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Huntsville

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Overview

While Huntsville is one of Alabama's premier cities, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of recreational opportunities for visitors. With many parks spread throughout the city, and maintained trails and playing fields throughout, there are abundant opportunities to enjoy Mother Nature.

Local Info

The most popular venues for mountain biking in the Huntsville area are Monte Sano State Park and the adjoining Monte Sano Land Trust Preserve, which together comprise about 4,000 acres ranging from 800 to 1,650 feet in elevation and almost 60 miles of trails open to mountain biking.
Monte Sano is less than 5 miles from downtown Huntsville, and other venues close to the city center include Blevins Gap Preserve, Wade Mountain Preserve, Hays Nature Preserve, and Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, which offer a variety of terrain and scenery. Plans are also underway to add more mountain biking trails in the newly acquired Chapman Mountain Preserve.

Huntsville also offers over 20 miles of paved greenways, some of which provide access to natural surface mountain biking trails. The City of Huntsville has plans for adding more miles of paved greenways over the next few years.

A little further out from town, mountain biking at Lake Guntersville State Park and De Soto State Park are also becoming popular. Both of these venues offer water recreation opportunities by virtue of their proximity to Lake Guntersville and Little River Canyon, respectively.

Camping & Lodging

All three state parks in the Huntsville area with trail systems also offer lodging options such as primitive camping, cabins, RV campsites, and hotel rooms. Huntsville, Guntersville, and Fort Payne also have a number of hotels, with Huntsville offering the greatest variety.

Other Activities

Other opportunities for recreation include kayaking and canoeing in the Flint River and the Tennessee River, as well as other tributaries to the Tennessee River. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the Burritt Museum, and Big Spring Park are three local attractions that visitors won't want to miss.

Recommended Routes in Huntsville - 9

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Favorite Rock armoring on the Goat Trail.
Intermediate/Difficult

Recommended Monte Sano Ride

9.9 mi 15.9 km 725' Up 221.03 m Up 724' Down 220.68 m Down

Huntsville, AL
Favorite View of Bailey Cove, Huntsville, Redstone Arsenal, and Tennessee River from the Power Line Trail at the West Bluff Trail in Blevins Gap Preserve.
Very Difficult

Blevins Gap Scenic Ride

4.0 mi 6.5 km 450' Up 137.26 m Up 449' Down 136.79 m Down

Owens C…, AL
Favorite Family bike ride on the Family Bike Trail at Monte Sano State Park.
Easy

Monte Sano State Park - Family Bike Trail

4.5 mi 7.2 km 152' Up 46.39 m Up 152' Down 46.42 m Down

Huntsville, AL
Favorite An old Rutan airframe along the trail.
Intermediate

Tri for Ole Glory Route

4.2 mi 6.7 km 161' Up 48.94 m Up 162' Down 49.45 m Down

Redston…, AL
Favorite Family bike ride on the Family Bike Trail at Monte Sano State Park.
Difficult

Monte Sano Mountain - Flat Rock Loop

15.1 mi 24.2 km 998' Up 304.29 m Up 997' Down 303.84 m Down

Huntsville, AL
Favorite Family bike ride on the Family Bike Trail at Monte Sano State Park.
Easy/Intermediate

Monte Sano Plateau Loop

7.0 mi 11.3 km 249' Up 75.9 m Up 249' Down 75.99 m Down

Huntsville, AL
Favorite Raised bridge.
Easy/Intermediate

Hays Nature Preserve

4.0 mi 6.5 km 33' Up 9.97 m Up 33' Down 9.99 m Down

Owens C…, AL
Favorite Bridge to Skip Rock Wilderness.
Easy

Duck Weed Basin

4.5 mi 7.3 km 20' Up 6.14 m Up 20' Down 6.12 m Down

Owens C…, AL
Favorite Alum Falls flows steadily in the spring.
Intermediate/Difficult

Green Mountain Preserve

2.4 mi 3.8 km 178' Up 54.18 m Up 178' Down 54.28 m Down

Owens C…, AL

Huntsville Biking

  • 143 Miles 231 Kilometers of Trail
  • 9 Recommended Routes
  • 18 Easy Trails Easy Trails
  • 17 Intermediate Trails Intermediate Trails
  • 38 Difficult Trails Difficult Trails
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Areas Within Huntsville

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Trails in Huntsville - 64

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1.1 mi 1.8 km #1North Plateau Loop
Easy/Intermediate
Huntsville, AL
Easy/Intermediate
Huntsville, AL
0.5 mi 0.7 km #2Warrior Connector
Difficult
Huntsville, AL
Difficult
Huntsville, AL
1.9 mi 3.1 km #3Goat Trail
Difficult
Huntsville, AL
Difficult
Huntsville, AL
1.7 mi 2.8 km #4Varnedoe Trail
Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
1.9 mi 3.1 km #5Bill & Marion Certain Trail
Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
1.5 mi 2.4 km #6Sugar Tree Trail
Very Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
Very Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
0.8 mi 1.3 km #7West Bluff Trail
Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
1.0 mi 1.7 km #8Annandale Trail
Difficult
Huntsville, AL
Difficult
Huntsville, AL
0.4 mi 0.7 km #9Lowery Trail
Intermediate
Owens Cross Roads, AL
Intermediate
Owens Cross Roads, AL
1.5 mi 2.4 km #10Smoke Rise Trail
Intermediate/Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL
Intermediate/Difficult
Owens Cross Roads, AL

Photos of Huntsville - 52

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Rock armoring on the Goat Trail.
May 21, 2013 near Huntsville, AL
Family bike ride on the Family Bike Trail at Monte Sano State Park.
May 29, 2013 near Huntsville, AL
Limestone formations along Mountain Mist trail.
Aug 7, 2013 near Huntsville, AL
The Bluebonnets blooming in the spring is a special treat. They only last a short while at this one particular spot.
May 14, 2014 near Huntsville, AL
Baby deer on the side of the trail near the cliff/waterfall on McKay Hollow Trail
Sep 27, 2015 near Huntsville, AL
Alum Falls flows steadily in the spring.
Jan 8, 2017 near Owens C…, AL
Suicide Drop, looking down from top. Didn't take my bike down...
Jul 7, 2019 near Huntsville, AL
Climb above suicide drop, also steep.
Jul 7, 2019 near Huntsville, AL