Monte Sano State Park includes at least 25 trails covering more than 35 miles.
Covering 2,140 acres, Monte Sano State Park is not only Madison County’s largest hiking area but also its oldest. Between 1935 and 1940, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the park, which included 11 stone cabins, an amphitheater, a lodge and three hiking trails. Fast-forward some 80 years, and the park now includes at least 25 trails covering more than 35 miles, plus a large picnic area, a playground, an extensive campground, additional cabins, a park store, a beautifully restored lodge, picnic pavilions and more.
It’s unusual to have a mountain state park located within a city, and locals are especially lucky to have an extensive trail system only about five miles from downtown Huntsville. Once you decide to go for a hike, you’ll drive just minutes to reach a trailhead.
Monte Sano State Park includes four main parking areas where you can access a wide variety of trails for hikers and mountain bikers of varying ability levels. If you’re walking with kids or just prefer easier terrain, trails on the mountain plateau (such as the North Plateau Loop) offer a comfortable walk with inspiring views of surrounding valleys. Those seeking a rugged hike into remote woods can explore paths like the McKay Hollow Trail, which dives down steep, craggy slopes to reach secluded streams. In recent years, trail running has become very popular in the park, and serious runners can test their mettle on the paths that make up the Mountain Mist 50K, a grueling race that draws participants from across the country.
In quiet corners of the park, natural attractions will entertain all sorts of outdoor enthusiasts, from birders to photographers to wildflower lovers. If you love chasing waterfalls, you’ll find beautiful cascades flowing in hidden coves. Those interested in history will find that the mountain holds intriguing reminders of Huntsville’s early days. Along park trails, you’ll see where early settlers established homes, where travelers in the 1800s bottled spring water for its “healing” powers, and where rocket scientists climbed a fire tower to watch Sputnik soar overhead.
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