A day in the life...: Oak Mountain State Park

So... call me oblivious, but I had no idea that our lovely state of Alabama actually has A LOT of waterfalls. After spending one lazy Sunday surfing the web, I discovered this intriguing fact and got a wild hair for Micah and myself to make a little road trip. Micah was all for it after showing him some pictures (he's obsessed with water), and I searched for the nearest one to see how he would actually do. Lucky for us, the gorgeous Peavine Falls is located in Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, a mere two hour drive for us.

According to http://www.alapark.com/oakmountain/, "The day-use activities at Oak Mountain State Park set it apart from the rest. With over 50 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails set in a picturesque 9,940-acre park, there is something for all outdoor enthusiasts to appreciate and enjoy. The park's day-use picnic facilities include large picnic pavilions and picnic tables with grills, two fishing lakes on the north end of the park (Fishing Center) and in the Main Day-Use one recreational lake with pedal boat and canoe rentals, a sandy beach swimming area, a large open playing field, ample shoreline for bank fisherman and a boat launch for your personal boat (no gas operated motors, but electric trolling motors invited). We also offer a 18 hole golf course with pro shop driving range, mountain bike trails, demonstration farm, and rental horseback riding facilities." I must say I was extremely impressed with this state park upon our initial drive through to get to the spot we were going to. It costs a piddling $3 to enter on a beautiful Saturday morning. There were numerous "areas" including equestrian and boating (kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats rentals galore) that we noticed on our way in. There was even some kind of weightlifting competition taking place. Needless to say, the park was jumping with activity.

However, we soldiered on to our destination. Peavine Falls is an approximately 65-foot tall, spring fed waterfall. It has more water in it after a heavy rain, but has a tendency to be bone dry if it hasn't rained lately. So I just crossed my fingers that we would be disappointed since we hadn't had much rainfall lately. It is a steep climb in and out of the waterfall if you want to see the front of it and play in the pool of water below. The water is cold, so be prepared.

So here's my beginner's hiking/first time Oak Mountain State Park contribution for those who have never been. If you are planning on going to see the waterfall, most websites will tell you that to get to it there are several options trail-wise, but most popular is by taking the Green Trail to the Peavine Falls parking lot and then getting on the White Trail. I did my research, and the Green Trail is by far the shortest trail at 1.9 miles long, but it is also the steepest. It goes from an elevation of approximately 550 feet to approximately 1,100 feet. About 1 mile up the trail from Terrace Drive, you begin a climb from approximately 800 feet to approximately 1,020 feet. To be so short, it is described as moderate/difficult hiking because it's so steep, and I didn't know if Micah could handle this (or myself). Then I studied the map and noticed the presence of Peavine Falls Road leading to the Peavine parking lot... hmm...

Thus, more researching ensued. I found a couple of websites by previous hikers who noted that you could take the Peavine Falls Road to cut out taking the Green Trail altogether, but they complained of it being a three-mile curvy 25 mph drive on gravel barely big enough for one vehicle much less having to pass an oncoming one (implying they didn't recommend it). So my original plan was to park at the office on Terrace Drive and hike the Green Trail to the White Trail as suggested; however, upon arrival, I found the office fairly easily, but I didn't spot the entrance for the Green Trail... so I drove on a little ways to see if I spotted it (being completely unsure of where I was going). Then, BOOM, Terrace Drive turns into Peavine Falls Road and it doesn't look anything like I expected it to. So I decided what the heck and carried on. The road is more narrow that Terrace Drive, but I passed other vehicles numerous times and it proves to be plenty big enough for two vehicles. You may have to slow down a bit, and you definitely have to keep an eye out for oncoming vehicles (because they do not abide by what is actually a 15 mph speed limit), hikers, and bikers. Also, when it was described as gravel, I pictured loose gravel which isn't ideal in my mind for the safety of my car, but it was actually what we Southerners call "slag." It's like a gravel version of pavement; no loose rocks. It was not a bad drive at all, and it dead ends at Peavine Falls parking lot. Green Trail? Not today. :-)

So we parked, packed our bags, and loaded up. The next question was where was the trail. I first spotted what was obviously a trail and headed in that direction. It was the Green Trail, but the sign mentions the Green-White Connector as being 0.6 miles. So we take it for 0.6 miles to the connector...? Hmm...

Nope. After hiking about a mile down the Green Trail, I decided I had made the wrong decision. I don't regret it though; we made it to the highest point on Oak Mountain and saw some amazing views during our brief trek. Alas, we turned around and headed back to the parking lot. Then I spotted it. Behind where we parked (where EVERYBODY and their brother was heading to) was the entrance to the White Trail. (It was my first time, so sue me.) A sign was posted clearly stating that it was 0.4 mile to the falls. I was like, "Wow. This won't take long at all." The trail is MUCH wider and clearer than the Green Trail. Looks like a walk in the park. Hiking? Pssh.

Then you go that 0.4 mile, and the trail immediately declines, gully washing style. Then we heard water and spotted our first signs that we had arrived. There were signs posted on a tree telling you this way to the top of the falls and that way to the bottom. We opted to go to the top first. Not a bad climb; I just had to hang on to my almost five-year-old to make sure he didn't slide off the cliff. Unfortunately, it is a somewhat disappointing view from the top. You could barely spot any water coming off the falls (possibly because the leaves had just barely begun to fall, and there was still a lot of foliage). Micah spotted people at the bottom of the falls and of course wanted to know how to get down there. Good question, son...

I had remembered reading on someone's blog that you could access the bottom of the falls by taking a trail on the right side of the falls and climbing down, but that it's steep and dangerous. I remembered the sign saying this way to the top of the falls and knew that couldn't be the way the bloggers suggested. (Apparently "this way" is a long 6.7 mile or so hike around to get to the bottom. No thank you.) So we climbed that gully washer of a trail back up nearly taking Micah and me out altogether. It was at this point we decided to find the nearest bench and eat lunch. We had to recover. While sitting on this bench, I noticed what looked sort of like a trail going down beside us... Again, hmm...

So we decided to explore where this "trail" went after eating. It doesn't last long before it's up to you to decide how to proceed. It was evident that this was the route the bloggers were talking about, but there is no clear path to take. Dirt and leaves vanish to give way to a steep (did I mention steep?) 65-foot climb down rocks and fallen trees. I'm not sure how long it took us, but it wasn't long. If it hadn't been for the concern of Micah, I could have done it faster. Alas, we made it! And it was totally worth it. What a gorgeous little spot. And it wasn't dry, so yay! Sorry to give you a play-by-play, but maybe this will help another first timer out. I had several questions going into this that no site answered, so maybe this will help them out. Enjoy the pictures below. I've also posted links to some other helpful sites.

Micah posing on a rock along the Green Trail.