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Central Al trails?

3K views 54 replies 7 participants last post by  Freebooter 
#1 ·
Hello all,
I am from Millbrook, Alabama and I am new, just got my first bike in many a year. I was wondering if anyone ever rode or even knew of any trails around here in the Montgomery, Alabama area? I know of the ones in Tuskeegee National Forest and the ones up around Lake Martin in that Russell Mills Land but that's about it. If someone wants to ride just for excersise there are several huge shopping centers over in Prattville with gigantic parking lots and areas around the buildings. Because I for one ain't riding around this area on roads with all these crazy assed drivers!!
later,
Freebooter
 
#2 ·
Swayback Bridge Trail is right in your neck of the woods in Wetumpka I drove up and there and rode it Friday. Its a very good flowing trail. http://trails.mtbr.com/cat/united-states-trails/trails-alabama/PRD_164423_4511crx.aspx

You can also go to Singletracks.com and click on "Mountain Bike Trails". It will bring up a map. Enter your city or zip code and it will list all the trails near you and plot them on a map for you.
 
#5 ·
Man!!! I just went to those maps and saw the red highlighed swayback trail. My God, I never dreamed it was there and it is huge, or long, wrigging and wrapping allong those bluffs it appears alng the lake!! The caption said some more of it is under construction to make it a 10 mile long trail!! Screw me running!!!! I will go there forth with my brothers!! That is when I get my bike out of the LBS for tuning. I dropped it off like saturday for tuning and they still have not gotten to it.
FB
 
#8 ·
#11 ·
Hey Jason Ball,
Sounds good. I go to Columbus once or twice a month to get lottery tickets. Slim chance of winning, but someone will, mis well give it a try! LOL!

But I am so out of shape and just got my first bike in like 30 years. It will take me a bit to get in good enough shape to tackle some trails and all. But I am game!!
FB
 
#15 ·
I love Swayback and tolerate Tuskeegee since its only about 10 miles from the house, but there's also a trail up in Sylacauga (sp?) that I just rode for the first time a couple weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed. Those along with Flatrock are all I've ridden in the area though I see there is at least one maybe two over towards Phenix City, but you supposedly need someone to show you around those the first time or two (not sure why.) I'm going to look into this Coosa area a couple folks have mentioned now too.
 
#17 ·
I'm just inside the Auburn city limits right off wire road, but I was born and raised in Columbus. When I was in high school I would ride Ft Benning on some of the trails just off the side of Schatalga Rd (sp?) though thats prolly not the best idea these days with security and all.

What/where/how is this Coosa Wildlife? I've looked and there is no trail review on here and nothing came up in google.

And what/where/how is this Russell Mills Land?

I've also heard of some power line trails north of Montgomery, but the guy that was talking about those is so flaky I don't know what to believe.
 
#18 ·
Hey 646,
Savior Machine posted a link to it: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/50338509 . I have been right by the entrance area a hundred times and never new it was there. There is a picic camping area right there too, right by the lake!!

Anyway, just got my first bicycle in 30 years. Working on getting in shape enought to ride real trails and all by riding each day in the parking lot of my apartment complext (four times end to end make a littel over a mile).

Anyway, I go up to Coosa County Wildlife Management Area a lot to go to their free public firing range. A ranger told me the whole area is 30,000 acres. I saw the map of the bike trail on that link. It looks neat. Some steep hills and rugged terrain in that management area, I am here to tell you. I have ridden through on the dirt roads scouting to hung. Some beautiful creeks, etc, and it is bordered by Lake MItchell. Besides the trail, you could probably just get you a map at the check in station and just ride those myriad of dirt roads that criss cross the WMA. There are two or three camping areas in that thing too! You might have to check with the game wardens or something though to be safe.
ater,
Freebooter
 
#19 ·
skyway

Here's a great wilderness ride. It's a jeep trail-dirt road. You can do half the ride and get some long climbs, awesome views and some sweet down hills. From hwy 148(Pinhoti hiking only trail head) to hwy 77 and back is 28 miles.:thumbsup: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/67492525 note. Elevation is wrong on the link. This ride has about 7000' of gain-loss.
 
#20 ·
Thanks Booter. That Garmin link doesn't tell much about how to get there or what the trail is like, but I've Googled "Coosa County Wildlife Management Area" and that looks more promising. Sounds like a weekend of camping, shooting, riding and wheelin can be had there.
If anybody knows more about the Russell Mills land or any other worthwile rides I'd love to hear about them.
Saviour, is the official name of that wilderness ride "Skyway Jeep Trail?" I'm assuming Talladega National Forest personel regulate things there.
 
