borden creek trail 200. Several 28 mile point to point trails that can be combined into loops.
The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is accessible yearround. Whereas many urban areas farther north experience defined hiking seasons, birminghams moderate winter climate encourages hiking yearround. With more than 15 sipsey trails covering 25 miles, youre bound to find a perfect trail like the ensleypratt greenway or horse creek trail. This study proposes a new trail for the sipsey wilderness, which is located in the william b. Much of the wilderness was once logged, but new growth forests have now taken hold in the logged areas. Sipsey wilderness area general information the sipsey wilderness is about 26,000 acres. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible yearround. Within this forest is the sipsey wilderness, which encloses 25,906 acres destinations sipsey. The bankhead is alabamas largest national forest with 180,000 acres of land. We then walked along highway 60 to where turkey foot creek crossed the road. Dec 22, 2009 the best info weve found about the sipsey is on the site for the sipsey wilderness hiking club. Three days two nights of hiking and camping fun, in the heat of the summer.
The varied terrain of sipseys trails will be a pleasure to backpackers and hikers of every experience level. I have some digital trail maps, but it is nice to use my topo software to plan routes and calculate distances. The trail head is in the sipsey river recreation area located where cranal road, lawrence county rd 6. This might be largest tree we have removed from trail. I have been a short distance through whiteoak hollow on the way to the big tree, but i cant remember if the trail continues straight through woh after the turn up and over the ridge toward west bee. Well, this being an unofficial trail and thus unmaintained, it proved to be difficult. The sipsey river trail is a little over 5 miles through the sipsey wilderness area. A challenge trail in the sipsey wilderness introduction. The trail generally stays flat near the river, with occasional streambed crossings that involve steep, muddy approaches. From the sipsey wilderness recreation area, there are two easily accessible trails, 200 and 209. This time we plan on putting two short loop trails together and making one long straight through trail from parking lot to parking lot. The trail begin underneath the highway bridge and travels down a small incline towards the river. Written by thomas lambert for rootsrated in partnership with bcbs of al. Sipsey fork is the only wild and scenic river in alabama.
Why winter is best for a trip to the sipsey wilderness. In the book, hiking sipseya familys fight for eastern wilderness, rickey butch walker teams with jim manasco to produce an ultimate guide to the bankhead national forest which includes the sipsey wilderness area. The bankhead national forest offers over 90 miles of recreational trails. The first time i hiked in the sipsey wilderness i felt like id wandered into some strange oasis. Visit sipsey wilderness on your trip to alabama or united. Sipsey wilderness bankhead national forest alabama gpx. The sipsey wilderness area also has many trails where wildflowers can be found. An easy hike to see a really big tree an easy hike to see a really big tree. While there are many more waterfalls to choose from, three possible options are kinlock falls, fall creek falls, and feather hawk falls. Sipsey wilderness the sipsey wilderness, part of bankhead national forest in northwestern alabama, is the third largest wilderness area east of the mississippi river. Is there a trail through the hollow all the way to the 224208 junction. Congrats to barry and everyone that worked to preserve the trails in sipsey wilderness areaallso reminder that club members may mail in club dues during month of january. The 25,000acre sipsey wilderness is a landscape of canyons, ravines, sandstone cliffs, and, most notably, waterfalls. Join us in conducting an inventory of campsites in the sipsey wilderness.
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