Aerial Adventures

The Boulder Canyon Trail runs throughout the trees and hills behind the Vestavia Hills Library and features a nature trail, bridge and waterfall. It forms a circle over the course of 1.3 miles that you can enter from behind the library or along Merry Fox Lane near the Vestavia Hills Elementary School. The nature preserve encompasses a pine-hardwood forest, and its leafy canopy shades hikers as they explore. As you enter, some wooden stairs will guide you down into the trail and will lead you to a bridge to help you cross a stream. The path contains numerous uphill and downhill slopes, so come prepared wearing sturdy shoes. Throughout your hike, you will discover benches placed along the trail to provide a rest area for hikers. This woodland contains extensive natural beauty you should admire, such as streams that wind their way through the trees and the gorgeous, forested shade. You will also find some gentle waterfalls and may even get a glance at our natural wildlife that inhabits the trail. I could not find a name for this waterfall so I’m going to name it Boulder Canyon Falls.

It’s no secret that Alabama is well known for its incredible hiking trails. While some of these trails are difficult to navigate and geared toward advanced hikers, others are quite easy and perfect for beginners. Many of Alabama’s hiking trails also lead to some of the state’s most beautiful waterfalls, including Sougahoagdee Falls. This 30 foot fall nestled in a hollow off of Brushy Creek in the Bankhead Forest is a beauty. Bluffs rise from the creek to form a natural bowl with the falls spilling over from above at one end. Ferns and lush greenery make it feel a little like some kind of hidden paradise. The trail to get there is an added bonus. Though unmaintained and unmarked, it’s pretty easy to follow, and as an added bonus it takes you past four other smaller waterfalls. That’s a total of five waterfalls in one reasonably easy five mile out and back hike!

The Kinlock Falls Trail is a scenic trail that's located along Hubbard Creek in North Alabama's Bankhead National Forest near Haleyville. This 0.3 mile loop trail has an easy rating, which makes it the perfect hike for all skill levels. Also, its main feature is Kinlock Falls, a little-known waterfall. Kinlock Falls has a 15-foot drop and a span of more than 20 feet. It truly is one of Alabama's hidden gems. Other than its scenic beauty, one of Kinlock Falls' best features is its pool at the bottom. Over the years, this spot has become one of the area's most popular swimming holes. By following the trail further downstream, you'll experience a different view of Kinlock Falls and encounter another beautiful waterfall. An important landmark in the Bankhead National Forest is a natural rock shelter called the Kinlock Shelter, a cultural spot for Native Americans. The place is one of the most important in the United States. Throughout the area you can find petroglyphs, prehistoric drawings, cave drawings and other indigenous markings. The place was first used by the Yuchi tribe, which used the shelter for ceremonies and celebrations of the solar cycle. The markings and designs on the stones were used as part of a trance induction process and as a ceremony in recognition of the different solar cycles. According to research, the Kinlock Shelter was also used by other tribes, including the Cherokees. The trail that leads to the Kinlock Shelter is only 1 mile long, but the final course has a steep climb that leads to a valley where the shelter is located. The place consists of a huge stone wall and a cave. The cave itself is fascinating, but the walls deserve every highlight - and will certainly steal all the attention! Petroglyphs carved out thousands of years adorn the sandstone surface. Among the rock images, one of them depicts turkey footprints, a bird easily found in the forest at that time. On many stones there are a number of marks and "scratches" resulting from the time tools and weapons that were sharpened. The Kinlock Shelter is a protected historical site and can be visited only during the day. Because of its importance, it should be treated with a lot of respect.

Originally called Bat Cave, Cathedral Caverns was opened to the public by Jacob Gurley in the 1950's. The cave was renamed because of its cathedral-like appearance. Purchased by the state in 1987, it was opened as a State Park in the summer of 2000. The first feature most people notice about Cathedral Caverns is its massive entrance. The huge opening measures 126 feet wide and 25 feet high, a possible world record for commercial caves. The grand entrance is only the beginning. Inside the cavern are some of the most beautiful formations Mother Nature has ever created including “Goliath”- one of the largest stalagmites in the world measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet in circumference. Cathedral Caverns features many amazing sites: a "caveman" perched atop a flowstone wall, a "frozen" waterfall, a large stalagmite forest and a most improbable stone formation - a stalagmite that is 27 feet tall and 3 inches wide!

