APRIL 6, SATURDAY
Southeastern Outings Dayhike, Sipsey Wilderness, Bankhead National Forest
Details: Moderately strenuous, 4-mile dayhike in a highly scenic location, Upper Quillan Creek Forest Area. Most of the hike is off trail, there are lots of ups and downs, and several rock-hopping crossings are required across small creeks.
We’ll walk along two creeks and on an old road. At a beautiful waterfall we’ll visit the site of an old mill. On this hike we’ll see several small waterfalls on side creeks and tributaries to Quillan Creek. We will visit at least three very pretty waterfalls on Quillan Creek itself along the way. We expect to see a minimum of a total of twelve lovely waterfalls on this trip.
Please bring picnic lunch and water for the day. We expect to finish about 4:00 p.m. Optional dinner after. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 9 and over able to walk 4 miles off trail without complaining welcome.
Reservations Required: If you wish to participate in this outing, you are required to call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email your reservation to southeasternoutings@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, 2024. When you contact Dan, please be sure you leave either your phone number or email address. This outing is limited to 10 people in order to comply with U.S. Forest Service regulations. We hope the limitation will not prove to be a problem.
If you make a reservation with Dan to come on this trip and then for any reason decide later to not come on this outing, please telephone Dan, 205/631-4680 right away. If we have 10 people signed up on the day of the hike and, for example, we have two people on the waiting list and then two people who signed up don’t show up for the hike, those two no-show people have in effect deprived the two on the waiting list from participating. Please don’t be a no-show. If you aren’t coming after making a reservation, please notify Dan.
At a later date leader will advise meeting time and place only to those who have signed up for this trip.
Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com, or phone 205/631-4680
APRIL 13, SATURDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m. Southeastern Outings Dayhike, Alabama Nature Center, Millbrook. Alabama
Details: The former Lanark Estate in Millbrook, Alabama, was conveyed to provide for long-term stewardship of the property and development of an outdoor education facility that is now known as the Alabama Nature Center. The Center is a planned use facility offering hands on, outdoor-based educational programs and activities for students, educators, church and civic groups, and the general public.
The Center contains 350 acres of striking forests, fields, streams, wetlands and parks that are traversed by five miles of boardwalks and trails in three regions.
We plan to hike about 3.5 miles. Hike is relatively easy. Please bring $5.00 per person Nature Center admission fee with you. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and over able to walk about four miles without complaining are welcome on this outing.
Optional dinner after the hike.
Please meet for this outing at 8:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.
Information and Trip Leader: Dexter Duren, 205/765-2293
APRIL 14, SUNDAY, please meet 1:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Second Sunday Dayhike in Oak Mountain State Park
Details: Enjoy a moderate 4-mile walk in the woodlands near Birmingham on a Sunday afternoon. This is an excellent outing for introducing your friends to Southeastern Outings and for making new friends who enjoy the outdoors. Parts of this hike may be off the color-coded trails. There will be some ups and downs.
Well-behaved, properly supervised children age eight and up able to walk the distance of about 4 miles and complete the hike are welcome.
Share an adventure! Bring a friend.
Please meet at 1:45 p.m. in the Oak Mountain Park office parking lot. We plan to depart from there at 2:00 p.m.
Please bring $5/person ($2.00 seniors) park admission fee plus your drink.
Information and trip leader: Randall Adkins, 205-317-6969
APRIL 18, THURSDAY, please meet 9:30 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Leisurely Weekday Wildflower Walk in a Forest Preserve in Homewood
Where: Homewood Forest Preserve
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Details: The City of Homewood owns two forest preserves on Shades Mountain adjacent to the Homewood High School. Come and spend a relaxing two hours walking and admiring spring wildflowers with us in the lower preserve.
The walking pace for this hike will be moderately easy. We’ll stop often to catch our breath and note views, trees, birdsongs and the trail and woods around us.
Please meet 9:30 a.m. in the church parking lot on South Lakeshore Drive in Homewood. We plan to depart from there at 9:45 a.m.
Information and trip leader: Christine Heckemeyer, 205-979-5730
APRIL 20, SATURDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Picnic Lunch and Moderate Dayhike
Where: Paul Grist State Park near Selma, Alabama
Details: Paul Grist State Park is one of the state’s most uncrowded, yet scenic state parks containing hills, forests, fields and a large, beautiful, tree-lined lake.
