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Alabama Trails

There’s more to trails than hiking in Alabama. These Alabama Trails let you customize your next Alabama Vacation with ideas based on your favorite activity or area of interest. The most popular Alabama trails take you through Alabama’s history. Sample our famous Alabama food and drink from BBQ to world-famous fine dining and local wineries. Explore a variety of Alabama art and culture from antiques to quilts and modern murals. Pick a trail that covers Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones-designed public golf courses. Tour Alabama's outdoor mountains, forests, and waterways. And don’t forget to immerse yourself in Alabama music! Dive into your favorite activity or experience with the Alabama Trail just for you and discover the best spots in Sweet Home Alabama to experience your favorite indulgence!

A Circle of Colors Trail

This scenic long-winding path throughout the state is full of natural beauty, and this peaceful journey can be enjoyed year-round. However, as its name indicates, this trail was designed with the beautiful colors of autumn in mind. Take a leisurely drive across Alabama, snapping post-worthy pics while enjoying Southern hospitality at every stop along the way.

Alabama Antique Trail

You never know what amazing antiques and collectibles you’ll find at a shop until you go. This trail has every hotspot across the state mapped out so your keen eye won’t miss a thing. Alabama’s deep cultural history has produced countless treasures, and it’d be a shame if you left without taking a few back home with you.

Alabama BBQ Trail

Finding great BBQ in Alabama along the famous BBQ trail is not just a series of pit stops, but a sensory expedition that takes you through the very soul of the state's culinary heritage. This trail meanders through small towns and bustling cities alike, with each BBQ joint offering a unique take on Alabama's beloved barbecue traditions. Some venues have been serving up their smoky specialties on a hot Alabama grill for over a century, passing down recipes and techniques from one generation to the next.

Alabama Birding Trail

Birders, prepare your journals. Thanks to the numerous avian habitats of the state’s forests, mountains, swamps and beaches, there are over 400 species of birds gracing Alabama’s blue skies. Have you ever witnessed the stunningly graceful flight of the Swallow-tailed Kite? Are you one of the proud few who can lay claim to spotting the small tuft of red on the Red-cockaded Woodpecker? …and if so, wouldn’t you like to again? Explore the birding trails of Alabama further by following the links below.

Alabama Black Belt Nature & Heritage Trail

Named for the rich, black soil in which the highest quality cotton was cultivated during the 19th century, the Black Belt stretches across much of Central Alabama. Though the plantation economy has long since gone, the culture of the Old South is still on display. Tours along this trail highlight sites of historical significance from the Civil Rights Movement and before, beautiful state parks with their natural habitats, cultural crafts and food, and more.

Alabama Civil Rights Museum Trail

Alabama was the setting for many crucial moments of the Civil Rights Movement. Instead of brushing this dark history under the rug, the state has worked hard to make these historical sites accessible to everyone so that their lessons can continue to be learned for many generations to come. Retrace the steps of those who defiantly marched from Selma to Montgomery and reflect on the courage of everyone who fought for equality at the Civil Rights Memorial, the Rosa Parks Museum, and other significant locations along this trail.

Alabama Garden Trail

Gorgeous, immaculately-maintained landscapes are on display all across the state, and thanks to the wide range of climates and types of soil in Alabama, you will find a variety of stunning settings as you travel. These pristine gardens are certainly beautiful, but for many visitors, it’s the fragrance of the blooming flowers that makes the biggest impact. Later, when you show your friends the photos you took, be sure to describe the smells, too…or just bring everyone with you.

Alabama Mural Trail

The Alabama Mural Trail aims to provide the state of Alabama a sense of community, to drive economic impact, and to bring people together. This statewide trail encourages both locals and tourists to discover Alabama off the beaten path. 

Alabama Scenic River Trail

Seven rivers, nine lakes, and a couple of creeks combine to make the longest single-state water trail in the nation. The scenic beauty stretches for 631 total miles, and along the way you’ll find many great opportunities to get as soaking wet as you like. Many guests enjoy paddling with the current in a canoe or kayak. Others enjoy the experience of an exhilarating motorboat ride. Though, the simplest form of water travel might still be the most popular, floating on a good old innertube.

