JULY 4, FRIDAY, 6:30 p.m.
Southeastern Outings 4th of July Picnic
Where: UAB Bartow Arena, Front Patio
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Details: Please bring your own blanket or chairs and all your picnic supplies: food, drinks (no alcohol, please), cups, ice, utensils, etc. Look for the SEO signs. SEO people will assemble to the right of the stage as you face the band, right where the grass ends and the concrete floor leading to the entrance to the arena begins. Well-behaved children, but no dogs, are welcome.
Reservations: Not required.
Info: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or 205/631-4680
JULY 4, FRIDAY, 7:00 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Attends FREE 4th of July Band Concert by the UAB Summer Band Followed by City of Birmingham Fireworks
Where: UAB Bartow Arena, Front Patio
Details: Enjoy a free outdoor concert of patriotic music celebrating Independence Day, then stay in the same place to watch the fireworks show from atop Red Mountain.
The 7 p.m. concert is presented by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music. The UAB Summer Band will perform movie soundtracks and patriotic songs including selections by composers Henry Fillmore, John Williams and John Philip Sousa. Audience members are encouraged to bring folding chairs and/or blankets to sit on during the concert.
Attendees will also have the chance to participate in a raffle to conduct the band playing “Stars and Stripes Forever” for the grand finale.
This large group of carefully auditioned and selected professional and student musicians is an outstanding concert band. The annual UAB Summer Band boasts approximately 70 people, including UAB faculty members, students and alumni, as well as professional and amateur musicians from the community. Some members have played with the group for more than 20 years. The band has been rehearsing weekly since the beginning of June. UAB Director of Bands Sean Murray, Ph.D., will conduct, along with Assistant Director of Bands Caleb Owenby, DMA. The concert will also feature UAB students and local middle and high schools’ band directors as guest conductors.
SEO people will assemble to the right of the stage as you face the band, right where the grass ends and the concrete floor leading to the entrance to the arena begins. Look for the Southeastern Outings signs.
When the concert ends, conveniently enjoy clearly viewing the Birmingham City Fireworks from the picnic area. The fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m.
Well-behaved children, but no dogs, are welcome.
Reservations: Not required
Info: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or 205/631-4680
JULY 4, FRIDAY, After the Concert and Fireworks
Southeastern Outings Potluck Dessert Get-Together
Where: UAB Bartow Arena, Front Patio
Details: Southeastern Outings people will stay at the Bartow Arena Park for a while after the fireworks are concluded, avoiding all the exiting traffic congestion. Then we will enjoy good company and food. You are encouraged to invite one or several guests to come with you since this event is one of the best SEO events for introducing yourself (if you are not already a member) and your friends to the group.
Please bring a small dessert with you to share with the group. SEO will provide a table to set out desserts plus plates, napkins, forks and spoons. We suggest you also bring your own drink (no alcohol, please) with you.
Well-behaved children, but no dogs, are welcome.
No Charge
Reservations: Not required
Info: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or 205/631-4680
June Activities 2025
JUNE 12, THURSDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Trip with dinner after
Where: Terrapin Creek near Piedmont, Alabama
Details: Please plan to come on a relaxing kayak and canoe trip on Terrapin Creek in Cherokee County, near Piedmont, Alabama. The section we will paddle is relatively easy with one class I classified rapid (which you can portage around if you prefer). This is a scenic stretch of creek located in a very rural area. Twenty-four Southeastern Outings people participated in this popular outing on May 18, 2019.
Please note that for this trip you may rent one person sit-upon plastic kayaks for $25 each from Terrapin Outdoor Center. Rental fees include shuttle service, paddles and life jackets. Also, the outfitter will shuttle for a $10 fee per boat all private boats used on this outing. If you wish to rent a boat from Terrapin Outdoor Center, please call the Center BEFORE June 12 at 256/447-6666 to reserve your boat. Please be sure you tell the Center you are boating with Southeastern Outings. Please note that the outfitter has only 100 one-person sit-on-top kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early. Once all their kayaks are reserved for June 12, there will be no more kayaks available to rent!