Prior to the dayhike we will get together at the smaller pavilion right near the park office to eat our picnic lunches. Please bring your picnic lunch and also $3 per person ($2 for children age 2-6 and seniors age 62 and older) park admission and a beverage for yourself.
Dayhike Details: Hike rated moderate. There are only a few ups and downs. Total hiking distance is approximately 5.5 miles. We plan to walk all the way around the lake and then also walk on some additional trails in the park to make the drive time down and back worthwhile.
Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age nine and over able to walk 6 miles without complaining are welcome. Please bring your picnic lunch and drink and wear sturdy footwear.
Optional group restaurant dinner after the hike. Reservations not required for this outing.
Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Info. And Trip Leader: Dan Frederick email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or telephone 205-631-4680
APRIL 27, SATURDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Dayhike
Where: Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, Springville, Alabama
Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ very first ever hike in this new nature preserve. The property is located along a beautiful, tree-canopied section of St. Clair County Highway 9 within the city limits of Springville in north St. Clair County. The property encompasses hilly, forested terrain and aquatic riparian habitat in and near Big Canoe Creek. Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve consists of 422 acres of pristine meandering creek, lush forest, one-of-a-kind species, wildlife, stunning flora and trails of all kinds to be traveled. Trails traverse this Alabama Forever Wild property in Springville, perfect for hiking, horseback riding, bird watching and mountain biking, paddling and a variety of other outdoor activities.
The Forever Wild Land Trust believes that this property presents a unique opportunity to serve as a focal point of sustainable regional economic and social activity while simultaneously helping to protect some of Alabama’s impressive aquatic biodiversity for generations to come. Experience the Preserve’s biodiversity – from mountain laurel and native azalea to beech, red and sugar maple trees. Find hornbeams, black walnut, catalpa, butternut and bigleaf magnolia trees and perhaps, stands of river cane.
The northern border spans about 2/3 mile of Big Canoe Creek, providing abundant creekside scenery and wildlife habitat. High points on the property afford views of the uppermost section of the Big Canoe Creek watershed, including beautiful, rural Canoe Creek valley and the opposing ridges of Pine and Blount mountains.
Take in the spectacular views of ridges, mountains and valley. Or spot a rare bird soaring above. Each sunrise seems to reveal a new perspective on nature’s many gifts found beneath the canopy of its trees or along the banks of this stunning creek that runs for 50 miles. And each sunset beckons visitors to savor the memories of the sights, sounds and the enveloping feeling of it all. It is a true gift of nature for us all to enjoy, to experience and to be inspired.
The hike will be relatively easy. We expect to be hiking on the Slab Creek and Fallen Oak Trails. Total hike distance is about 3.7 miles.
Admission to the park is free. Please bring your picnic lunch and beverage with you. Carefully supervised, well-behaved children age 7 and over welcome. Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or telephone 205-631-4680.
APRIL 28, SUNDAY, Meet 1:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Sunday Afternoon Mountain Laurel Walk, Dunnavant Valley Greenway Walking Trail (DVGWT)
Details: The trail winds along a bubbling stream, Yellow Leaf Creek, overhung with majestic American beech, oak, and hickory trees. The stream rapidly expands to 15-feet wide before the end of the trail.
We may offer two options. Option A involves a short moderate hike off trail to view a pretty waterfall nearby, and then return to the main trail where we will hike to the far end of the trail and back to the start. A few days before April 27 Dan Frederick will scout Option A to ascertain whether the waterfall is likely to be running or not on April 27. Option B involves easy hiking on the main trail from start to end and return on the trail. There are footbridges over the streams, and, except for a steep patch over a ridge, walking on the trail itself is easy. Happy hiking! Please bring your water with you.
Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and older able to walk 4 miles without complaining are welcome to participate.
Please meet at 1:45 p.m. in the small DVGWT trail head parking lot on the edge of Yellow Leaf Creek on the edge of the soccer fields on AL Highway 41. We plan to depart from there at 2:00 p.m. Please note that this is a different meeting place and starting point from the place where we have begun our hike on this trail every other time in the past!
Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680
