Biking is a fun and environmentally valuable method to travel to new places.
Many vacation rental administration firms are noticing the increased popularity of riding.
Alabama provides river deltas, coastal plains, and vast prairies.
Examine the best bike trails in Alabama through data, driving directions, and images from hikers, campers, and nature lovers like you.
Fortunately, a robust trail system provides access to Alabama’s scenic richness.
Interesting about the best bike trails in Alabama
Throughout the state, there are numerous excellent biking trails. These are our personal favorites that stand out.
Remember that all the trails on our list are open from sunrise to sunset and free to ride.
Regarding otherwise specified, the paths are paved trails shared by walkers and joggers.
You can look for them and follow the trail etiquette standards outlined in the “Pro Tips” section at the bottom.
Summary of the 13 Best Bike Trails in Alabama
From the bustling cities of the north to the sand and surf of the south, here are our picks for the best bike trails in Alabama.
1. Aldridge Creek Greenway
Greenways are among the famous and requested recreational attractions in Huntsville, Alabama.
According to the city’s website, the popular Aldridge Creek Greenway is an example of a desired recreational resource.
Huntsville has responded to the criticism by creating a Greenway Master Plan with an ambitious vision: greenways in every area and every Huntsville house no more than a mile from a greenway.
The 5.5-mile Aldridge Creek Greenway’s South Huntsville location, which connects a residential area with the Ditto Landing, Huntsville’s entryway to the gorgeous Tennessee River, contributes to its popularity.
From there, the level greenway walk meanders along the banks of Aldridge Creek, with distant vistas of Green Mountain.
Address: Aldridge Creek Greenway, Huntsville, AL 35803, United States
2. Richard Martin Trail
Richard Martin Trail is one of the best bike trails in Alabama and a National Recreation Trail that borders a historic region.
The crushed-stone and rock path tracks the course of the Tennessee & Alabama Railroad, which was built in the 1850s and was one of many southern railroads that transported troops during the Civil War.
A plaque commemorates the site of the 1864 Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle, which killed over 200 troops about a mile south of Elkmont.
Today, the northern Alabama path combines history and scenery as it goes by a recorded railway station and a renovated railcar before concluding at the Tennessee border.
The scenic route is popular among equestrians and peak bikers.
Address: Alabama, USA
3. Homewood Shades Creek Greenway
The multiuse Homewood Shades Creek Greenway, bordered by American sycamores, box elders, and other green tree species, provides a dappled reprieve along the banks of Shades Creek in Homewood, a southern suburb of Birmingham.
The Shades Creek Trail, also known as the Lakeshore Trail, is being expanded to reach Jemison Park, a 54-acre green oasis in the city.
The paved track provides a safe, flat ride through floodplain forestland along the banks of Shades Creek.
The Shades Creek Trail is a place for birders to see a variety of species, including pileated woodpeckers, green herons, yellow-crowned night herons, and wrapped kingfishers.
The path was an Alabama Birding Trail in 2018. The famous trail expanded in both tacks.
Address: Homewood, AL 35209, United States
4. Five Mile Creek Greenway
The Five Mile Creek Greenway, located in the suburbs north of Birmingham, Alabama, has intentions.
While just a 5.5-mile section of the rail trail is now open to the public, the path eventually extends 27 miles through the region, linking Graysville, Brookside, Gardendale, Fultondale, Tarrant, and Centre Point.
The Five Mile Creek District is among the best bike trails in Alabama that made a significant stride forward in 2018 when it purchased a 16.5-mile stretch of railway track from the CSX transportation corporation.
When finished, the 27-mile portion will be one of the longest in Central Alabama.
The current crushed-stone trail winds through beautiful wooded areas and many recreational activities.
It is level, shady, and popular among hikers, runners, and cyclists.
Address: J5H2+J7 Coalburg, Alabama, USA
5. Village Point Nature Preserve
Village Point Park Preserve is located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay in Daphne and offers a ride.
The 2-mile Village Point trail has a mix of tarmac, boardwalk, and crushed gravel, making pedaling paths.
The road having Spanish moss-laden oaks takes you to Jackson’s Oak.
Some historians say General Andrew Jackson delivered his presentation to his troops here before the epic Battle of New Orleans, and the D’Olive Cemetery is 200 years old.
Address:55 Parkway Dr, Trussville, AL 35173, United States
6. TVA Nature Loop
The 1.6-mile out-and-back TVA Nature Loop is among the best bike trails in Alabama having beautiful woodland scenery.
The Old Railroad Bridge, a repurposed ancient bridge that spans roughly 1,500 feet over the Tennessee River and offers breathtaking views, is the highlight of the rail trail segment.
The trail also connects the communities on the Tennessee River’s south bank with Florence on the river’s north bank.
A 17-mile network of paths surrounds the Wilson Dam reservation in the Tennessee River Valley’s Muscle Shoals.
Address: 73 Thunder Rd, Muscle Shoals, AL 35661, United States
7. Chief Ladiga Trail
The Chief Ladiga Trail presents 33 miles of an excellent asphalt texture that meanders through the state’s east-central region’s lovely small towns and quiet farmland before changing to green forestland in the west.
The trail continues east, finally merging with the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia.
The two trails connect for more than 95 miles, making it one of the stretches of paved track in the United States. In 2009, the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame inducted the Chief Ladiga and Silver Comet paths.
The Chief Ladiga Trail consistently receives five-star ratings from reviewers.
