Outdoors

Browse exclusive SoulGrown stories Alabama's great outdoors and natural beauty

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Senator Andrew Jones (R-Centre) grew up minutes away from Alabama’s Chief Ladiga Trail, a winding paved trail that is steeped in history. The pathway is a celebration of the state’s […]

Voices from the Trail: Senator Andrew Jones

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December 20, 2024

Nominated by Jackie Bushman of Buckmasters, Alyssa & Cody Hall were honored at our 2024 Soul of the South Awards as our Sports & Outdoors category winners. Biography Cody Hall […]

Soul of the South Award Winner Profile: Alyssa & Cody Hall

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December 16, 2024

Many Alabamians immediately think of springtime as the optimum gardening season—and yet, cooler weather gardening holds many untapped possibilities for home gardeners. Many may consider fall and winter as seasons […]

Alabama Gardening: How to make the most of the colder weather

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December 6, 2024

A breezy October afternoon welcomed Marilyn Vetter, a Midwesterner with a lifelong love for the outdoors, to Alabama. In state for the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival hosted annually on the banks of […]

Marilyn Vetter’s mission in Alabama: Reviving a legacy of quail, land and tradition

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November 18, 2024

Richard Martin sits on his porch with a mug of hot tea, the smell of fresh cut hay in the air, looking out to the trail that shares his name. […]

Stories from the Trail: Richard Martin

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November 12, 2024

Alabama is home to an incredible range of state parks that have something to offer adventurers year-round. Our Alabama State Parks Passport series highlights all of the stunning outdoor spaces […]

Alabama State Parks Passport: Your guide to Buck’s Pocket State Park

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October 14, 2024

For Alabama locals and sportsmen throughout the Southeast, quail hunting is considered a favorite pastime; however, with experiences often characterized by luxury accommodations and outfitting, the sport can seem unattainable […]

The Alabama shooting preserve reinventing the quail hunting experience

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October 1, 2024

The renovated Gulf State Park Pier re-opened on Monday, Aug. 19, welcoming people to the iconic Gulf Coast landmark for the first time in more than nine months. The pier […]

Gulf State Park Pier re-opens to the public

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August 19, 2024

Alabama is home to an incredible range of state parks that have something to offer adventurers year-round. Our Alabama State Parks Passport series highlights all of the stunning outdoor spaces […]

Alabama State Parks Passport: Your guide to Wind Creek State Park

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July 28, 2024

I am a “destination” not a “journey” person. I’m usually moving pretty fast, bouncing from one task to another, from one place to the next. When traveling around for article […]

ATWK: A look inside the wild world of Alabama’s Splinter Hill Bog Preserve

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July 23, 2024

Adventure is a way of life in DeKalb County, Alabama. Everyone knows it’s a place where you keep your feet on the ground while your hands get to work. Whether […]

The business of adventure in DeKalb County, Alabama 

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July 10, 2024

Alabama has some of the most diverse fresh water in the United States. But dams have blocked the migrations of some fish on the state’s iconic Alabama River for decades. […]

Restoring Alabama Rivers with Jason Throneberry

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July 3, 2024

Alabama is home to an incredible range of state parks that have something to offer adventurers year-round. Our Alabama State Parks Passport series highlights all of the stunning outdoor spaces […]

Alabama State Parks Passport: Your guide to Monte Sano State Park

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June 30, 2024

Sweet Trails Alabama is a collaborative initiative to create Alabama’s first statewide trail plan through efforts on state, regional, and local levels. The Public Draft of the Sweet Trails Alabama […]

Sweet Trails Alabama shares Statewide Trails Plan with public

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June 21, 2024

When about 100 first graders from Brooks Elementary School in Lauderdale County excitedly stepped off three yellow school buses for an educational program at Joe Wheeler State Park in early […]

Nature’s Wonder-Book: Alabama State Parks Educate and Inspire

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June 18, 2024

Visitors to Oak Mountain State Park’s campground will now enter on freshly paved asphalt and check in at a new, state-of-the-art camp store. That’s just the beginning of the new […]

Oak Mountain State Park Reopens Renovated Campground

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June 5, 2024

Alabama’s Black Belt has all the ingredients to become a premier ecotourism destination, according to a report produced by a renowned ecotourism expert who conducted a detailed assessment of tourism development potential in the […]

Recent report positions Alabama’s Black Belt as leading ecotourism destination

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June 3, 2024

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s The Caring Foundation seeks to give back to communities by supporting initiatives to improve the health and wellness of Alabamians. One such organization […]

Freshwater Land Trust: Fostering Access to Greenspaces for Alabamians

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May 30, 2024

Redeye Bass are the trout of the Deep South. These native members of the black bass genus occupy the same niche in Alabama’s warm-water rivers as the native Brook Trout […]

Discovering Alabama’s Redeyes

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May 29, 2024

Across Alabama, temperatures are rising and thousands are feeling the pull of late spring into early summer. This transition provides the perfect time to visit Alabama’s botanical gardens. While there […]

Your guide to the best of Alabama’s botanical gardens

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May 28, 2024

Alabama’s wetlands and diverse ecosystems serve as a haven for a wide variety of waterfowl, encompassing diving ducks, puddle ducks, and tree ducks and geese among others. Understanding some of […]

Mallard

Deciphering Alabama’s Diverse Waterfowl

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May 23, 2024