Lewis Smith Lake Fun
With its 500 miles of shoreline and encompassing over 21,000 acres, Smith Lake in Alabama is a man-made wonder. A project developed by the Alabama Power Company and completed in 1961, the lake was created by damming the Sipsey Fork tributary of the Warrior River. Named for a past president of Alabama Power, Lewis Smith [...]
Bankhead Forest Exploring
The William B. Bankhead National Forest -
One of the Deep South’s finest pockets of deep woods, Alabama’s William B. Bankhead National Forest has a potential for adventure and natural beauty you’d expect of a bigger, wilder place. The forest’s 180,000 acres encompass pine-clad and hardwood forest, burbling streams, deep gorges, and an arkful of wildlife. [...]
Sipsey River Adventure
Canoe the Sipsey Fork
The Sipsey Fork of the West Fork River is Alabama’s only National Wild and Scenic River. This river system is 61.4 miles in length and is mostly comprised of the river itself and its tributaries, and many parts of the river lead to a great canoeing destination. Part of some floating trips [...]
Fishing & Hunting
In this section:
Fishing the Sipsey River
Fishing Lewis Smith Lake
Hunting in Winston County
Fishing the Sipsey River
Anglers will discover the excellent fishing that the Upper Sipsey Fork has to offer. April-May and October-November are the ideal months. Anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish species such as bluegill, longear sunfish, green sunfish, spotted bass and [...]
Boat Rentals & Touring
Winston Outdoors is your one-stop source for boat rentals of all kinds. In addition to rentals, we also offer a Smith Lake boat ride. This two hour ride is a calming journey down the lake for you to enjoy it’s pretty blue and green waters and large rock bluffs. If you’re scouting the real estate [...]
Hiking & Camping
Hiking in the Sipsey Wilderness
Wild-flowing creeks in northwestern Alabama converge to become the Sipsey River, 61 miles of which has been designated Wild and Scenic. Running below sandstone bluffs that rise 30 to 100 feet above the water, through a forest of often imposing second-growth trees and occasional small stands of virgin timber (some of [...]
Horseback Trail Riding
If you have a love of horses and horseback riding, Winston County, Alabama needs to be on your list of favorite places to ride! We have miles and miles of absolutely beautiful trails located in and around the Bankhead National Forest. Nature at it’s prettiest and known as the “land of a thousand waterfalls”, these [...]