The highway, which passes through meadows of wildflowers, pine forests, and the banks of the lovely Terrapin Creek, is highly rated by trail users.
Address: Alabama, USA
8. Swan Creek Greenway
A covered bridge, green trees, and wildflowers are among the charms of Athens, a precious hamlet in northern Alabama. It is among the best bike trails in Alabama, classified as a National Recreation Trail in 2011.
The 2.3-mile asphalt and gravel greenway trail tracks Swan Creek’s leisurely flow from the Athens SportsPlex to U.S. Highway 72. The path is suitable for walkers, strollers, and cyclists.
Address: Athens, AL 35613, USA
9. Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail
Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail is a network of twisting trails surrounded by pine forests, freshwater lakes, and coastal wetlands.
The Gulf Oak Ridge Trail, a 3.2-mile pathway that traverses beneath a canopy of mossy old-growth trees within Gulf State Park, is part of Hugh S. Branyon’s trail network.
Despite its proximity to the beach scene along the Gulf of Mexico, the route offers calm sections where bikers, walkers, and skaters may view deer, bobcats, otters, and many bird species.
The trail system connects the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and has 26 routes that pass through nine habitats. Additional enhancements are also in the pipeline.
The website of Gulf State Park includes an ambitious master plan for renovation.
A number of the projects have started. These include a road-turned trail and a network of boardwalks that snake across sensitive habitats and ancient sites.
Address: Alabama 36561, USA
10. Chattahoochee Valley Railroad
Take a journey on the Chattahoochee Valley Railroad (CVRR), one of the best bike trails in Alabama.
It historically connected four important textile mills along the same-named river, which runs through Alabama and Georgia.
The railway transported passengers, cotton, and supplies between four mills in Valley, Langdale, Fairfax, and Riverview.
The railway offers a calm ride through tall pine forests. The path is rich in history, as you cross multiple historic bridges and see historic sights like the old Fairfax train depot.
There are also several one-of-a-kind boutiques in the communities along the route.
Address: 690 8th St, Columbus, GA 31901, United States
11. Kiwanis Vulcan Trail
The Kiwanis Vulcan Trail on Birmingham’s 1,025-foot-high Red Mountain overlooks the city.
It provides a bird’s-eye view of several historic structures and locations.
The Birmingham Civil Rights District is a six-block civil rights memorial that includes the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.
The 2.2-mile jogging and cycling path goes beneath Vulcan Park, home to the world’s largest cast iron monument, Vulcan.
The statue is built of 100,000 pounds of iron and rises 56 feet tall atop Red Mountain, overlooking Birmingham.
The Kiwanis Vulcan Trail is a vast Red Rock Trail System.
The Rotary Route, Red Mountain Park, the High Ore Line Trail, and the Jones Valley Trail are part of a projected 750-mile route network in Jefferson County, including waterways, historical sites, and popular green spaces.
Address: Vulcan Trail, Birmingham, AL 35209, United States
12. Yoholo Micco: The Creek Indian Trail
Eufaula has a fantastic 3.2-mile (one-way) paved route waiting for you.
Yoholo Micco is among the best bike trails in Alabama, after the Creek Indian leader who was pushed out of the area with his people during the horrific Trail of Tears.
The route starts at the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce and concludes at Old Creek Town Park, a former Native American hamlet turned city park.
The winding walk takes you through some residential areas, but you’ll also get vistas of Lake Eufaula and even cross it on an ancient, repurposed railway trestle.
Several points along the route let you dismount and hike small side trails to historic locations such as Fairview Cemetery. One path even leads to a little waterfall.
Address: AL-165, Fort Mitchell, AL 36856, United States
13. Tuscaloosa Riverwalk
Locals and visitors to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, flock to the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk for a wooded trail experience not far from downtown.
It is a growing route that runs along the southern bank of the Black Warrior River for about 4.5 miles.
Along with spectacular river vistas, the well-lit asphalt Riverwalk runs through many attractively landscaped park areas with benches and gazebos, a playground, and a splash pad.
The historic wood-and-steel truss M&O Railway Bridge dominates sights near the trail’s western end.
The Riverwalk is famous and often crowded, but the Richard L. Platt Memorial Levee Trail on the opposite side provides a less crowded trail experience.
Address: Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA
FAQs
What is Alabama’s longest cycling trail?
The Chief Ladiga Trail is Alabama’s longest biking trail. It is known as Alabama’s exclusive rail path and one of the top ten trails in the state, meandering over 33 miles through gorgeous places and communities.
What are the tips for the best bike trails in Alabama?
Be respectful when riding bike paths
Remain on the right side of the track
When passing a pedestrian, give them a sign that you are coming
When passing, allow the walker quantity of space
Always ride wearing a helmet
Can I ride my bike on the highway in Alabama?
Bicyclists have the same right to the road as other motorists. Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is illegal in most parts of Alabama. Bicycles are classified as vehicles under state law, depending on public roads.
Is Alabama hosting a bike week?
National Bike to Work Week is held from May 15 to 21, 2023.
The public can wear helmets and ride their bikes to work this day and week to commemorate National Bike Month.
Final words
Alabama has excellent bike opportunities, ranging from historic rail paths to rocky mountain biking routes.
These best bike trails in Alabama take you into some spectacular wilderness to see wetlands, rivers, creeks, and wildlife.
They transport you to little communities where time has stopped history abounds.
The best part is that Alabama has hundreds of these recreational trails waiting to be discovered.