Mountain Biking

DeSoto State Park, on Lookout Mountain in northeastern Alabama, has just about everything you could be looking for in a state park. The “must see” is 104 foot DeSoto Falls, located 7 miles north of the park and yet still a part of the park. For adventuring there is kayaking, canoeing, fly fishing, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, rappelling, and rock climbing. You can go horseback riding to DeSoto Falls with Shady Grove Dude Ranch (not affiliated with DeSoto State Park) or zip-lining with Screaming Eagle Zip Lines and Aerial Adventures (not affiliated with but is partnered with DeSoto State Park). The 3,502 acre park also has mountain chalets, log and rustic cabins, motel rooms, a restaurant, meeting rooms, pavilions, picnic area with playground, an Olympic-size swimming pool (seasonal), interpretive programs with live animals, a campground with 94 full-hookup tent and RV sites, primitive camping sites, as well as two back country campsites with shelters.

Gulf State Park, located in Gulf Shores, Alabama, is the perfect place for a getaway adventure to the beach. It features two miles of beaches, a huge campground (496 full hook-up sites and 11 bath houses) and a brand new lodge (a Hilton Hotel). Things to do include hiking, biking, swimming (in the ocean or in a pool), canoeing & kayaking (in freshwater Lake Shelby), a nature center, a beach pavilion for picnicking, a fishing pier, and they even provide beach vendors for things like parasailing and kayaking. Besides the campground and lodge, the park’s accommodations also offer cabins, cottages, 3 “glamping” sites and 11 primitive camping sites.

Monte Sano State Park is a serene mountain top park located near Huntsville, Alabama. Within it’s 2000+ acres are 14 rustic rental cabins, 89 campsites, a primitive campground, a beautifully restored lodge (an event venue, no accommodations), an amphitheater, a disc golf course, picnic tables, hiking & biking trails, and several playgrounds.