Length: 2.2 - 3.1 mile loop trails
Distance from Mobile: 5.5 hours north in Huntsville, Alabama
For most of my life, Chapman Mountain was what stood between my childhood home and Huntsville. A smaller, less-developed mountain than the nearby Monte Sano, Chapman Mountain is what you had to drive over via U.S. 72 to go shopping, to go to the movies, or to eat at one of the many trendy restaurants "in town."
Now I would like to give kudos to the Land Trust of North Alabama, which has preserved 472 acres on the east side of the highway for hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnicking and disc golf. The preserve opened in 2018 and currently offers three miles of loop trails that we were able to explore on a recent visit home. The Land Trust is in the process of adding seven more miles of trails, so we will definitely be back.
Scenery: We hiked the trails in mid-March, just a few weeks after snow had covered the mountain and Huntsville had its (hopefully) last freeze of the season. The shrubbery was green, but the hardwood trees - chestnut oak, pignut hickory, northern red oak, green ash, sugar maple, and many other varieties - were mostly leaf-less. We were intrigued by a parasitic plant that we learned is called a bear corn and a green plant called toadshade. (We recommend that you download the Picture This app to identify and learn about strange plants you may see out on the trail).
Highlight(s): Our favorite part of the trail was Mossy Falls, which features big rocks that the kids loved to climb. My husband liked the stream that ran alongside the Moonshine Trail. There are lots of geocaches. We found six, including two with the best swag we've seen out on all our trails so far. The trail has a great educational component, allowing you to use your smartphone to learn about the different trees.
Trail markings: There's a sign at the trailhead with a map of the trails. There are white diamonds on some trees letting you know which trail you are following. We used the AllTrails app to keep us on track. We started by taking a left onto the Moonshine Trail, which ends at a stream coming down from some rocks, before hooking up to the Terry Trail. We took a brief detour on the Amphitheater Trail. There is a picnic pavilion and restrooms, but the restrooms were locked when we were there.
Guest reviews: This was our first time to come back to Huntsville to see family since October, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to hike with our cousins, who are joining us for guest reviews:
A says: I thought it was pretty fun. It was good to spend family time on a hike.
M says: It was fun, and there were fun rocks to climb.
G says: It's a good hike where you can learn a lot of things about the trees.
L says: It's a nice trail with pretty scenery and green vegetation. There are plenty of geocaches that you can try to find.
About the trail: This tract of land was in danger of being developed back when the Land Trust of North Alabama acquired it in 2001. The preserve opened to the public in 2018. The Land Trust of North Alabama's mission is "to conserve natural land, provide spaces for outdoor recreation, and share opportunities to learn about the value of our environment." Over 40 years, the Land Trust has preserved 8,500 acres in six counties and has developed and maintained 70-plus miles of trails that are open to the public. For more information, visit: landtrustnal.org
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