Alabama's Food & Wine Trail

You probably won’t be surprised to read that the food in Alabama is pretty good. From the mountains up north and all the way down to the gulf, you’ll find restaurants, cafés, diners and establishments that defy definition, serving dishes that just might change your life…or at the very least, make you do that thing where your eyes get super big after taking a bite. It’s not all soul food and barbecue, either. You’ll find amazing cuisine from a wide variety of cultures prepared by some of the best chefs in the country, and they have the James Beard Awards to prove it.

Alabama's Hunting & Fishing Trail for People with Physical Disabilities

Everyone deserves the right to enjoy what Alabama has to offer, so a network of public and private recreational sites was created to provide hunters and fishermen with physical disabilities the opportunity to experience what they love to do. Understandably, some restrictions exist to ensure safety and conservation, so click through to learn more and begin your application process.

April Walking Tours

No one knows Alabama’s cities better than the locals. That’s why every April, community leaders in dozens of cities across the state guide hour-long walking tours of their hometowns for free. Each town has its own culture, history and even legends, and who better to tell them than those who know them best?

Civil War Trails

Many of the Civil War’s major battles were fought on Alabama soil, and the forts and other sites of these battles are now on display as museums and memorials. Visit the Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury, Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines near Mobile, or catch one of the nearly two dozen Civil War reenactments that occur annually throughout the state.

Covered Bridge Trail

Nothing captures the essence of Americana better than the functional beauty of a covered bridge. These historic bridges can be found throughout the state, many of them restored to their original glory. Click through to find the locations of these picturesque landmarks and begin planning the best road trip of your life.

Fall Color Trail

Alabama is beautiful year-round, but there’s no denying that autumn is in a class of its own. Fall colors begin showing in North Alabama in early October, and soon after, the entire canvas of Alabama’s landscape becomes painted with glittering yellow poplars, scarlet dogwoods, orange maples and golden hickories. Colors will be at their peak from late October to early November, so start making plans.

Hank Williams Trail

If anyone can lay claim to Alabama royalty, it’s the King of Country Music. The first legitimate country music superstar, Hank Williams moved the country like no one had before, writing massive hits and leaving behind a monumental legacy despite passing away at the young age of 29. Visit the Hank Williams Boyhood Home & Museum in Georgiana and then see the historic venues that helped turn a small-town Alabama boy into a king.

Native American Trail

For thousands of years, what’s now known as Alabama was home to many different cultural groups of Native Americans. As European explorers and settlers pressed their way inland, a staggering number of Native Americans suffered and died due to the spread of disease, violence, and forced deportation. Learn more about their stories from their ancestors and archeologists at sites along this trail, including Russell Cave and Moundville Archeological Park.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

The 26 public courses on Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail feature 468 holes at 11 locations across Alabama. The Trail's long list of accolades includes recognitions for both value and quality. Since opening in 1992, more than 12 million rounds of golf have been played on the Trail.

U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The fight for American civil rights spanned decades, cities and states – from Topeka, Kansas, to Memphis, Tennessee, from Atlanta, Georgia, to Selma and Birmingham, and all the way to Washington, D.C. Chart the course of the Civil Rights Movement through the Civil Rights Trail that begins with the site of school integration and takes you to the scene of Bloody Sunday and finally the Supreme Court of the United States.

West Alabama Hunting & Fishing Trail

The abundance of lakes, rivers and hunting regions throughout West Alabama make this region an outdoorsman’s paradise. This is home to the best bass fishing in the world, but avid anglers will reel in their share of catfish, bream and crappie, too. You’ll find many types of recreational hunting available including turkey, waterfowl, dove, quail, boar…oh, and deer. In fact, Alabama has the longest deer-hunting season in the country with over 1.75 million white-tail deer within the state’s boundaries, so it’s no wonder Alabama has become a favorite for deer hunters.