Alabama's 'Land Of 1,000 Waterfalls' Is An Underrated Forest With Breathtaking Natural Beauty

Maybe it's because Alabama was historically known as the "Cotton State," or maybe it's because the white-sand beaches of Gulf Shores draw a large percentage of the state's tourism, but many people don't readily associate Alabama with national forests. That distinction goes to states like Alaska, with its 17-million-acre coastal temperate rain forest or California, with its 300-foot-tall redwoods. 

But about 60 miles northwest of downtown Birmingham, the cultural capital of Alabama, is perhaps one of the country's lesser-known national forests: Bankhead National Forest and Sipsey Wilderness. Nicknamed "Land of 1,000 Waterfalls," this 180,000-acre forest and wilderness area has dozens of year-round waterfalls and many more seasonal falls that form during rainy periods. 

In addition to the cascading water and rivers, the national forest also has designated areas where you can camp, hike, fish, hunt, mountain bike, and horseback ride. The scenery is stunning, and is worth checking out the next time you're in the Birmingham area.

Bankhead National Forest has more than 90 miles of trails that will take you to hidden coves, behind cascades of emerald water, and through groves of Eastern hemlocks that are relics from the Ice Age.

While Bankhead and Sipsey are often used interchangeably, a couple of key distinctions exist between the two. For starters, Sipsey Wilderness is a nearly 26,000-acre stretch of land located inside Bankhead National Forest. Sipsey's status as a federally designated wilderness area means it has protections in place that ban certain recreational activities like riding ATVs or mountain bikes and restrict groups to no more than 10 people. Outside of the wilderness in the national forest, the restrictions are fewer. 

Because both Bankhead National Forest and Sipsey Wilderness area often have seasonal waterfalls that appear only after heavy rains, a great time to visit the park is during the wettest time of the year, which in Alabama, is in winter. Winter is also a time when the rivers turn a stunning turquoise color from minerals from the limestone, something that's hidden in summer due to biological growth. 

Regardless of the time of year you visit, you'll want to make time to see the nearly 30-foot-tall Sougahoagdee Falls (pictured above), which is one of the park's most popular waterfalls. To get there, you'll need to hike the Sougahoagdee Falls Trail, an easy 3.4-mile out-and-back that follows the river where you'll see other waterfalls along the way.

But you can do more than just chase waterfalls at Bankhead. The forest has other natural wonders to gawk at, including the sandstone bluffs that tower up to 100 feet high, as well as small caves and breathtaking scenic overlooks. You can kayak down the Sipsey River, which will take you past tree-lined shores and soaring limestone canyons, or go horseback riding through fields of wildflowers. You can even zoom on a motorcycle along the thrilling Bankhead National Forest Loop, also known as the Devil's Triangle of the South for its twisty mountain roads.

At just a little over an hour away from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, it's possible to visit the national forest as part of a day trip from the city, but you may want to plan to stay a couple of days so that you can give yourself ample time to cross as many of those thousand waterfalls off your list as you can. Within an hour of the forest you can find both developed camping and hotel options, not to mention cute towns with both waterfalls and walkable downtowns, like Gadsden. The forest is also only about 50 miles from the outdoor activities and futuristic space center you'll find in Huntsville.