Outdoors

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

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Corey Cooper ’05 walks to the edge of the roof of his guest house and stares down at the pool below. His wife, Magda Cooper ’05, lounges on an inflatable […]

Two people on paddle boards in water

Ambition, drive and a rock ‘n’ roll vision helped two Auburn graduates build a global outdoor lifestyle brand

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April 5, 2023

  Well-known throughout the country for its fan-favorite football program, The University of Alabama is an increasingly well-loved university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama steeped with history. The campus takes on a […]

The University of Alabama's Presidents Mansion

Springtime Beauty: Exploring the picturesque campus of The University of Alabama

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March 31, 2023

For Kloss, Circles of Colors is a lifelong passion turned accidental business turned everyday blessing. Circles of Colors, a you-pick flower farm in Notasulga, Alabama, sits on an old working farm with barns, silos, and a country store straight from the good ole days. Left behind tractor tires cover the back fields and make the perfect barrier for Kloss’s secret garden.

Circles of Colors is a you-pick flower farm for the community

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March 2, 2023

The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail in Baldwin County, Alabama, has been chosen as the top recreational trail in the country in the 2023 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. […]

Alabama’s beloved Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail is chosen as the best in the nation

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March 1, 2023

If the dinosaur in the museum came to life, it would recognize at least one plant in Anniston’s Longleaf Botanical Gardens—a pre-historic relic, a cycad. These plants date back from 9 to 65 million years and in all probability endured plenty of dinosaur nibbling. With plants that complement the mission of the Anniston Natural History Museum, the Gardens are packed with both native and exotic plants that beautify and mystify those who walk its trails. 

Longleaf Botanical Gardens is an oasis of rare and interesting plants

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March 1, 2023

The commencement of this year’s turkey hunting season is on the horizon for the state of Alabama. There are many that view this as some of the best in outdoor […]

A Gentleman’s Chess Game: Turkey Hunting in the Alabama Black Belt

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February 28, 2023

Warren Buffet said someone is sitting in the shade today, because someone planted a tree a long time ago. The City of Decatur has been planting trees for years and […]

4 ways Decatur, Alabama became nationally recognized as a Tree City USA

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February 24, 2023

Ask any native Alabamian about their love for “the great outdoors” and you will be sure to hear about their adoration for the state’s vast landscape and variety of life. […]

The University of Alabama champions state’s biodiversity ranking on home soil at Tanglewood

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February 20, 2023

Mitch Reid is making a significant impact through his efforts to preserve Alabama’s land and water assets as the current Alabama State Director of the Nature Conservancy (TNC). With a […]

7 Questions with Mitch Reid of The Nature Conservancy

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February 18, 2023

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