Covering 935 acres, this preserve has at least a dozen trails measuring more than 12 miles.
Compared to popular hiking areas like Monte Sano, the Wade Mountain Nature Preserve is much less familiar to many people in the Huntsville area. This is partly because Wade Mountain is located on the northern edge of Huntsville, well away from more densely populated parts of town. Also, the trail system has expanded over the years. When the Land Trust of North Alabama opened the preserve in 1997, it included only the Spragins Hollow Trailhead and the Devil’s Racetrack Trail. But now the preserve covers 935 acres and includes more than a dozen trails measuring more than 12 miles in total. Slowly but steadily, people are discovering there’s a lot more to explore in the preserve. While it might be a stretch to call Wade Mountain a “hidden gem,” it’s certainly an often-overlooked jewel in the collection of local trails.
While there are some easy walks within the preserve, many of the paths explore remote, rugged terrain, making this an ideal destination for adventurous hikers seeking more challenging treks.
One unique aspect of Wade Mountain is its microclimate, which some people describe as semiarid. The steep terrain is mostly composed of eroded limestone topped with a layer of sandy soil. As a result, water drains quickly from the mountain, leaving little moisture to serve local plants. This creates an unusually dry forest dominated by cedar, hickory and white ash. At the summit, you’ll encounter glades with scrub grass and even cactus plants, creating a scene that resembles a mountain in the Western U.S. Adding to the Western feel is the fact that Wade Mountain is one of the only Land Trust properties where horseback riding is allowed, so you might share the trails with riders.
Several other features make Wade Mountain special. Because there’s a trailhead west of the mountain and another to the southeast, you can leave cars at each end and walk the length of the mountain for a one-way trip exceeding five miles. As you’re hiking, you’ll also encounter places with a mysterious past. At the top of the list is the Devil’s Racetrack, a grassy clearing that circles the summit, which supposedly served as a place for Cherokees to race their horses. For another strange bit of history, hike the Rock Wall Trail. No one is sure who constructed the long ribbon of stacked stones that stretches across the forest.
Perhaps Wade Mountain’s most unusual feature is the trail designed specifically for mountain bikers. The Fleming Trailhead (a half-mile west of the Spragins Hollow Trailhead) provides access to the NICA Trail. This twisting path with banked turns was created so that local mountain bike teams could train for downhill competition.
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