Oak Mountain State Park

Officially the first UA Outdoor Adventure Club event! In "preparation" for finals week, Lawson, T.J., and Allen took a trip out to Oak Mountain State Park, about 18 miles south of Birmingham (in Pelham). After a short hour-long drive the crew was greeted by a beautiful park with lots of activities. Of particular interest, however, were the hiking trails.

After parking at the North Trailhead, the route was all planned out: first, a hike up the White Trail to Shackleford Peak, then a short walk on the Orange Connecter, which led to the Blue Trail and back to the Trailhead. In total, the hike was about 8 miles long and had a maximum change of about 1000 feet in elevation.

The White Trail started easy but soon became very steep. After about three miles the crew had reached Shackleford Peak at 1286 ft in elevation. There were some decent views from the top but most of the scenery was obscured by trees. A geocache was also found up at the top as well (on accident but it still counts!).

A short and relatively flat hike (1.5 miles) led down the Orange Connector and an interesting landmark along the way: a plane crash site in the middle of the woods from 1951. Not something you see everyday! After another 1.5 mile hike there was a path leading off the King's Chair Overlook, which of course the crew had to check out.

The King's Chair Overlook was amazing. The trail suddenly ended at a rocky outcropping that dropped off into the valley below. During the lunch break the sun eventually came out and lit up the entire area. It was a sight to behold, and although the crew never found "The King's Chair" it was great to be on top of the world for a few minutes. After a quick .3 mile hike to the overlook, a long lunch break, and a quick hike back to the Blue Trail, it was off to the cars. The North Trailhead was just 1.5 miles from the Overlook and was mostly downhill (which was much appreciated at the end of the hike.

Overall, the hike was completed in 3.5 hours (including a 30 minute lunch break). Keep in mind that this was three experienced hikers. It was exciting to find such a well maintained and relatively challenging hike in central Alabama. Not only that, but the park has many other activities to offer including mountain biking, BMX, horseback riding, camping, boating, fishing, and golf. It is quite the destination and only about an hour from Tuscaloosa. If you plan on visiting the park, keep in mind that the entry fee is $3.00 and that they close at dark.

#OakMountain #hiking