Park hosting hike to celebrate National Trails Day

Published 2:47 pm Monday, June 1, 2015

Oak Mountain State Park will host a hike in honor of National Trails Day on June 6 at 9:30 a.m. (Contributed)

Oak Mountain State Park will host a hike in honor of National Trails Day on June 6 at 9:30 a.m. (Contributed)

By EMILY D. COOK

June 6, 2015 is National Trails Day, known as the country’s largest celebration of trails.

We should know about trails because we have so many miles of trails.

We will be hosting a hike in honor of this day.

Meet at the Treetop Nature Trail at 9:30 a.m. Dress for the weather (it’s June) and bring water.

Oak Mountain State Park has become a destination for mountain bikers, horseback riders and hiking enthusiasts.

With close to 75 miles of trails, there is something for everyone to do whether you want to be on two feet, two wheels or four legs.

Mountain bikers come from all over the U.S. to ride the mountain bike trails that crisscross through the park.

We have Lightning, a quick-paced downhill ride; there is Boulder Ridge, which travels through a large patch of boulders; and there is Blood Rock, a technically challenging section where if you aren’t careful you will add your blood to Blood Rock.

Horse-riding enthusiasts are coming from all over Alabama to ride the recently extended horse trails.

Some are doing it just for fun, but some are doing it to raise money for organizations such as Special Equestrians.

One trail takes you by the Wildlife Center, but the one I like is the trail that takes you past Camp Tranquility, where Boy Scouts are restoring cabins from the Civilian Conservation Corps/Works Progress Administration era of the 1930s.

You can’t go wrong traveling any of the horse trails because of their beauty.

If you enjoy hiking as a hobby or a way to stay in shape, we are the place to come. Our hiking trails vary in length from a half-mile to 8 miles (one way), and many of them connect so that you may take connector trails to create loops to get you back to where you started from without seeing the same thing twice.

Located where the Yellow and White Trail crosses, you can find Maggie’s Glen, a favorite place of mine.

Look for more information about this spot later this month.

Please remember that you keep Alabama State Parks open by visiting the park.

For more information on our trails, visitAlapark.com/oak-mountain-state-park.