Outdoors

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

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As the sun begins to set over Lake Guntersville, a bald eagle bullet dives into the water, emerging with a wriggling fish. It heads back towards the ridge, where a nest awaits with a mate overseeing a couple of chicks. On a dock astride the lake, a group watches as the eagles fly in for dinner time. There is something exhilarating about a white head and tail feathers flying overhead. Watching it fish for its young against the orange and red sunset transforms it to mythical status. 

Attend an Eagle Awareness Weekend at Lake Guntersville State Park

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January 17, 2023

The state of Alabama offers an array of outdoor adventures and opportunities to make memories that will last a lifetime. At the top of the list for most of those outdoor enthusiasts is hunting. Hunting in the state of Alabama isn’t just a hobby, but a way of life—a tradition passed down from generation to generation. On any given day, you could walk out into the Alabama wilderness and hunt a variety of species. 

Hunting in Alabama’s Black Belt Region

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December 5, 2022

Deer season is upon us and with 1.3 million acres of public hunting land, Alabama’s diverse terrain provides an ideal destination for travelers and locals to land the buck they’ve […]

All-electric Ford Lightning is the future of Alabama hunting

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November 13, 2022

Rising above the clouds, it earned the name, “Island in the Sky.” The Creek Nation labeled it “Chaha,” meaning “high place” in the Muskogee language. At 2,407 feet above sea level, Cheaha State Park towers over the rest of the state as its highest point. Located in the town of Delta in North Alabama, this oasis stretches wide across the horizon in the midst of 2,799 acres of state park, plus the surrounding 392,567 acres of the Talladega National Forest, which in turn encompasses more than 7,000 acres of the Cheaha Wilderness. It affords a rare luxury in these crowded times—miles of vista oblivious to human touch.

Visit Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama

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November 5, 2022

There’s no mistaking that “Alabama the Beautiful” got its appropriately named reputation from of its many different geographic regions. While the state is primed with world-class interior architecture, charming “mom […]

Experience the great outdoors at The University of Alabama

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October 30, 2022

Owners of the well-respected and incomparable Wildrose International, it’s hard to imagine how Mike and Cathy Stewart find time to sleep at night. Kennels, trainings, events and seminars, videos, a […]

Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival Artist Highlight: Wildrose International

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October 29, 2022

There’s something about cruising down a backroad with the windows rolled down and your favorite song turned up. As the world blurs by you in a rush of color, you can exhale and let go of the week’s worries. When the weather begins to cool and the leaves begin to turn, it’s the beginning of fall drive season. Alabama is blessed with dozens of gorgeous backroads and stunning scenic byways that show off the state’s beauty. And they’re best visited in that sweet spot when the leaves have begun lighting up in brilliant crimson, gold, and orange and have only just begun dusting the ground. Ready for a weekend adventure? Here are some great places to start. 

The 5 best scenic fall drives to take in Alabama

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October 26, 2022

A home that will become the hub for connecting the North Alabama region Singing River Trail is now calling Mooresville home base thanks to a generous Limestone County family. The McCrary […]

1818 Farms and Singing River Trail come together to connect North Alabama communities

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October 26, 2022

Imagine a 200+ mile greenway system connecting all of North Alabama–from the bustling towns to the tucked away hidden gems–along an uninterrupted outdoor human highway, brimming with nature, activity and, most of all, heart.

How the Singing River Trail is writing a love letter to small town North Alabama

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October 19, 2022

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Forever Wild: It’s open season for family and youth hunts

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September 23, 2022

23 counties across the mid-section of Alabama are better known to locals as the Black Belt. This area between the Appalachian foothills and the Coastal Plain has become popular to tourists for many reasons, but there are a few standouts. Here’s what we’ve found when exploring Alabama’s beautiful Black Belt.

3 ways the Alabama Black Belt promises unforgettable adventures

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August 14, 2022

Whiting and the Facing Waves crew came to Lake Guntersville in April of 2022 to film this show. He paddled through Morgan’s Cove, Guntersville Dam and discovered Painted Bluff and Hambrick Bat Cave during his adventures. He also tried his hand at kayak fishing Lake Guntersville, which is best known for its large-mouth bass.

Facing Waves: Visit Lake Guntersville with world-renown paddler Ken Whiting

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August 12, 2022

North Alabama’s golfing community is one of vibrance and variety. With such a beautiful landscape serving as the backdrop to these greens, it can be easy to get lost in the environment and shank your shot for par into the majestic forests in the distance. When the time comes to set a tee-time this summer, here are a few North Alabama courses to take a swing at.

