Transcript:
Melea Hames: [00:00:00] You're listening to the Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama podcast, part of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network. Welcome back to Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama. If you love the outdoors and adventure, you are going to love today's episode. And I've got Haley Rutland with me today to talk about the many wonderful state parks in North Alabama. Welcome to the show, Haley.
Haley Rutland: [00:00:30] Oh, I am so excited to be here. Thank you so much for having me today, Melea.
Melea Hames: [00:00:36] You are welcome. I'm excited, too. Now, before we jump into our topic, Haley, will you tell our audience a little about yourself so they know what you do in our region?
Haley Rutland: [00:00:46] Sure. So, I am basically the digital queen for Marshall County Tourism and Sports. My formal title is Communications Director. I handle all of our social media, our websites, I do press releases and all of that fun stuff.
Melea Hames: [00:01:03] Cool. I like your unofficial title best, the social media queen, yes.
Haley Rutland: [00:01:11] Yes, for sure.
Melea Hames: [00:01:14] Haley is a wonderful part of our region and we're happy to have her here to share her knowledge because Haley's county is the only one in Alabama to have three state parks in it. So that is quite an accomplishment here. So, with that background, let's jump into our state park adventures. The first state park I want to go through is Buck's Pocket State Park. This is in Haley's region. So, what would you say is the best thing to do in Buck's Pocket State Park?
Haley Rutland: [00:01:41] Well, one of my favorite things about Buck's Pocket State Park is the Jim Lynn Overlook. It is just a stunning overlook of the state park. And it's not a big hike. A lot of people think if you're going to overlook over a mountain, you’ve got to climb 10 miles straight uphill. And that's not the case with this. You just drive and there's a little parking lot right outside the overlook and you just hike a small little portion to it. And the best time to see or look at the overview is at sunset, definitely in the fall when the fall colors are at their peak for sure.
Melea Hames: [00:02:18] Oh, so you've got pretty leaves and a pretty sunset.
Haley Rutland: [00:02:22] Yes, it’s gorgeous.
Melea Hames: [00:02:23] That does sound dreamy.
Haley Rutland: [00:02:24] Yes. It's gorgeous year-round but the oranges and the reds glow with that sunset glow for sure.
Melea Hames: [00:02:31] Okay. Tell us a little bit more about the park because I know it's been reopened recently. So what have they done to renovate this?
Haley Rutland: [00:02:41] So, there's a newly renovated campground that just opened up. There are 23 sites total. All of those come with water and electricity, but only 13 come up with sewer hookups. Each of the sites is a 16x60 ft. concrete camper pad and they come with picnic tables, fire pits and a grill. There are also 11 primitive camping sites in the interior of the campground. And I know my husband and many of his friends have done that. It's just a great part to do that for sure. Right there on the water that connects to Lake Guntersville, it's beautiful year-round.
Melea Hames: [00:03:15] That is so cool. It does sound like a really good place to kind of get away from it all. And you mentioned that overlook, I know doing our social media, I see a lot of people tag us in pictures of that overlook. And it's quite the view.
Well, speaking of state parks with amazing views, Monte Sano State Park is nestled in the mountains as well, just minutes from downtown Huntsville. And there are over 20 miles of hiking trails that will lead you to some beautiful overlooks that you can see out into the forest there. And it is just really pretty. It's on 2000 acres just on top of the mountain, which is really cool. And in Spanish, Monte Sano means “mountain of health.” So, for years and years and years, thousands of people have gone atop this mountain to rest and get away from it all. There are cabins and there's camping.
And I mentioned the hiking trails, there are also 14 miles of biking trails. So, if you love mountain bikes, that's a good place to go. And of course, fall color in the fall, but there are also native azaleas that grow along these hiking trails in the spring that are just absolutely breathtaking. So, it's really a neat place to go. And it's so cool because it's just minutes outside of downtown Huntsville. So you've got that right there. You've got the city and get away from it all just right there.
Another park that is considered a mountaintop park is DeSoto State Park. And if you haven't listened to episode six where Ambassador Ethan mentions the stop on your trip in Mentone, you need to listen to that one. It's the Mentone trip. And he talks about DeSoto State Park, Little River Canyon and all of that. And one of the unique things about DeSoto State Park that it has that a lot of other state parks don't have, are several waterfalls. Of course, DeSoto Falls, we know is the most popular one, but it's actually not inside the park, it's only about seven miles from the boundary of the park. But I mean it's close enough.
You've got to go see DeSoto Falls if you're in Desoto State Park, but there's Laurel falls, Indian Falls, Lodge falls, Lost falls, and the Azalea Cascade. So, that's really cool that you've got that state park that's got so many hiking trails that lead to waterfalls. And of course, they've got cabins, camping, and just lots of outdoor recreation for a good family-friendly trip.
Shifting gears from the mountains, we're going to head to the lakes now. And the next two state parks on the list have beautiful lakes involved. And the first one that we're going to talk about is Lake Guntersville State Park. And this one is in your area, Haley. We know that there's a lot more to do than just being out on the water, too. So, paint us a picture of a day in Lake Guntersville State Park.