This outfitter no longer has canoes to rent. However, Dan Frederick’s daughter, Aree, currently has canoes which she is offering to rent to people who want to canoe on this trip and who do not have their own canoes. The charge for renting a canoe from Aree is $40 per boat. Southeastern Outings will pay the $10 per boat shuttle service fee for people renting canoes from Aree. Again, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE June 12 to request a rental canoe if that is what you want. We will do our best to fulfill your request.
All participants must be able to swim to come on this outing!
After the canoe and kayak trip we are planning to go to a pleasant restaurant in Piedmont for an optional dinner. If you would like to wash up and/or have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please bring a change of clothes and a towel. Outfitter has four changing rooms. Two are changing rooms only with no toilets or washbowls, and two are restrooms with washbowls, toilets and running water, but no showers.
Reservations Required: You must email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this outing. Please advise your name, telephone number, skill level, whether you are bringing a canoe or kayak or you wish to rent a canoe or kayak. You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish. If you want to come on the June 12 kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a kayak from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required in this instance to call the BOTH the outfitter to reserve your boat AND ALSO contact Dan Frederick to notify him that you are coming! Please do not just show up for this outing at the meeting place without making advance reservations! And if you decide to meet us at some place other than the meeting place specified in this announcement, please notify Dan in advance and directly of this fact.
Please meet 8:45 a.m. at Applebee’s Restaurant Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m. For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.
Info. and Trip Leader: If you have further questions, please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outing listed in the announcement above is suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but each beginner canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist. Life jackets or personal flotation devices are required and must be worn. Bring your own boat, borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent a kayak from the outfitter(s) listed.
Please bring in the boat your picnic lunch, something to drink, and a towel. Put your belongings in a waterproof dry bag in the boat. Wear old, thick-soled shoes you don’t mind getting wet (old sneakers work well). Also bring at least 6 feet of sturdy cord to tie up your boat if you don’t already have cord attached to your own boat. If you have further questions, please call the trip leader.
JUNE 21[postponed due to rain June 14, then canceled due to high water June 21] SATURDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings River Float, Picnic, Swim on the Locust Fork River from Taylor’s Ford through Cornelius Falls in Blount County near Royal, AL
Click for more pictures
Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River. Float in the river from Taylor’s Ford through Cornelius Falls and below. We’ll float downstream to the widest waterfall on the Locust Fork River. Enjoy eating your picnic lunch sitting on the rocks overlooking the waterfall. This is one of the prettiest lunch spots we have ever seen in Alabama. As we float, we’ll also view sheer cliffs that rise high above the river. So, enjoy a flowing river, high rock bluffs and a gorgeous waterfall—all along a nearly uninhabited stretch of this river.
Please bring a picnic lunch, drink, sunscreen and something to float on such as a fabric-covered, inflatable vinyl float. See Float Note below for additional information.
Please wear swimsuit and sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. Old sneakers work well. Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable! You must be able to swim to participate in this outing!
Have fun swimming in the pools in the river and just sitting in Cornelius Falls. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and up able to swim welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.
Please bring a friend or several if you wish. Meet 9:45 a.m. at the Cleveland Chevron. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Info. and trip leader: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call 205/631-4680
Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best. Trip leader Dan Frederick now has 72-inch-long floats for sale for $23 each and 60-inch-long floats for sale for $15 each ONLY at the start of the river floats. Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO. First come, first served.
Dan will provide hand float pumps to pump up your float at the start point of the river float.
CANCELLED: JUNE 21, SATURDAY:
Southeastern Outings Evening Walk, Hillsboro Trail, Helena
Cancelled due to conflict with Locust Fork river float.
JUNE 28, SATURDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Outing, Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama.
Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ sixteenth kayak and canoe trip on Big Wills Creek. This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural area. This stretch is fairly easy and without classified rapids. Along the river we’ll see wildflowers and stop to investigate islands and beaches. Forty-six SEO people participated in this very popular outing in 2015.
Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each novice canoeist must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their canoe.
Please note that for this trip you may rent canoes and one or two-person (tandem) sit-upon plastic kayaks and paddles from Big Wills Outfitters.
Here is the schedule of outfitter charges-Note cash only!):
1. solo kayaks each $30
2. canoes and tandem kayaks $50 each
3. shuttle fee per boat for owned rather than rented boats $10
Rental fees include paddles, life jackets and shuttle service. Also, the outfitter will shuttle for a fee all private boats used on this outing. If you wish to rent a boat from Big Wills Outfitters, please call the outfitter BEFORE Saturday, June 28 at 256/538-3226 to reserve your boat. Tell the outfitter you are boating with Southeastern Outings. Please note that the outfitter has only 4 canoes and 57 one-person sit-upon kayaks and 5 tandem (2-person) sit-upon kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early. Once all their boats of one type or the other are reserved for June 28, there will be no more boats of that type available to rent!
If you rent a boat from this outfitter, the outfitter will take you and your rented boat to the put in, and you will take out at the outfitter’s property so you will never need to transport your rented boat at all. Life jackets, paddles and shuttle fee are included in the rental boat fee for those who rent boats from the outfitter. You may bring your own canoe or kayak on this trip, but you must pay the outfitter to shuttle your privately-owned boat. For more information about the outfitter and photos of the creek, please visit their website www.facebook.com/bigwillsoutfitters
When we arrive at the outfitter’s, you will sign a waiver, pay your shuttle or boat rental fee, use the restroom, and then eat lunch beside the creek at the outfitter’s take out. After you finish lunch, the outfitter will transport ALL the boaters and their boats, both rented and owned, to the put in. We will then paddle down the creek to the take out at the outfitter’s, stopping along the way as often as we want to.
Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 10 and over welcome.
After the canoe and kayak trip we are probably going to a restaurant in Gadsden for dinner. Our going to dinner depends on what time we finish boating. If you would like to have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please bring a change of clothes. A changing room is available at the outfitter’s.
Reservations Required: You must contact Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this kayak and canoe trip. You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.
If you want to come on the June 28 kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required in this instance to call the BOTH the outfitter to reserve your boat AND ALSO contact Dan Frederick to notify him that you are coming! Please do not just show up for this outing at the meeting place without making advance reservations! Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m. For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.
Info. and trip leader: If you have questions or would like additional information about this outing, please call Dan Frederick 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outing listed in the announcement above is suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but each beginner canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist. Life jackets or personal flotation devices are required and must be worn. Bring your own boat, borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent a kayak from the outfitter(s) listed.
Please bring in the boat your picnic lunch, something to drink, and a towel. Put your belongings in a waterproof dry bag in the boat. Wear old, thick-soled shoes you don’t mind getting wet (old sneakers work well). Also bring at least 6 feet of sturdy cord to tie up your boat if you don’t already have cord attached to your own boat. If you have further questions, please call the trip leader.
When you make your reservation with the trip leader, please be absolutely certain to provide ALL of the following information:
1. Whether you want to kayak or canoe
2. Whether you are renting a boat and what kind or bringing your own boat (kayak or canoe)
3. Your name
4. Your telephone number and/or email address
5. If you are also making a reservation for someone else coming with you, please give the NAME of that person. Don’t just say, “My daughter, my friend, my wife”.
6. If you are canoeing, please give your skill level.
7. If you have already selected a canoe partner and you are making a reservation for your partner, too, please give the name and skill level of your partner.
8. Please do NOT just show up at the meeting place for a kayak and canoe trip without making an advance reservation!!
9. If you have made a reservation to participate and then decide to cancel, please be absolutely sure to call and notify the trip leader 1 ½ hours or more before the event departure time. Don’t just tell your friend if you intend to cancel!!