Welti Falls is located in the small town of Welti, Alabama. This beautiful waterfall was created from the spillway of Forest Ingram Lake and flows over the rock face creating a unexpectedly large waterfall. It's just under 1/2 a mile walk to this beautiful hidden waterfall and a little over an hour drive north of Birmingham. Beware this is private property and the owners have been towing vehicles that park on the side of the road. 📷: DJI Mavic Mini

Goggins Falls is a 1.5 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Montevallo, Alabama that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate.

Walls of Jericho Trail is a 6.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Estillfork, Alabama that features a waterfall and is rated as difficult. The descent into the valley switchbacks between huge moss covered boulders and along Turkey Creek as the walls of the canyon become increasingly narrow, ending in a beautiful waterfall that pours into an underground cavern. This land was owned by Davy Crockett in the 1700’s.

The exact age of the mill is not known but has been a landmark in the Albertville community for several generations. Located at the convergence of Scarham and Whipperwill Creeks, the area has supported at least two stores through the years…one owned by I.E. Powell in the 1940s and the other by previous owner of the property, L.G. Belue, in the 1960s and 1970s. The mill building has not been used for as long as many locals can remember.

Marvel at the scenic vistas and majestic waterfall at High Falls. The centerpiece of High Falls Park is the 35-foot waterfall. Formed by Town Creek, the falls span some 300 feet across at times. Near the base of the impressive High Falls is a natural bridge. This 25-feet span of rock features a large arch, eroded by the flow of water over hundreds of years. A pedestrian bridge spanning the gorge takes hikers to the far side of Town Creek. Positioned a few yards above High Falls, the bridge provides a picture-perfect view upstream and downstream to the falls. Stroll across a bridge that spans a gorge overlooking the beautiful Town Creek. Drift back to a time when men and women rode by horse and buggy across the gorge to the local mercantile beyond the ridge.

A perfect balance of nature and community, Moss Rock Preserve is a beautiful 349 acre nature preserve abundant with forest systems, large rock outcroppings, streams, waterfalls, wildlife, and other unique natural features. Currently, Moss Rock Preserve is home to six rare species of plants and a rare variant of Little River Canyon Sandstone Glade that is thought to be one of only 35 occurrences known around the world! Moss Rock Preserve's Boulder Field is a favorite among rock climbers. With numerous technical formations, these boulders appeal to climbers of all skill levels. The City of Hoover is fortunate that these and other natural features exist in Moss Rock. As such, Moss Rock Preserve has been dedicated as a nature preserve in order to insure its long-term health and sustainability. Nearly 12 miles of hiking trails exist within the boundaries of Moss Rock Preserve. These trails allow visitors to witness the beauty of Moss Rock up close and personal. Trail construction and maintenance, as well as other general maintenance items within Moss Rock are carried out by City staff and dedicated groups of volunteers.

Dubbed one of the most unique parks and nature preserves in the south, Orr Park is Montevallo's crowning jewel.

Ebenezer Swamp Ecological Preserve is an upland hardwood swamp on Spring Creek, made accessible for nature-lovers by a boardwalk built and maintained by the University of Montevallo.

The Alabama State Training School for Girls Campus in Chalkville was used for over 100 years, from it’s conception in 1909. The school was the result of a program initially developed by the Protestant Women of Birmingham designed to help troubled girls learn anger management and develop life skills in a family atmosphere. The reform school program was undergoing its own reform in Alabama, and the girls were being moved to a new facility built by the Department of Youth Services, when the sprawling Chalkville campus was struck by an EF3 tornado in January 2012, leveling all but 4 of its 15 buildings. The dorm housing the remaining 18 girls sustained little damage and no one was injured. Today, the abandoned buildings sit empty and derelict, a place where a new generation of wayward youths illegally scale locked gates to spray paint graffiti on walls and tell stories of those who once inhabited the "school for bad girls," as it was known to locals.