Haley Rutland: [00:06:17] So, Lake Guntersville has so many activities. And I am probably up there once a month doing something. They have over 30 miles of hiking and biking trails. They also have horse riding trails. Alabama horseback adventures is a great guided horseback riding event that you can do at Lake Guntersville State Park. The owners are great and they even did a horseback riding adventures out west in Colorado and Wyoming many years ago before starting this up right here in Lake Guntersville.
Lake Guntersville State Park even has boats that you can rent, from kayaks to canoes, to your typical fishing boats, and pontoon boats, too. You're going to even get some fishing equipment at the Town Creek Fishing Center. Lake Guntersville State Park also has the Screaming Eagle Zipline adventures. There are two different levels that you can choose from. And you can zoom through the trees at any time of the year.
Melea Hames: [00:07:11] That's cool. Have you done the zip lining there?
Haley Rutland: [00:07:14] I haven't. And I feel so bad that I haven't. I've done everything else but the zip lining.
Melea Hames: [00:07:19] My niece and I did. When she was younger, we did a Carly's Adventure series of videos and we went and did the zip lines. And I have to tell you that I might have cried on that first platform because I wouldn't say I'm necessarily afraid of heights, but I'm afraid of falling. Even though we were not really that high up at that point, it took me a minute to get going. And of course, the people were just amazing. They were so patient with me because I really tested their patients that day. But once I did it, I didn't want it to end. And then it was like over way too soon. So it's really fun, but you got to gear up for it.
Haley Rutland: [00:08:06] I know. I've been wanting to do it. And I'm hoping to do it sometime in the springtime and do a whole blog and video series on it.
Melea Hames: [00:08:14] That would be cool. It's really amazing, the views that you see of the lake and just the trees. Spring would be really nice for all the green and everything.
Haley Rutland: [00:08:26] Yes, and with the flowers blooming for sure.
Melea Hames: [00:08:28] Yeah. Can you tell us about one of the main events at Lake Guntersville State Park, the Eagle Awareness Weekends?
Haley Rutland: [00:08:37] Yes. This year is going to be the 35th Annual Eagle Awareness program. And this program is such a great program. It was introduced to help with the endangered bald eagle species and reintroducing them into this area back in the eighties.
Melea Hames: [00:08:55] Cool.
Haley Rutland: [00:08:56] This program has different types of seminars, field trips, and special programs where you can see the eagles up close. And you may have an eagle fly over your head during one of the programs, too.
Melea Hames: [00:09:08] Oh wow, that is awesome. I went on a guided tour one time with a naturalist. You couldn't see him really up close but you could see the nest. You could tell it was a bald eagle because you could see the white. I don't know. It's just absolutely amazing to see bald eagles because you don't see them that much. So that is really cool that you get to be that up close and personal with them.
Haley Rutland: [00:09:36] Oh yes, for sure. And they'll have other raptors too like owls, different types of birds you can get up close, too.
Melea Hames: [00:09:44] That's cool. Yeah, we've already had some calls in the office, people asking about the dates and everything. So it is a popular event. I know it's going to be even bigger and better this year.
Haley Rutland: [00:09:57] Yes, I'm excited too.
Melea Hames: [00:09:58] Yeah. And if you want to stay at the lodge, they have a lot of packages. And when people call, I tell them, they're like, oh I've got time to play, I'm like no, not if you want to stay at the lodge because it will sell out on these weekends because that is how popular it is. So, you want to make plans now and follow both of our social media, will tell you how later to get those dates and the events and everything, so stay tuned to the end.
Haley Rutland: [00:10:23] Yes, for sure.
Melea Hames: [00:10:24] Yes. It's a cool event. Our next water-based state park is Joe Wheeler State Park. And it is one of my faves. We camped here when I was a kid. We had a little sunline trailer. And as soon as my dad would get off work on Friday afternoons, we would jump in the trailer and head over to Joe Wheeler State Park and we would camp, drive around and look for a campground, our campsite.
I just have so many fond memories of riding our bicycles and going swimming at the Day Use Area. I'm actually still friends with people that I met when we were camping there as kids that we still keep in touch with on Facebook and everything. So, that is really neat to have those experiences. It was just so much fun. And we always said too that when you cooked anything when you were camping, it always tasted better, like hamburgers tasted better, even like our sundrops that we would drink tasted better. So, it was just a lot of fun. And they also have a resort lodge that has 75 lakeside rooms, so every room has a view of the Wheeler Lake.
And there's a restaurant in the lodge called Daniela's. And oh my goodness, it is so good. They have a buffet around Christmas time. They probably have around thanksgiving as well but I used to get to judge the parade of lights there so we would go and do that and then we would eat in the buffet at Daniela's. And I'm just going to tell you, you have to undo your button on your pants when you eat there because it is so good.
And Lake Guntersville State Park has a really good large restaurant too as well, kind of backtracking here.
Haley Rutland: [00:12:07] Yeah, they do.