3 beautiful places to golf in North Alabama

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July 26, 2022

With the natural beauty of North Alabama, as well as the many gorgeous bodies of water the region provides, paddling is a fantastic outdoor activity for the paddling veteran, as well as the novice. It is a particularly good activity for families to enjoy together, as it is an all-level sport.

Paddle your way through North Alabama with the whole family

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July 12, 2022

The last two years have been filled with an ebb and flow of trends throughout the pandemic. While some have faded, like bread baking and the popularity of Tiger King, others like board games and Zoom have remained. Another of the biggest lasting trends has been an increased interest in birdwatching. Businesses that sell birdfeed and backyard birdfeeders reported a sales increase of between 45 percent and 50 percent.  The usage of Audubon, a birdwatching app, also went way up. If you got into birdwatching during the pandemic or are curious to see what it’s all about, Alabama is a great place to start. Here are the best places to go birding in Alabama. 

Best birding spots in Alabama

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July 7, 2022

On the trailhead at Cheaha State Park stands a large, red-stemmed pokeweed. Usually found in alleyways or roadsides, this ubiquitous weed is normally easy to pass by, but not when hiking with famed herbalist, Darryl Patton. Those of us hiking with him have learned to expect long stops, as he shares his prodigious knowledge of plants. The poke sallet, sometimes called poke salad, is generally considered poisonous. Patton sees it as deadly to viruses. According to him, “It will kill them graveyard dead.”

Meet “The Southern Herbalist,” Darryl Patton

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June 25, 2022

She was only five years old when she tentatively toddled over to the paleontologist to show him her dinner-plate sized find. He leaned in with a smile of patience, assuming it was just a rock. He flipped up his sunglasses for a better look. The fossil hunt was 20 minutes in and the smallest child had picked up a museum-quality fossil. It was an Attenosaurus track, called a “coal lizard.”  These giant ancient reptiles spanned from six to eight-feet long and dominated swamps as the largest land animal before the dinosaurs emerged.

Go fossil hunting in Alabama at Union Chapel Mine

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June 20, 2022

“The Kelly,” recently announced its partnership with the Smoot Harris family and City of Wetumpka to offer a premier wildlife arts festival in downtown Wetumpka this fall. The Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival (WEWA) will be a cumulation and celebration of wildlife and field sports through the arts in a new, month-long series in the central Alabama town.

Wildlife Arts Festival coming to Wetumpka Alabama

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June 8, 2022

Summer may turn a wildflower hike into a sauna, but there are plenty of creeks, caves, swimming holes and natural phenomena to make working up a sweat worthwhile. Our famed hydrangeas are in full bloom in every variety from climbing to giant foot-long blooms. Creature features include the largest emergence of bats east of the Mississippi and a glowworm only seen here and Down Under. Alabama is a natural paradise, ranked as number four in biodiversity in the United States. Much of this diversity is due to our five geologic regions. Alabama is a special place for the explorer willing to seek its charms. Here are 10 nature experiences to add to your list this summer.

10 nature experiences to have in Alabama this summer

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June 1, 2022

Zenovia Stephens sits beside a campfire with her family and participants of Black Kids Adventure’s summer event, Family Adventure Camp. They prepare to rest their heads after day-one of their three-day weekend at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama. Just over the canopy of oak and maple, stars dazzle in the Alabama night. Without service to wireless devices, the campers are vulnerable to each other’s presence. Some, for the first time in such an isolated outdoor setting. Others are familiar with the trek of exploration and welcome the new faces with welcoming smiles and humorous stories through the crackling, wooded blaze. It’s what Stephens says her organization is all about: connection, community, and family—outdoors. 

Black Kids Adventures connects families interested in outdoor recreation

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May 13, 2022

When the days drag on and you find yourself staring out the window dreaming about being outside, you know it’s time to plan your next adventure. Though Alabama isn’t home to any national parks, we are blessed with many state parks and thousands of acres of untouched natural land waiting to be explored. The nickname Alabama the Beautiful was coined for good reason, and one of the best places to see the natural beauty of Alabama is by heading south toward the Gulf Coast. Here are the best places to get outdoors in South Alabama.

The best outdoor activities in South Alabama

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May 3, 2022