Alabama's Most Peaceful Lakeside City Has Shimmering Water, Wooded Trails, And Mouth-Watering Pizza

Alabama is full of hidden gems that show off the natural beauty of the state. With multiple shimmering lakes that allow ample opportunities for boating and fishing, it should be no surprise that the Yellowhammer State is home to the big bass capital of the world. There's plenty of opportunities for on-the-water fun, but there's also plenty of places to explore on land as well thanks to all of the great wooded trails. You don't have to choose though — Alabama has some places that offer easy access to both phenomenal water and land-based activities, and Jasper is one of those places. 

Jasper may be a small city but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in an abundance of peaceful outdoor recreation. Here, you can access two amazing lakes that are great for taking a boat ride or throwing a line in the water. You can also check out multiple hiking trails, including ones within the William B. Bankhead National Forest. Jasper really is the perfect playground for outdoor enthusiasts. 

If you're visiting, you can fly to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) which is only about 45 minutes away by car. You may even want to spend some time exploring Birmingham too — it's been called Alabama's cultural capital with one of the country's best food scenes. This may be true, but that is an area where Jasper excels too — especially with pizza! 

With two lakes in the area, you have to make some time to spend on the water. The Smith Dam is located in Jasper, and is right next to the Lewis Smith Lake — a massive lake that has a footprint of more than 21,000 acres and over 700 miles of shoreline. Walker County Lake may seem tiny in comparison, but this is one of the 23 lakes managed by the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, and they have a goal of making sure it stays a great place for visitors to fish. If you visit, you could hook a bass, bluegill, catfish, crappie, and sunfish. An outdoor adventurer also can't visit Jasper without exploring the Bankhead National Forest. Clear Creek is the largest recreation area in the forest and has biking and hiking trails. You can also camp there and have direct access to Lewis Smith Lake. 

Jasper also has a cute, walkable downtown that is decorated with street art. Art lovers will want to take a walk and check out the outdoor paintings that make up the downtown mural trail, including the white wings painted on the wall of Twisted Barley Brewery. As you're hanging out in Jasper, it's also hard to miss the painted mules. There are around 70 mules across Walker County, but the majority of these pieces of art are in Jasper. 

Alabama is probably best known for its mouth-watering southern delicacies like fried catfish and its unique twist on BBQ. It isn't necessarily known as a hotspot for Italian food, yet Jasper serves up a variety of unique slices that is making visitors keep coming back for more. The Pie Factory is one of the city's top restaurants and serves up unique pizzas. If you want a tomato base like you're probably most accustomed to, you can try some of their signature pies like The Yellerbelly or The Muscle Shoals Sound. However, the restaurant also has pizzas that use BBQ sauce or an olive oil glaze as a base. One reviewer on Yelp also raved about the pizza with a ranch base, saying, "The Sweet Thang has become our family favorite pizza. The first time we ordered it we loved it so much we ordered an extra "to go"!"

Another popular pizza spot in Jasper is Johnny Brusco's New York Style Pizza. It can be hard to find the best New York-style pizzas that aren't in New York City, but people seem to love the ones at Johnny Brusco's. One visitor on Yelp left a review that mentioned how it is a great place for the kiddos too, saying, "The atmosphere is family friendly and my children are always well taken care of — including pizza dough to play with before our meal comes!"