10. If you have made a reservation for a friend whom you have invited to come on this trip and your friend is not coming, you must notify the leader of this cancellation 1 ½ hours or more before the event departure time! No-shows cause considerable logistical complications for the leader and for the outfitter!
Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best. Trip leader Dan Frederick now has 72-inch-long floats for sale for $23 each and 60-inch-long floats for sale for $15 each ONLY at the start of the river floats. Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO. First come, first served.
Dan will provide hand float pumps to pump up your float or tube at the start point of the river float.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outings listed in the announcements above are suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but each beginner canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist. Life jackets or personal flotation devices are required and must be worn. Bring your own boat, borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent a kayak from the outfitter(s) listed.
Please bring in the boat your picnic lunch, something to drink, and a towel. Put your belongings in a waterproof dry bag in the boat. Wear old, thick-soled shoes you don’t mind getting wet (old sneakers work well). Also bring at least 6 feet of sturdy cord to tie up your boat if you don’t already have cord attached to your own boat. If you have further questions, please call the trip leader.
May Activities
MAY 3, SATURDAY, Meet 1:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Sunday Afternoon Mountain Laurel Walk, Dunnavant Valley Greenway Walking Trail (DVGWT)
Click for More Pictures
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 May 3 Dan Frederick will scout Option A to ascertain whether the waterfall is likely to be running or not on May 3. 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 nearly every other time in the past!
Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680
MAY 10, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings 10.6-Mile Bicycle Ride
Where: Chief Ladiga Trail, Piedmont, Alabama
Details: Join friendly folks for a 10.6-mile bicycle ride on the Chief Ladiga Trail in the Piedmont, Alabama area. Ride on Alabama’s first extended rails-to-trails conversion route on an old railroad right of way. The trail we’ll be riding on is smooth, 8-10 feet wide and even paved. There are no hills on this trail. The trail is suitable for road bikes plus mountain, hybrid and urban bicycles. Ride through towns, fields and picturesque woodlands. No motorized vehicles are allowed on your trail!
Bicycle helmets are required and must be worn. Please bring a picnic lunch and drink.
The pace of this bicycle ride will be leisurely. From time to time we will stop bicycling just to enjoy the scenery and views from the four bridges over the creeks. However, please note that this ride is 10.6 miles long. We recommend that participants intending to come on this outing have bicycled at least a few times during the 30 days prior to May 10. In order to be assured that you can ride comfortably on this trip you should probably be able to ride at an average speed of 8-12 miles per hour on level terrain.
There will be an optional restaurant dinner after the bicycle ride. You will have an opportunity to wash up and change clothes in the Eubanks Welcome Center restrooms after the bicycle ride. If you’d like to clean up and/or change clothes, please bring your soap and towel and/or change of clothes with you.
Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Restaurant in Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m. or meet 11:20 a.m. at the Eubanks Welcome Center on the Chief Ladiga Trail in Piedmont.
Reservations Required: If you want to come on this bicycle ride, please make a reservation with Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone
205-631-4680. Also, if you have a bike rack which can hold more than one bicycle, please bring it with you to Piedmont in order to facilitate the required car shuttle and advise Dan that you are doing so. We probably need to leave about two vehicles at the Eubanks Welcome Center in order to transport the drivers of all the remaining vehicles from the end point of the ride back to the start point to pick up their vehicles after the ride is concluded.
Information and Ride Leader: Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com
MAY 15, THURSDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Leisurely Weekday Cahaba Lily Walk
Where: Hargrove Shoals, Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge, along the Cahaba River in Bibb County
Over seven miles of the Cahaba River lie within the Refuge boundary. The rolling uplands surrounding the river are forested with mountain longleaf and loblolly pines. Mixed upland hardwood species line ravines and the river's edge.
