Outdoor activities have some inherent dangers that you should be prepared for (just like using a seat belt). In general Alabama trails are very safe, but please take some common sense precautions.

There are wild animals in the forest. If you don't attack or threaten them, they won't hurt you. I've talked to people who saw a bear down near Cheaha, so I suggest hanging food as though you were in black bear country. Always pack out what you bring in, and bury human waste 6 inches deep and 300 ft from streams and the trail. Animals become dangerous and cause problems when the associate humans with food.

The most dangerous aspect of hiking in the South is probably heat exhaustion and dehydration. Always drink lots of water, I usually drink a gallon a day while on the trail, and another gallon in the evening/morning. Most sections of the trail have reliable access to water, however, during dry summers you must plan far ahead and fill up whenever you find a trickle. I've seen even large streams with no water in them.

Some sections of the trail have an abundance of poison ivy. Know how to identify poison and keep away from it. If you do contact it wash with soap (away from streams and lakes). Because of the poison and that some sections of the trail are grown over I always hike with long pants.

Always take a first-aid kit, I take bandages, disinfectants, anti-inflammatory meds, and pain killers. Antibiotics are good if you are by yourself for a long time, but be sure to go to a doctor when you get out of the wilderness if you take them. I also carry a whistle, compass, topo map, flashlights, and often a cell phone. Cell phones work on ridge tops but not usually in the valleys.