Hiking Trails Around Huntsville
Land Trust preserves, Monte Sano and the city and county preserves: where the trails are, how long they are, where to park and what to know before you go.
Huntsville is ringed by small mountains, and most of them are crossed by free public trails. The Land Trust of North Alabama protects more than a dozen preserves around town, Monte Sano State Park sits on top of the city's home mountain, and the City of Huntsville and Madison County run preserves of their own. The city maps about 171 miles of hiking trail. Here is where to start.
Land Trust trail rules, in short: preserves are free and open dawn to dusk, dogs must be on a leash, and you should stay off the trails for 24 hours after rain so they do not get torn up. Caves on Land Trust land, including Three Caves, are closed to visitors.
Trail areas
| Where | What it is like | Mapped trail miles |
|---|---|---|
| Monte Sano Nature Preserve and State Park | Huntsville's home mountain: Land Trust and state park trails, bluffs, springs and the most trail miles in the area. | 86 |
| Blevins Gap Nature Preserve | Wooded ridge trails on both sides of Cecil Ashburn Drive, between Jones Valley and Hampton Cove. | 13 |
| Wade Mountain Nature Preserve | North Huntsville trails for hikers, bikers and horseback riders. | 13 |
| Hays Nature Preserve | Flat Flint River trails, oxbow lakes and greenway connections near Hampton Cove. | 9 |
| Green Mountain Nature Preserve | South Huntsville mountain trails next to the Madison County Nature Trail. | 6 |
| Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve | Northeast Huntsville trails off US-72 East, open to horseback riders. | 5 |
| Rainbow Mountain Nature Preserve | Madison's mountain preserve, with the 1.5-mile Rainbow Loop. | 4 |
| Harvest Square Nature Preserve | Easy trails around fields and lowland in Harvest. | 3 |
| Bethel Spring Nature Preserve | A creek loop and a climb up Keel Mountain near Gurley. | 2 |
| Madison County Nature Trail | A 1.5-mile loop around Sky Lake on top of Green Mountain, with a covered bridge. | 1.5 |
Mapped miles are from the City of Huntsville trail map and include connectors, so they differ from the totals the Land Trust and state park publish. Monte Sano's figure covers the Land Trust preserve, the state park and city land together.
More places to walk
- Goldsmith-Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary (City of Huntsville): about 4 mapped miles
- Burritt on the Mountain (City of Huntsville (Burritt on the Mountain)): about 3 mapped miles
- Weatherly Mountain Preserve (Land Trust): about 1 mapped miles
- Hickory Cove Preserve (Land Trust): about 2 mapped miles
- Fanning Preserve (City of Huntsville): about 2 mapped miles
- Keel Mountain (The Nature Conservancy): about 2 mapped miles
Trailheads and parking
Parking spaces are approximate counts from the city's trailhead map. Busy lots fill early on spring and fall weekends.
| Trailhead | Parking spaces |
|---|---|
| Aldridge Creek | 75 |
| Bankhead | 30 |
| Big Cove Creek | 10 |
| Blevins Gap | 30 |
| Burritt Trails | 10 |
| Chaney Thompson | 20 |
| Chapman Mountain | 45 |
| Cold Spring | 3 |
| Ditto Landing | 120 |
| Fanning | 75 |
| Flint River | 49 |
| Gateway | 160 |
| Goldsmith Preserve North | 10 |
| Goldsmith Preserve South | 10 |
| Harvest Square | 42 |
| Hays Preserve | 20 |
| Indian Creek at Creekwood Park | 97 |
| Indian Creek at Old Madison Pike | 10 |
| Madison County Nature Trail | 35 |
| Monte Sano Hikers | 30 |
| Oak Park | 114 |
| Rainbow Mountain | 15 |
| South Monte Sano | 20 |
| Spragins Hollow | 25 |
| Tennessee River West Greenway | 10 |
| Three Caves | 35 |
| Wade Mountain | 14 |
| Wheeler Wildlife Boardwalk | 5 |
| Wildflower | 6 |
Living near the trails
Every preserve page above has a live list of homes for sale nearby. Neighborhoods on and around Monte Sano, along Cecil Ashburn Drive and in Hampton Cove put you closest to the big mountain trail systems; Madison has Rainbow Mountain and Harvest has its own preserve. See homes whose listings mention a trail and mountain and view homes.
Map
Questions
Where is the best hiking in Huntsville?
Most hikers start on Monte Sano, where the Land Trust's Monte Sano Nature Preserve and Monte Sano State Park together have the most trail miles in the area. Blevins Gap, Wade Mountain, Green Mountain and Chapman Mountain are the other big Land Trust preserves.
Are Huntsville's trails free?
Land Trust of North Alabama preserves are free and open dawn to dusk. Monte Sano State Park charges a gate fee. City and county preserves such as Hays Nature Preserve and the Madison County Nature Trail are free.
Can I bring my dog?
Leashed dogs are welcome on Land Trust preserves. Check each preserve's page for notices; the Land Trust advises against dogs on the Bankhead Trail because of glass from roadside litter.
Want to live close to the trails?
We are a local, family-owned brokerage. Tell us what you like to do outside and how close you want to be, and we will send homes that fit, from walk-to-the-greenway neighborhoods to land near the mountain preserves.
Search homes for saleCall or text (256) 808-6861Sources: Land Trust of North Alabama - Monte Sano Nature Preserve; Land Trust of North Alabama - Preserves; Wikipedia - Parks and Greenways in Huntsville; Land Trust of North Alabama - Blevins Gap Nature Preserve; Land Trust of North Alabama - Wade Mountain Nature Preserve; Land Trust - Wade Mountain 21-acre expansion; City of Huntsville - Greenways; City of Huntsville - Hays Nature Preserve; Wikipedia - Hays Nature Preserve; Land Trust of North Alabama - Green Mountain Nature Preserve; Land Trust - New trails ahead; Land Trust of North Alabama - Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve; Land Trust - For the birds; Land Trust of North Alabama - Rainbow Mountain Nature Preserve; Land Trust of North Alabama - Harvest Square Nature Preserve; Land Trust of North Alabama - Bethel Spring Nature Preserve; Madison County - Green Mountain Nature Trail; Wikipedia - Madison County Nature Trail; Huntsville CVB - Madison County Nature Trail; City of Huntsville GIS open data (parks, greenways, trails, trailheads, launches).
Trail, park and launch locations come from the City of Huntsville GIS open data and the official sources listed on this page, as of October 2026. Hours, fees, rules and trail conditions change, so check with the land manager before you go. Distances are straight-line miles. Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Wyze Realty is not affiliated with any park, preserve or organization named here.