The largest known stand of the imperiled shoals lily (known locally as the Cahaba lily) also occurs within the Refuge. During May and June, this beautiful plant blooms, and people come from across the region to view this magnificent display of nature. Twenty people participated in a previous Southeastern Outings-sponsored weekday Cahaba lily walk in 2021. We were pleased with the turnout then. For your information, in addition to this Thursday, May 15 event, Southeastern Outings has also scheduled an additional Cahaba Lily walk to this area on Saturday, May 17, 2024.
The hike is about five miles round trip. The walking pace for this hike will be moderately easy. We’ll stop often to catch our breath and note views, trees, birdsongs, the trail and woods and lilies around us. Happy hiking!
Wear sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. Old sneakers work well. You’ll want to put on your river shoes so you can walk out into the shallow parts of the river to stroll through and touch the lilies which grow only in the water. You’ll also need to wear your river wading shoes to wade through Caffee Creek in order to be able to walk to where you can view the largest stand of lilies at Hargrove Shoals.
Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable!! You may wear your sturdy river shoes for the entire trip if you wish. Please bring picnic lunch and your drink. Two hiking poles are strongly recommended to provide substantial, additional stability when wading in the river.
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, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com
MAY 17, SATURDAY, 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Cahaba Lily Walk, Hargrove Shoals along the Cahaba River in Bibb County
Over seven miles of the Cahaba River lie within the Refuge boundary. The rolling uplands surrounding the river are forested with mountain longleaf and loblolly pines. Mixed upland hardwood species line ravines and the river's edge.
The largest known stand of the imperiled shoals lily (known locally as the Cahaba lily) also occurs within the Refuge. During May and June, this beautiful plant blooms, and people come from across the region to view this magnificent display of nature.
Well-behaved, properly-supervised children age 7 and over welcome.
The hike is about five miles round trip.
Rated easy. Wear sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. Old sneakers work well. You’ll want to put on your river shoes so you can walk out into the shallow parts of the river to stroll through and touch the lilies which grow only in the water. Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable!! You may wear your sturdy river shoes for the entire trip if you like. Please bring picnic lunch and your drink. Hiking poles are strongly recommended to provide additional, substantial stability when wading in the river.
Please meet at 8:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.
Info. and hike leader: Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or southeasternoutings@gmail.com
MAY 24, SATURDAY, Picnic at 7:00 p.m. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
FREE Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) Concert Where: Railroad Park situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets South in downtown Birmingham
Details: Thanks to the generous support of sponsors, the ASO is excited to play a free series of concerts in Birmingham's Railroad Park! Enjoy music under the stars with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
Please join us for this special concert which promises to yield a great evening of fun. Relax on the lawn with your blanket or lawn chair. If you’d like to eat with us, please bring your picnic (no glass or alcohol allowed) to enjoy at 7:00 p.m. Concert itself begins at 7:30 p.m.
To find the group, please look for the Southeastern Outings people near the walkway on the railroad side (far side of park away from 1st Avenue South) of the park. You are welcome to bring as many friends and family members as you wish.
Admission: FREE
More Info: Please call the ASO office, 205/251-6929 or Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680.
MAY 31, SATURDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Trip on the Elk River near Elkmont, Alabama
Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each one must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their boat.
Many of our members have expressed a desire to paddle once again on this stretch of the Elk River. We are extremely grateful to Dan’s daughter, Aree Frederick, who has agreed to provide outfitting services to our entire group for this outing. For this trip you may rent one-person plastic kayaks and paddles for $30 or you may rent two-person canoes for $40 from Aree. She has for rent about 65 one-person sit-upon kayaks and about 25 tandem (two-person) canoes.
If you rent a boat from Aree, she will bring your rented boat to the put in and meet you there. She will also meet you at the take out, so you will never need to transport your rented boat at all. Shuttle fee, paddles, and life jacket are included in the boat rental fee for those who rent boats from Aree Frederick.
