The Conecuh Trail meanders through the Conecuh National Forest which holds the link between the Florida Trail and Alabama.  When finished, the Eastern Continental Trial will go through the Conecuh Forest and follow the Conecuh Trail for 10 miles or so.  This trail has a lot to offer besides a link to Florida, which is fortunate since it is the only backpacking trail that provides access to the unique ecosystem of southern Alabama. The trail features running creeks, cypress trees draped with moss, endangered animals, natural ponds (not many of these in the state), and an abundance of birds, animals, and flowers. Perhaps what is most interesting is that the trail remains diverse, different sections having very different flavors. Also, this trail will provide you with a picture of forest management in the South and the consequences of this management. All of the forests have been logged, some recently, and some not so recently. In many places the forests that have grown back are solely long leaf pine, however on the south loop you will see more diverse and interesting forests. The different types of forests and the selective use of prescribed burning create different types of ground cover, high grasses in some places, brushy shrubs in others, and think brush in yet others. Some flowers were still blooming when I hiked the trail in December, and evidence of many more was easy to see. I was especially attracted to the cypress ponds.

Getting there:

The Conecuh National Forest is a good ways from any interstate, you can find it on the map just south of Andalusia. From the north the best way is to get off I65 at Exit 107, go east for a few miles to 55 south, which is a 4 lane road all the way to Andalusia. In Andalusia take 29 south to 137. You will pass two trailheads on 137 (see the trail map). The map was made by the Forest Service and can be bought from the ranger's station, most outdoors stores in Birmingham, ordered using credit card or check from Carto-Craft Maps (800 444-4095), or ordered from the Forest Service using a check. You can now download a scanned copy of the forest service map on my map page.

Trail Difficulty and Maintenance:

The trail is very much flat, you will almost never notice any grade while walking. The south loop has a few more hills, but even these are very modest, and are welcome as they provide a little diversity. Board walks built over low marshy areas and streams. The trail is generally wide enough for two people to walk side by side, however it doesn't have the feel of a road converted to a trail that some of the wide trails do. The trail is well mowed, I never had to leave the trail to go around debris, only once did I have to jump over a log, and only a few times did I have to duck under logs. The trail is marked with white plastic or metal blazes, the lower section of the trail even has reflective tape on the blazes making for easy night hiking. The trail is rated very good on maintenance and easy to moderate. The only justification for a moderate rating is the distance. The maps claim that the trail is 20 miles long, if hiking the whole thing some backtracking is required making it about a 24 mile hike by the map. However, I found the trail to be much longer, especially the northern loop. In my judgement the trail is about 25 miles long, 30 miles for doing the whole thing. Add another 1 1/2 miles if you want to do the lake shore trail. My distance estimates come from my experience with hiking (I average 3 mph including stops). If someone has correct mileage using an odometer (on a bike) or a GPS I would greatly appreciate the information.

Trail Rules:

The trail is open year around. Camping is allowed anywhere except during hunting season which is mid November through the end of January. Then you may camp along the trail with special permission from the ranger (office is on 29 south of Andalusia). The north loop and lake shore trails are open to bikes (I saw only a few signs of bikes along the trail but the ranger said bike use is increasing). No horses or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trial, and dogs are allowed only if on leash and the owner cleans up after them. Fees are charged for camping or usage of the Open Pond Recreation Area or the Blue Pond Recreation Area ($6 per day for camping and $2 for day use). No parking fee is charged for the other trailheads. Fishing is allowed in all the ponds except Nellie Ponds in which there are no fish. The trail is for the most part in a wild life management area and so hunting is restricted, although it might be dangerous on their organized hunts, stop buy or call the ranger office and wear orange clothes during hunting season.

Facilities:

There is potable water at Blue Pond and Open Pond (Blue Pond was closed but the water was still on while I was there). There are lots of streams east of 137 to get water from, west of 137 you would have to use one of the ponds, be sure to treat it well in this case. Developed camp sites are at open pond. They are very nice, well maintained, on the lake, and if you arrive early you can get a site with privacy (Site D1 is the best), they have hot showers. There are facilities for picnics at both ponds, and a pavilion at Open Pond which would be a nice break if it is raining. You can even build a fire there. Blue pond has a beach.

Last Hiked: December, 2000

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Last Updated: April 2003

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