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Check the
weather before you go with the Current Weather
Radar Link from The Weather Channel Special thanks to Jim Manasco, Lamar
Marshall, and Kathryn McDeed of Wild Alabama Magazine and Jay Hudson of the Alabama Trials
Association for providing much of the information below. Please note that I refer to the trails by time-honored common names, not the USFS mechanistic numbering system that will be found on the USFS maps and other publications (though I will show them shown in parenthesis). Names evoke an emotional response of place, numbers do not (you'll notice while driving in Bankhead National Forest how little emotion the USFS has for YOUR National Forest). If you don't have an emotional response to a place as beautiful as the Sipsey then you shouldn't be there. Hopefully, some time in the future, information and maps on the other trails can be added to this web site The Sipsey Wilderness topography is formed by the Warrior Mountains, the western terminus of the Appalachian Mountains. Numerous streams have eroded this part of the Cumberland plateau forming lush canyons and wooded ridges. Indeed, there are over 400 miles of canyons in this small area. Bluffs from 50' -200' in height drop away from the ridges. Each cove in the Sipsey Wilderness is a gem in its own right. Some of the coves are so rugged that they have never been logged and they still are home to some virgin and old growth trees. With the relatively high average rainfall (56 in.) the area is loaded with an incredible number of waterfalls. Some fairly sizable in the 35'-70' range, and hundreds of smaller falls and cascades. The Sipsey Wilderness is often called "land of a thousand waterfalls". If you look at the topo map nearly every indention along a ridge-line has falling water in it (except during extended dry periods). Rarely will there be a trail to the sound of falling water, so take some time on your hike to head off-trail and explore them. The flora of the Sipsey is quite similar to the rest of the southern Appalachian mountains in many respects. Hardwood and pine trees dominate the ridges. The canyons and hollows hold a huge variety of plants, trees and wildflowers. Beech, yellow poplar, umbrella magnolia, oak, hickory, maple and the majestic evergreen hemlock are readily apparent. Some of the giant trees are 400-500 years old. Abundant mountain laurel, rhododendron and azalea are even more obvious when in bloom. Moisture loving plants thrive in the cool, narrow canyons. Three climatic zones are present in the Sipsey, making for an incredibly diverse wildflower population. Wildflowers are usually in bloom from early March all the way into June. Most of the ridges in the Sipsey are routed with old logging roads, which are good for accessing the many wonders that lie in the coves and hollows below. The majority of trails in the Sipsey follow historical Indian and trade routes. The Creek and Cherokee Indians used to live in these lush canyons. The word "sipsey" refers to the yellow (tulip) poplar in the Indian language. The name is appropriate: the largest tree in Alabama, a yellow (tulip) poplar, lives here (see Champion Tree on the Bee Branch page). There are signs of Native American existance throughout the area. If you happen upon some of them, whether they be potsherds, arrowheads, glyphs or milling stones, please leave them alone. Not only is it unethical and against the law to disturb these archaelogical sites, it will also bring you bad karma! Take only photos (and any trash you happen across), leave only footprints. The trail distances I have used in the following descriptions are approximate as scaled from the topo map. I don't have access to a measuring wheel for more accurate figures. Use the distances given only as a rule of thumb. I chose not to rate the hiking difficulty. There is too much inconsistancy between guidebooks to have a representative system. This is mainly a canyon system, not high mountains. When the text says the trail is level or on a ridge, then the walking will be easy to moderate. Where it says uphill or downhill the hiking will be fairly hard. Wherever bushwhacking is mentioned the hiking will be difficult unless stated otherwise. Before hiking study the elevation contours as you follow the trail on the map to get an idea of what the terrain is like. There are a number of unofficial, established camping spots along the trails. Most don't fall within Leave No Trace distance guidelines for water and trails. But there is less impact to the forest if you use established spots instead of creating new ones. There is abundant dead wood for use in the existing campfire rings, the most heavily used areas excepted. Washing and bathroom duties should be done well away from trail and stream, at least 100'. All streams in the area should be considered suspect (the NFS aerial sprays the forest with defoliates before clear-cutting). Treat or filter all water