#22 ·
Helllo,
Down below is a reply from the Forest service in response to my query about Tuskeegee National Forest Trails. Hope it is of some interest and help. It was actually in answer to my questions concerning the hiking trail, Bartram Trail. But there is a biking trail there also, Pleasant Mtn Biking trail, which branches off of Bartram or something like that. Here are links to maps, etc.;
1. Hiking Al page: http://www.alabamatrail.org/hikingAL/
2. Map showing all three type tails at Tuskeegee: http://miceda.org/ , , A link of that area and trails: Bartram Trail Pt 1 and 2.: http://www.alabamatrail.org/hikingAL/ , http://www.alabamatrail.org/hikingAL/ .
3. Here is a link to that Coosa bike trail. Just zoom in to see lesser roads, etc.: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/50338509 .
4. Russell Mills land and trail system: http://www.russelllandsonlakemartin.com/pdf/forest_map.pdf
5. Russell Mills rules and all: http://www.russelllandsonlakemartin.com/pdf/russell_forest_trail_rules.pdf

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello,

Reference you email concerning the Bartram Trail;

1. Yes, it is OK to hike the Bartram Trail during hunting season, which ends 31 Jan 2011. We have never had a problem with hunters vs hikers but I would wear some orange just as a precautionary safety measure. Hunters should be a least 150 yards from the trail.

2. One way means the trail runs straight and does not "loop" in a circle back to the starting point or trailhead. This is considering you start at one of the trailhead at each end of the Bartram. There are a total of five parking areas along the trail in case you do not want to walk the entire trail. The trail does not end at a creek; however, it continues south to the end of the trail at the southern trailhead at Wire Road. A little more than halfway the trail crosses paved highway (State Hwy) 186. If one were to continue past here it would become somewhat boggy, and there are several boardwalks to held you keep going. For me, this is the most interesting part of the trail as above Hwy 186 it is 'woody', alternating with countryside.

3. There are no campsites along the trail with the exception of campsite 12, in the southern section of the trail along creek. Campsites cannot be reserved and this is one of the most popular, especially on the weekends. If you hike the trail after hunting season, you may camp anywhere in the forest, as long as you are not on a public are. We ask that you be off the trail so as not to hinder others.

4. We have not had any problems with vandals in the last few years. I would suggest you park in the middle parking area behind the ranger station. This way you could pick up the trailhead directly behind the Ranger Station on Forest Road 949, allowing you to go either way on the trail. The parking area just off Hwy 186, at Forest Road 900, is another excellent parking area allowing you to directly access the southern end of the trail. This is also the trailhead for the Pleasant Hills Trail. It runs 4 miles south to Hwy 29. It goes through the picnic area and the old firetower, just added to the national register. Sometimes the trail goes a short piece on a FS road, and is generally not as challenging as the Bartram.

I hope this information answered your questions about the Bartram Trail. It is a great way to get outdoors and is probably our biggest draw. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask, call, or email. If you give me an address, I will be glad to mail you a trail/road map of the district and any thing else I have on our trails.

Thanks for your interest in the Tuskegee National Forest.

John Robert Barnes
Automation Clerk
125 National Forest Road 949
Tuskegee National Forest
Tuskegee, AL 36083
ph 334 727 2652
FAX 334 727 0295
johnbarnes@fs.fed.us
 
#23 ·
I ride Tuskeegee fairly often and will save you the painful experience of a visit with Willy at the ranger station. If you come south across the interstate on Wire Rd turn on your first dirt road to the right. You will find parking and a kiosk with info. The Pleasant Hill trail head is marked with a sign. There is also a trailhead here for half of the Bartram Trail, but this half is for hikers only. If you cross Wire Rd to the other dirt road you will find another trail head for the other half of the Bartram trail which is open to bikers and hikers. Both MTB accesible trails are approx 4 miles long which will give you 8 miles round trip on each. There are other ways/trail heads to access these trails but this spot gives you access to each and is closest to the interstate.

In looking around at some of these other trails mentioned here I also came across the Taska Recreation Area in Tuskeegee Nat'l Forest, but I can't tell from the map if this is just an acess point to the other end of the Pleasant Hill Trail or if this is another trail all together.
 
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