Melea Hames: [00:12:10] They have some delicious food, yeah. Joe Wheeler has an 18-hole golf course, tennis court, boat launch, lots of hiking trails that they've recently made where you can navigate them a little bit better. And they're renovating their campground as well. There were some tornadoes that came through a couple of years ago. And they were planning on doing some renovations, not quite as extensive as they had to do because of the tornado, but I think the campground is going to open sometime next year in the spring, so it will be even better than it was before. So, it's another really cool place to go and to be.
Our last two state parks are quite unique and very different from the other ones that we've talked about because they're caverns. And the first one is Cathedral Caverns State Park. And this is the third one that's in Haley's area. So, tell us what makes this cave so unique.
Haley Rutland: [00:13:06] Yeah. So, Cathedral Caverns State Park, when you arrive, you're going to be like, where's the cave? Because you're going to be in the parking lot and you're almost going to be on top of the cave in the parking lot but not quite. So you're going to walk down and the first thing you're going to notice is how massive the entrance is. It's 126 ft. wide and 20 ft. high. It's one of the largest entrances to a cave known in the world. When you start to walk into the cave, the first stalagmite you're going to notice is Goliath. It's one of the largest in the world and it measures 45 ft. tall and 243 ft. in circumference.
Melea Hames: [00:13:49] Wow.
Haley Rutland: [00:13:50] It's massive and it's beautiful. And they have this little pool in front of it that really just sets it perfectly. Some of the other things that you can see inside the cathedral is a frozen waterfall. You'll see a caveman and other different creatures that the wonderful staff have come and seen, and named throughout the years. And one of the cooler things that you're going to experience at the end of the tour is complete darkness. And some people get freaked out but it's not too bad and they won't leave the lights off for you for too long.
Melea Hames: [00:14:27] It is pretty amazing when they turn them on and you can see just the cathedral-like stalactites and stalagmites there, that was really neat.
Haley Rutland: [00:14:37] Oh, yes. I think this year, I've done at least 10 tours.
Melea Hames: [00:14:41] Oh, wow.
Haley Rutland: [00:14:42] I’m taking my family and my friends and other different people, but I think I learned something new every single time I go. So if you come once, you definitely need to go again.
Melea Hames: [00:14:51] Yeah, that's cool. So you really are the expert on this state park here.
Haley Rutland: [00:14:56] I try.
Melea Hames: [00:14:58] Another cool thing about it is that if it's blazing hot in the summertime, it's going to be 60 degrees in there. And then if it's too cold in the wintertime, it's going to be 60 degrees in there.
Haley Rutland: [00:15:12] Yes. And I feel like that's one of the coolest things about it. It's not too hot, not too cold and you won't be sweating from hiking out of it.
Melea Hames: [00:15:22] Yeah. It is really neat. And like Haley said if you’ve been- I remember we went as a kid probably on a field trip, I'm sure. And then to go as an adult, it's even different because you see things that you remember when you were a kid, but then you're like, oh my goodness, I didn't even realize this. So, it is really neat to go more than just one time.
And our last state park and our second cavern is Rickwood Cavern State Park. This cavern was formed by water during the Mississippian period over 260 million years ago. Million years. That's a really long time. I don't even know how long ago that was. It was carved from an ocean bed. There are shell fragments and fossils that are clearly visible on the wall. So, when you're walking through you can see the fossils and the fragments. So, you'll want to take a tour and the tour guide can tell you and point out all of those cool things.
One cool thing that they do around Christmas time is the Wonderland Under Warrior. They have 100,000 Christmas lights in there. And if you've been and seen it normally, you will want to go and see it with all the Christmas lights. There's Santa. We mentioned this in another episode but there's Sant, Mrs. Claus, The Grinch, and other characters that roam about. There's a waterfall made out of lights. That's really cool. So, it is quite the event to go to. And during the summertime, there's an Olympic-sized swimming pool that's outside of the park, hiking trails, a playground.
It's a really neat place to go and it's very different. It has a different feel than cathedral caverns, don't you think?
Haley Rutland: [00:17:16] Yes. It does, for sure.
Melea Hames: [00:17:19] Yeah. The cathedral caverns to me feels like it's way more open. And the Rickwood Caverns feels like it's a little more closed in. So, depending on if you're claustrophobic. It's not super closed in because I couldn't handle that. but it's a little more close-quarters than cathedral caverns is. I don't think if I've seen one cave, no, you need to see both of these. They're very cool.
Haley Rutland: [00:17:46] Yes, I agree.
Melea Hames: [00:17:48] Well, awesome. Hayley, you've done a great job guiding us through the state parks in your area. We've gone through a lot of travel tips today. That's a lot of info for people to take in.
Haley Rutland: [00:18:01] Yes, but they're definitely worth visiting if I do say so myself.
Melea Hames: [00:18:05] Yes, absolutely. So, tell us where can our listeners follow you on social media?
Haley Rutland: [00:18:12] You can find us at Explore Lake Guntersville on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube where you can find all events and all the things you can do right here in Marshall County.
Melea Hames: [00:18:23] Awesome. Yes. You definitely want to follow their social media because there are beautiful pictures and you want to know when stuff's going on. And don't forget to follow Visit North Alabama on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. Thanks so much for joining us and we will talk to you next time.
This has been another episode of the Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama podcast, part of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network. Hosted by Melea Hames and produced by Relic.
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