before drinking. Some of the springs are probably OK right where they come out of the ground, but may taste of dissolved minerals and dirt. The best time of year to hike the Sipsey is Winter and Spring, when the waters are freely flowing. Winter will have the occassional cold-snap and frozen precipitation. March through May it is wetter and the waterfalls will all be roaring. June through the rest of Summer the ticks, chiggers, poison ivy and occassional snake make it a less pleasant experience. October and November are nice times to hike the Sipsey. Most waterfalls have slowed to a trickle, but the diverse mix of hardwoods make for showy Fall colors. Contacts: Lawrence County Sheriff, (256) 974-9291 Winston County Sheriff, (205) 489-2115 Leave
No Trace program Publications
about the Sipsey Wilderness Walking Sipsey, by Jim Manasco, Lawrence County Schools' Indian Education Program, P.O. Box 365, Moulton, AL 35650 - a book on hiking, history, flora and fauna in the Sipsey area by one of the foremost experts on the Sipsey Wilderness. Published from articles originally appearing in the Jasper Daily Mountain Eagle newspaper. This book can also be ordered through Wild Alabama magazine. Alabama Trails, by Patricia Stenger Sharpe, Univ. of Alabama Press - covers hiking trails around the state, including a fairly skimpy Sipsey Wilderness section. Her drab description leads me to think that she must have been very ill while hiking the Sipsey as there is no sense of the wonder and beauty of the place. Other Internet Links to the Sipsey Wilderness and Alabama Hiking Sipsey Wilderness - Borden Creek Trail information by Jay Hudson Tennesee Valley Trails - Area hiking trails information by Jay Hudson Alabama Trails Association - Sipsey Wilderness article by Carroll Wilson Alabama Trails Association homepage - Pinhoti Trail to AT project reports., hiking articles, NFS logging alert, photo gallery and more. Bankhead and Sipsey Info - Loaded with info by Sean Blankenship. Sean put many Sipsey photos he could find on the web on his site (yes, with permission), thus making it very slow to open, so be patient. Sean also has a lot of info for other areas in Alabama. Sipsey Wilderness - Lots of good info on the history and culture of the Sipsey, plus trail info and some recommended hiking routes, by Mike Doyle. Sipsey Wilderness - nice trail descriptions for most of the official NFS trails by someone who hiked them all in the past few years. Worth reading before you head out on a trail new to you. There is also lots of hiking information for other trails in Alabama. By Lee Van Horn. U. S. National Forest Service - Sipsey Wilderness U. S. National Forest Service - Bankhead National Forest Lawrence County - homepage with Sipsey and Bankhead info for hikers and horse riders. Peak-to-Peak Wilderness Trails: Alabama; - links to various trail sites on the web. If you know of other Alabama hiking links that could be added to this list please contact the Sipsey Webmaster. Driving
Info As can be seen on the Local Map, Rabbittown is at the intersection of Hwy 195 and Kinlock Rd., which leads to the trail access locations. The intersection is 9.4 mi. North of Double Springs, 9 mi. East of Haleyville, and 3.5 mi. West of Hwy 243 (from Russellville) and Hwy 195 intersection. Heading North on Kinlock Rd. at 1.25 mi. Cranal Rd./Co. Hwy 60 (the route from Moulton via Hwy 33) enters on the right. The Cranal Rd.(Thompson Cr. map) trailhead access (see Local Map) is about 1.4 mi. East of the Kinlock Rd./Cranal Rd. intersection and about 4.9 miles West of the Sipsey River Recreation Area bridge. About 3 mi. North of Hwy 195 Kinlock Rd. becomes a gravel road. Shortly after the pavement ends the road hooks left and heads downhill. Just before the road crosses a bridge is the popular area of Kinlock Falls, where a mill once stood from 1827 to the early 1900's. The large waterfall here is quite a site. Just downstream is a small waterfall on the North side of the creek. Be careful on the slippery ledges in this area. Several people have been killed by falling off of them. Watch for broken glass - some locals still don't get it. About 0.5 mile up the road from the bridge you pass a gravel road coming in from the left. Continue to head North on Kinlock Rd.. Around mile 6.0 you pass Macedonia Cemetery on the left. Shortly past it you will pass a gravel road coming in from the left. A few hundred yards North is a gravel road bearing right - TAKE THIS ROAD. The common name for this road is Northwest Road. The Forest Service labels it F.S.208. Oddly, the Forest Service refuses to put road number signs up for the public. From this intersection it is about 3 mi. to the Quillan-Kings Cove access, which will be on your left just as the road makes a sharp left hand curve and starts downhill. Thompson Creek bridge and access are about 1 more mile downhill on the road (see the Area Trails Map). In Conclusion
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