Outdoors

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

view all stories

With more than 1,500 acres and 15 miles of hiking and biking trails to its name, Birmingham’s Red Mountain Park is an outdoor enthusiast’s and nature lover’s dream. The former […]

Here’s how to find each of Red Mountain Park’s 3 hidden treehouses

read more

August 21, 2021

With the Bankhead and Sipsey Wilderness as part of its landscape, North Alabama is known for its gorgeous natural features. Among the miles of lush, forested trails is a wonder so spectacular that you can’t find any others like it on this side of the Rockies. At 148-feet long and 70-feet above the ground, Alabama’s Natural Bridge is a sight to behold and a must-see for nature lovers everywhere. Here’s everything you need to know about planning a trip to see it for yourself. 

Did you know Alabama is home to the longest natural bridge east of the Rockies?

read more

August 18, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Take a friend fishing and enter the Black Belt Best Fish Photo Contest

read more

August 1, 2021

Made up of six wineries nestled within the mountains and valleys of North Alabama, the trail creates a breathtakingly scenic road trip.

The North Alabama Wine Trail is the coolest thing you can do this summer

read more

July 30, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Your all-seasons guide to u-pick fruit in Alabama

read more

July 21, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Why Royal Reds are ‘the crowned jewel of Alabama Shrimp’

read more

July 18, 2021

Hank Shaw likes to say he was born to fish. “I’ve been in and around fish and seafood since before I was born,” says Shaw, whose mother and stepfather shared their passion for casting and clam-digging while he was growing up in New Jersey. “You do something your whole life and it’s a part of who you are. I can’t think of life without fishing.”

Well-known author’s new cookbook inspired by his Alabama fishing trips

read more

July 16, 2021

In a nondescript warehouse on 3rd Avenue North in Birmingham, strips of LED lights hang from the ceiling, glowing pink and purple. Music plays in a room behind a large glass window. I step inside the room and it smells like…lettuce? Yes, that’s right—this isn’t the city’s newest club or trendy restaurant, it’s an urban hydroponic farm growing greens and herbs for consumer sales and restaurant distribution.

Yellow Hammer Farms is a groundbreaking urban farm in downtown Birmingham

read more

July 15, 2021

Alabama is river country. A map of our state’s topography reveals a land crisscrossed with squiggly blue lines indicating more than 5,300 miles of accessible waterways. Alabama’s Scenic River Trail is the longest and most diverse river trail in America. Running the course from mountain streams to whitewater rapids and the river delta to the Gulf of Mexico, spending a day on the water is practically an Alabama birthright. 

Your guide to kayaking Alabama’s Coosa River

read more

July 14, 2021

Pursell Farms is steeped in history. Even its location in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains is part of the story. Pursell Farms is located on the east side of Sulphur Mountain. On the west is Talladega Springs, a former resort town that hit its peak in the early 1900s when visitors flocked to its luxury 100-room hotel for a stay while enjoying the supposed healing powers of the area’s many sulfur springs. Today, Pursell Farms carries on the resort town tradition with its 40-room boutique inn, cottages, and cabins.

How Pursell Farms became one of the leading resort destinations in the Southeast

read more

July 6, 2021

Is your four-legged best friend the outdoorsy type? Is your pup especially photogenic? Then you should enter them in the Best Black Belt Dog Photo Contest!

Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association is seeking entries for best dog photo contest

read more

June 18, 2021

Nothing brightens up a room like a vase of fresh flowers. If you don’t have a green thumb and you’re looking to support your floral addiction with something a little more sustainable than Trader Joe’s, look no further than these 8 Alabama flower farms. Offering everything from U-pick weekends to delivered flower CSAs, these local farmers are guaranteed to keep you in bloom all summer—and beyond—long.  

Get your floral fix at these 8 Alabama flower farms

read more

June 18, 2021

When you fish for red snapper off the Alabama coast, the work is hard but the rewards are delicious. With a limited window for catching them, eating just-caught snapper at home or in a restaurant is a culinary celebration. 

snapper season

Red snapper season begins in Alabama May 28

read more

May 26, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

How to see the Cahaba Lilies in bloom this year

read more

May 9, 2021

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines—your boat engines that is. On Saturday May 15, Russell Medical is hosting a scavenger hunt on Lake Martin for anyone who would like to […]

Participate in a scavenger hunt on Lake Martin on May 15

read more

April 29, 2021

For those in on the secret that is Horse Pens 40, the Yellowhammer State has more than earned its stripes as a world-class climbing destination.

This natural bouldering field in Alabama dates to before the Stone Age

read more

April 6, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

turkey calls

Kick off turkey season with the help of Alabama-made turkey calls

read more

March 25, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Take a road trip to see waterfalls in north Alabama

read more

March 18, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

8 perfect Alabama date ideas for Valentine’s Day

read more

February 7, 2021

Just outside of Birmingham awaits a luxurious private lodge positioned on 895 acres of breathtaking views and exceptional amenities.  But what is most striking about Honeywood Valley is the unique […]

Retreat, reconnect, relax – This Alabama resort delivers the sweet life

read more

February 1, 2021

In addition to finding within these North Alabama destinations some of the most beautiful places in the world to photograph Fall foliage, I also discovered a few things about myself. I cherished the peaceful solitude of an unfamiliar dirt road just outside of Double Springs and the sound of rustling leaves as a gentle breeze filled the forest in Bankhead National Forest.

Following in the footsteps of a backroads explorer

read more

January 6, 2021