After having lived in Huntsville for almost 10 years, I never knew of any flowing waterfalls. Monte Sano had one small one that looked alright after heavy rain but nothing free flowing all year round. I made it a mission this summer to seek out a waterfall. I just knew that with all of the mountains, rivers, creeks, and streams, there had to be something, even if it was a small waterfall. Off I went with my family to Alum Hollow Trail to seek out what I found to be a small Nature Preserve with a not so well known waterfall hike.
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ABOUT ALUM HOLLOW TRAIL
Alum Hollow Trail is named after the Alum Caves found on this trail. The name Alum is the name of the quickly diminishing stone found in these caves. On the trail we knew we were going to see three small waterfalls along with 3 caves. It was a pretty good hike. Some actual hiking up and down the mountain but overall easy. Bella did this hike like a champ. I carried Isa on my Ergo though just cause I know she’s one of my slower walkers unlike Bella. Gave her a peach and she was good to go.
Alum Hollow Trail is part of the Land Trust of North Alabama. The Land Trust also has several other locations with several miles of hiking trail for you to explore in Madison County.
HIKING TO THE WATERFALL AT ALUM HOLLOW TRAIL
As we started our 1.23 mile hike from the trailhead to the caves and the waterfall we were brought into the beautiful woods and views of Green Mountain located in Southeast of Huntsville, Alabama. We didn’t get a good overlook but peeking in between the trees was the beautiful city of Huntsville down below.
We continued our trails through a bridge, some creek crossings, and towards the waterfall were met with a steep downhill. It’s not too rough but it can be very slippery when wet so I recommend wearing good slip resistant shoes or hiking boots. Like I was carrying one of my daughters I had my dad hike down next to me just in case I needed extra support. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. The last thing you want is to get yourself or someone else hurt (like my little one).
After going down the hill we saw the waterfall. I was so excited. I couldn’t believe that after growing up here I had never found a waterfall until now. It was small but it was beautiful. It had like three tiny waterfalls in one.
After taking pictures we decided to head over to the caves which was right around the corner. The rock formations here are beautiful. It’s an amazing feeling when you look up to the beauty that God has created for us. Right underneath these rock formations are the caves. It’s not huge caves like to go caving in but they are still a neat view to look at. These caves are consisted of Alum stone, hence the name of the trail.
Quick Fact:
My mom uses an all natural deodorant that has this Alum stone in it. Her deodorant is broken down to a crystalized stoned form. The way to use it is that you wet the stone and apply to your underarms. You can get yours here.
HIKING OUT OF ALUM HOLLOW TRAIL
As we headed out, the sun was starting to peak over the west. I loved seeing the sun rays shinning between the trees. We continued to climb up the mountain back to the parking lot capturing pictures along the way. There was beautiful wildlife and nature scenery all around. All together, this trail was fairly easy, very pretty, and had some beautiful natural gems.
DETAILS ABOUT ALUM HOLLOW TRAIL
The Land Trust of North Alabama at Green Mountain Nature Preserve consists of various nature trails. This nature preserve consists of 366 acres of wooded land along the mountain. You can find a wide variety of nature views, wildlife, vegetation, and outdoor wonders.
We only did the Alum Hollow Trail at this park but hope to go back to do the other ones. According to their trail map (found here) there is another waterfall on Ranger Trail. I can’t wait to go check out this gem. Here are a few details about Alum Hollow Trail.
- Round trip: 2.56 miles
- Elevation: 213 feet
- Level: Easy
- Natural Finds: Waterfall & Alum Caves
WHAT TO PACK FOR HIKING
I brought a few items on this trip for both my little ones and myself. Since it’s a fairly easy and short hike, there wasn’t a need to pack a whole lot. However, always be prepared and carry your 10 essentials for hiking regardless of how short or long your hike is. You never know what could go wrong.
- Hydration – I brought my Hydroflask filled with ice cold water.
- Trail mix – check out these awesome snack ideas for kids.
- Camera – I used my Canon T6.
- Ergo baby carrier (you can read my review here or get your very own carrier here)
- Bug repellent – I love using Babyganics. Get this combo and get their sunscreen too.
- Phone
- Comfortable shoes. I used sneakers but hiking boots may be a better option.
- Comfortable clothing
- Trail map – get it here
LOCATION
I am not the biggest on giving locations for hidden gems but this place, though it’s not popular, technically it’s not hidden. You can find some information about this place here.
13800 South Shawdee Road, Huntsville, AL 35803
Directions to Alum Hollow Trail
Take Carl T Jones Dr SE to Bailey Cove Rd SE. Turn left onto Green Mountain Rd SE which becomes S Shawdee Rd SE. You will see the Land Trust sign on the right after the black fence about two miles down the road.
Well I hope that next time you visit Alabama you can make it to this beautiful hiking trail. What other waterfalls or hiking trails do you like in Alabama? Have you been to Alum Hollow before? How did you like it? Let me know in the comments below.
One Response
Hello! My name is Ocean and I am from a Boy Scouts troop from Hoover, AL and I saw this place on Instagram and loved the waterfall hike. I was wondering if we could set something up for us to camp there. It would be under 15 people and we could set up our own tents. Would this be possible and are there things other than hiking we can do? We normally get there on Friday night and have an activity Saturday then leave Sunday morning. Thank you!