If you wish to rent a kayak or canoe from Aree, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE May 30 to reserve your boat.
If you want to come on the May 31 SEO kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from Aree at the site of the trip, in this instance you are required to call or contact ONLY Dan Frederick and notify him that you are coming! Dan will inform Aree how many rental kayaks and canoes she will need to provide to SEO people for this trip.
This is a new outfitter for Southeastern Outings. Both of the two Elk River outfitters we used previously closed their businesses. However, we will still boat on the same stretch of the Elk River as we have done previously. We have been unable to sponsor a trip on this river for the four years because we could not identify an outfitter who would provide boat rental services to us.
You may bring your own kayak or canoe on this outing. You will not have to pay a shuttle fee to Aree because boat owners on this trip will run their own shuttles.
Children able to swim and age 10 and over welcome.
After the kayak/canoe trip we will go for dinner at an excellent Italian restaurant in Athens, Alabama. If you would like to have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please bring your things to clean up with and a change of clothes. After the kayak and canoe outing is completed, we plan to schedule a stop at the Buc-ee’s in Athens, Alabama. If you wish, you will be able to use the very large restrooms and change clothes and wash up there in relative comfort before you come to the restaurant for dinner with us and/or drive home.
Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride at Exit #284 off I-65 North. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m. For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.
Reservations Required: You must call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com if you plan to come on this kayak and canoe trip. You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.
If you are planning to meet the group initially at the put in instead of at the designated meeting place near Birmingham, please tell Dan Frederick in advance that you are planning to meet the group at the put in.
Please do not make it necessary for Dan to contact you concerning information which you have already received in this announcement and in the notes below.
Info. and trip leader: If you have questions, please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outings listed in the announcements above are suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but each beginner canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist. Life jackets or personal flotation devices are required and must be worn. Bring your own boat, borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent a boat from the outfitter(s) listed above.
Please bring in the boat your picnic lunch, something to drink, and a towel. Put your belongings in a waterproof dry bag in the boat. Wear old, thick-soled shoes you don’t mind getting wet (old sneakers work well). Also bring at least 6 feet of sturdy cord to tie up your boat if you don’t already have cord attached to your own boat. If you have further questions, please call the trip leader.
April Activities 2025
APRIL 5, SATURDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m.
The river splits the park into two sites with different amenities. The north side, which is called the Helena/Hoover Sector, includes most of the park’s acreage. The sector comprises 1,212 acres of Forever Wild property and 127 acres of county property. The south side of the river, which is called the Boothton/Montevallo Sector, comprises 188 acres of Shelby County property.
Cahaba River Park is a Shelby County venture that has being developed in conjunction with Forever Wild Land Trust, an initiative of the Alabama
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Improvements to Shelby County 251, or River Road on the north side of the Cahaba River, are now complete. The Park offers about 15 miles of professionally designed and constructed trails for mountain biking, hiking and trail running; multiple parking locations at trailheads; several canoe launch sites that will allow for short trips or runs as long as 7 miles; 2 sets of pavilions and restroom facilities; and a caretaker’s house for a law enforcement officer.
Our hike in the Helena/Hoover Sector on April 5 will include walking on several trails. The park’s trails offer a nice blend of forest, river and creek views including a good view of the area’s elevation.
Please bring your picnic lunch and water with you on the hike. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and older able to walk up to five miles without complaining are welcome to participate in this trip.
Please meet at 8:45 a.m. in the parking lot behind the McDonald’s on U.S. Highway 31 at the Riverchase Galleria. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.
Admission to the park is free.
Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, telephone 205-631-4680, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com
APRIL 6, SUNDAY, please meet 1:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Sunday Dayhike in Oak Mountain State Park
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, 205-719-7719
Southeastern Outings Leisurely Weekday Wildflower Walk, Dunnavant Valley Greenway Walking Trail (DVGWT)
If the pretty waterfall near the trail is flowing nicely on the day of our hike, we will make a side trip off the trail to view it 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 10 one or two of our hikers plan to scout the area in order to ascertain whether the waterfall is likely to be running or not on April 10. There are footbridges over the streams, and, except for a short, steep patch over a ridge, walking on the trail itself is easy. Happy hiking! Please bring your water with you.
