Alabama Scenic River Trail
The Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) is a water trail that spans the state of Alabama.[1] The trail starts in northeast Alabama on the Coosa River's Weiss Lake at the Georgia-Alabama state line and ends at Fort Morgan, Alabama, where Mobile Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico. It comprises sections of the Coosa, Tallapoosa, Alabama, and Mobile rivers.
| Alabama Scenic River Trail | |
|---|---|
![]() Overview of the Alabama Scenic River Trail route | |
| Location | Alabama, USA |
| Area | approx. 632 miles long |
| Established | 2008 |
Extending more than 630 miles, the ASRT is "the nation’s longest one-state river trail," and it was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 2009 by Dirk Kempthorne, then the United States Secretary of the Interior.[2] It was designated a National Water Trail in 2012 by Kempthorne's successor, Ken Salazar.[1]
Because the trail's route extends through diverse topographic and climatic conditions, paddlers along the trail may encounter a wide and changing variety of flora and fauna.[3] Over one hundred trail access points and nearly that many campsites are available for public use, many provided by private landowners who are known as "trail angels."[3]
Although most paddlers take on only a section of the trail, some "through paddlers" have completed the entire route from Weiss Lake to Mobile Bay.[4][5]
See also
References
- "Alabama Scenic River Trail among 3 to receive national recognition today." Associated Press. July 16, 2012.
- "Alabama Scenic River Trail Designated National Recreation Trail." Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved July 23, 2015. Archived 2015-07-23 at the Wayback Machine
- "Alabama Scenic River Trail." National Water Trails System, National Park Service. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
- Pillion, Dennis. "How do you celebrate finishing a 650-mile canoe trip across Alabama? At Wintzell's, of course." Birmingham News. July 22, 2015.
- Gentry, Jill Clair. "Gulf Shores man kayaks entire Alabama Scenic River Trail." Gulf Coast News Today. October 9, 2013.
