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 trails will be etched into your memory and one of your favorite destinations.
Alabama leads the South in National Forest restoration, a plan that returns the land to its natural state before it was changed by decades of clear-cut logging. The plan will create open woodlands of mixed pine and hardwoods carpeted with native grasses that are visually appealing and more conducive to camping, hiking and wildlife. Tread lightly on the trails and you’ll find you are sharing the forest with 900 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Quiet areas may reward the hiker or rider with glimpses of deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, and if you are lucky, rare, endangered or sensitive species such as gopher tortoises, flattened musk turtles and the red-cockaded woodpecker.
Spring and Fall are considered the best times for horseback riding; however, in rainy periods there can be trail closings, or muddy trails. Fortunately mud doesn’t bother most horses—they just plod through it.
The Bankhead National Forest on the Cumberland Plateau offers 101,000 acres laced with a labyrinth of long canyons, deep gorges and more than 100 waterfalls—20 of them large—cascading from bluffs that often rise to 100 feet. The forest is also particularly rich in cultural heritage sites including bluff shelters that were inhabited by Native Americans.
Black Warrior Horse Trail System
Located in the William B. Bankhead National Forest, the Black Warrior Horse Trails were specifically designed with input from riders. The 30 miles of horse trails include the Pine Torch Loop, the Brushy Loop and the Key Mill Loop. These trails are laid out in loops of 6, 11 or 12 miles, which provide the option of choosing from short rides easy enough for beginners to those requiring a well-conditioned horse. Wide trails are suitable for wagons and cross-country carriages.
If overnight camping is your style, the Owl Creek Horse Camp is near the Key Mill Loop of the trail. Hikers and Trail riders like Owl Creek Horse Camp for its proximity to sandstone cliffs and native hardwood forests of hemlock, poplar and oak. The horse camp now has potable water and improvements that are supported by modest fees for day use and camping.
Sipsey National Wilderness
Riders in the Bankhead also have the choice of exploring the Sipsey Wilderness area where 13 miles of horse and hiking trails offer solitude and isolation as part of the backwoods experience. It is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River and one of the South’s greatest treasures.
Two rivers, the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River and Brushy Creek, flow through this unique ecosystem. Sometimes referred to as “the land of a thousand waterfalls,” the Sipsey supports a vast range of plant life and offers outstanding opportunities for bird watching. Part of the official Alabama Bird Trail passes through the region. Motorized vehicles are not allowed anywhere in the wilderness; however, primitive camping, hunting, and fishing are permitted.
Bring your horses or rent some by the hour. Lessons are available in some areas. Contact Winston Outdoors for more horseback riding information.