Please meet at 9:30 a.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 9:45 a.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 nearly every other time we have hiked on this trail in the past!
Information and Trip Leader: Christine Heckemeyer, 205-979-5730
APRIL 12, SATURDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m.: Southeastern Outings Dayhike
Where: DeSoto State Park and Lost Falls
Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 9 and over able to walk about 5 miles without complaining are welcome.
After the outing we’ll enjoy an optional restaurant dinner together.
Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.
Info. and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205-631-4680
APRIL 19, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Please note that for this trip you may rent one person sit-upon plastic kayaks and paddles for $30 each at the put-in from River Beach Outfitters. Rental fees include shuttle service. Also, the outfitter will charge a $15 fee for all private boats, be they canoes or kayaks, used on this outing. If you wish to rent a kayak from the outfitter, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE April 19 to reserve your boat.
If you want to come on the April 19 SEO kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, in this instance you are required to call or contact ONLY the trip leader and notify him that you are coming! Dan will inform the outfitter how many rental kayaks he will need to provide to SEO people for this trip.
Please note that the outfitter has only 70 one-person kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early. Once all their solo kayaks are reserved for April 19, there will be no more kayaks available to rent!
This outfitter does not have canoes to rent. However, Dan Frederick’s daughter, Aree, currently has canoes which she is offering to rent to people who want to canoe on this trip and who do not have their own canoes. The charge for renting a canoe from Aree is $50 per boat. Southeastern Outings will pay the $15 per boat shuttle service fee for people renting canoes from Aree. Again, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE April 19 to request a rental canoe if that is what you want. We will do our best to fulfill your request.
Please do NOT just show up at the meeting place on April 19 without making an advance reservation with Dan Frederick!! And if you have made a reservation to participate and then decide to cancel, please be absolutely sure to call and notify the trip leader. Don’t just tell your friend if you intend to cancel!!
Life jackets are required and must be worn. You are responsible for finding your own boat. Bring your own, borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent from the outfitters listed.
Please bring with you in the boat your picnic lunch, something to drink and a towel. Put your belongings in a waterproof dry bag in the boat. Wear old, thick-soled shoes you don’t mind getting wet (old sneakers work well). Also bring at least 6 feet of sturdy cord to tie up your canoe if you don’t already have rope attached to your own canoe. If you have further questions, please call the trip leader.
For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips at the end of this calendar.
Please meet at 9:45 a.m. at the Cleveland Chevron Service Station. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Reservations Required: You are required to contact Dan Frederick by email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this kayak and canoe trip. Please advise your name, telephone number, skill level, whether you are bringing a canoe or kayak and whether you need a paddling partner. You may leave a message on Dan’s answering machine if you wish.
Info. and Trip Leader: If you have further questions, please contact Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call 205/631-4680.
APRIL 24, THURSDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Leisurely Weekday Hike
Where: Veterans Park, 4800 Valleydale Road, Hoover, AL 35242
If you are retired or not working or have off on this particular Thursday, you are urged to participate in the Southeastern Outings group hike on the trails and get a feel for the location and scale of the land.
The hike is about three miles. 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 trails and woods around us. Happy hiking!
This walk will be Southeastern Outings’ tenth hike in Veterans Park. Come with us for a guided tour of easily walkable trails. Please bring water and wear good walking shoes or boots. Dress appropriately for the weather.
Please meet at 9:45 a.m. in the Veterans Park parking lot right beside the building with restrooms in it at the park. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Optional lunch nearby after the hike at Metro Diner Restaurant in Inverness.
Admission to Park: Free
Information and hike leader: Randall Adkins, 205/719-7719 cell