The Swann Covered Bridge was built by a crew led by Zelma C. Tidwell over a scenic gorge of the Locust Fork on property owned by the Swann Farm. It was originally dubbed the 'Joy Covered Bridge', as the bridge connected Cleveland with the nearby community of Joy. The bridge was restored by the Blount County Commission in 1979. After the 385-foot Nectar Covered Bridge (also located in Blount County) burned down in 1993, the Swann Covered Bridge became the longest covered bridge existing in Alabama. It is one of 3 historic covered bridges remaining in Blount County, Alabama

Waterfall located at the entrance to a neighborhood.

Train at Sloss Furnace Birmingham, Alabama

Hiking at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve

Hiking to the bottom on Noccalula Falls

Dismals Canyon is located in Northwest Alabama. This park features a strange and beautiful labyrinth of caverns and grottos. A 1.5 mile hiking trail on the canyon floor follows Dismals Branch through sky-reaching boulders, past thundering waterfalls, into a secret world of mossy-green and pearl-gray filled with ferns and giant trees.

Jemison Center Hospital opened in 1861 in Northport, Alabama. It is Alabama's oldest and largest inpatient psychiatric facility. First known as the Alabama State Hospital for the Insane and later as the Alabama Insane Hospital. It was abandoned in 2003 and according to local legend, visitors hear unexplained noises like screams and footsteps as they venture around and some have seen debris thrown or glimpse shadows. Perhaps most frightening, others have found scratches on themselves after leaving.

Dismals Canyon is located in Northwest Alabama.

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Little River Canyon is one of the most spectacular landforms in this region, carved into the flat top of Lookout Mountain and reaching depths in excess of 600 feet in some sections. It is one of the deepest canyon systems east of the Mississippi River and the deepest in the state of Alabama. The Little River is the only river in the United States that forms on and flows almost its entire length along a mountain top. The most popular feature of Little River Canyon National Preserve is Little River Falls. At 45 feet high, Little River Falls demonstrates the power of water, with Little River carving it's way through the sandstone bedrock and creating the beautiful canyon surrounding it

DeSoto Falls is a 104-foot waterfall located on the West Fork of the Little River near Mentone, Alabama, in DeSoto State Park. The falls have carved their own small canyon. They are named after Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. The best time to see the most water flow is usually in Spring, late Fall, & Winter. Take the trail less traveled and fight your way over rocks, fallen trees and thick brush to the base of Desoto Falls for an incredible view.

Dr. Charles N. Carraway founded the hospital in 1908, in a house in Pratt City, now a neighborhood in Birmingham, with the capacity to treat 16 patients. Carraway was an innovator in many ways: "Carraway financed the new facility by getting Birmingham businesses to agree to pay $1 a month per employee, or $1.25 per family, for treatment. It was managed care before managed care even had a name." In 1917, Carraway bought a lot on the corner of Sixteenth Avenue and Twenty-fifth Street, in the Norwood neighborhood, and moved the hospital, which came to be called the Norwood Hospital. In 1949, the hospital received $200,000 in federal money to add a nursing wing. In the 1940s, Charles Carraway donated the hospital to the Methodist church, and being renamed Carraway Methodist, with Carraway remaining the chair and CEO. In 1957, Charles Carraway suffered a stroke. In response the hospital board elected his son, Dr Ben Carraway, to take over the running of the Facility. He increased the hospital from 256 beds to 617. A Christmas star placed on the roof in 1958 became a noted Birmingham landmark. The star remained long after the hospital closed. In 1993 Dr Robert Carraway, son of Ben Carraway (who had served part of his residency and his entire career at the hospital) was elected to take over as CEO and chair when Ben Carraway too had a stroke. The hospital fell into financial difficulties in the beginning of the 2000s. At the time, it was run by the founder's grandson, Dr. Robert Carraway. According to The Birmingham News, two factors were responsible for the institution's financial demise: the decay of the Norwood neighborhood and "decades of decisions favoring patient care over profits." Hospital leadership made unsuccessful investments, did not adjust staffing or service lines to adjust to diminishing patient volume, or adequately respond to the rapidly changing healthcare delivery environment of the time. It shut down on October 31, 2008, after nearly a century in operation. In 2009, the facility was being considered as the new home for the 340 patients at Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa.