I love this lookout and have been here many times over the years! I have hiked the trail once from…read morethe bottom up (starting at the Sugar Tree Trailhead). It was fairly steep, but enjoyable! There is a large gravel parking lot, with the hiking trail entrance on one end and the lookout area on the other. Around sunset, the parking lot can get pretty busy, but I've never not been able to find parking. Parking is kind of a free-for-all, since there aren't any lines or signs. There are a few benches near the edge. Most people either bring blankets to sit on or just stand around to see the view / watch the sunset. It's pretty far away, but you can see the Saturn V at the Space and Rocket Center if you zoom in with your camera / have binoculars.

Came here on a weekend morning around 9AM, not many cars parked in the parking lot although there…read morewere quite a few when leaving around noon. Well-marked trail, pretty flat for the most part, fine views. Slightly muddy in some parts, dead trees and lots of leaves on the ground.

The best venue around, Huntsville Madison. 2 huge dog…read morefenced areas (1 for small dogs & 1 for large dogs ). People are so friendly & polite. Walking areas are paved say 4 miles going south to Madison PIKE and another 3 miles to north where new homes were built. You can go past Blue Horizon the Amazon facility where they build rockets. For folks just visiting Huntsville This is the Rocket City! Really growing, now the largest city in Alabama! Up from 168,000 to over 233,000 residents and still building

Indian Creek Greenway is a pleasant little oasis that allows you to escape the ever growing…read morepresence of the city of Huntsville, Alabama. This was a part of a nice enough park and all in all, it was a cool place to spend a bit of time before climbing in my car and dealing with a couple hour drive. Our communities need parks and greenways. We need places that we can escape to and get away from modern living and get a glimpse of nature. Overall, I would definitely recommend here.

Trail blazing in Madison? Even minor scrambling (the use of your hands for balance and pulling up)…read moreoff small slick rocks? Who would have thought we could do this just a few miles from home?! Hubby and I have been blazing this gem for over 2 yrs now since relocating to the south, and never once have we not enjoyed Rainbow Mountain nor have we left w dry clothing on our backs no matter what season we're in. PARKING Recently developed by the Land Trust is a 12-spot parking lot right near the entrance to Stoneridge Park. It's free. Once the lot is full, your alternative would be street parking which, of course, is also free. TRAILS The main trailhead is located next to the water tower. The trails here on Rainbow Mountain are relatively easy but can be strenuous depending on your experience, speed, and which direction one starts off with. So at an average, I'd say this is an easy to moderate trail to hike. Covering about 4 miles of single-track trails across 130 acres with a peak elevation of 1,150 and an elevation loss/gain of 388 ft, you are sure to break a sweat here. There are 4 trails that interconnect some how or another. And if you plan your route in advance, you can get a good 5 miles out of these. Rainbow Mountain Loop 1.5mi Ja Moo Ko Loop 0.9mi Spring Trail 0.3mi Wild Trail 0.34mi On a good Saturday morning after some light down pour, we usually cover 2.35 miles in about an hour hiking across damp ground and with minor scrambling through slick rocks on the Rainbow Mtn Loop and Ja Moo Ko Loop Trails. This hour timeframe also includes about a few quick pauses to quench our thirsts and another short break by the stream below. Most peeps prefer starting off on the leisurely southern route and taking in the panoramic views of Madison and the awe'ness of Balance Rock. We prefer starting off on the northern route. This IMO eliminates being caught in the crowd which often slows our pace. If I don't carry my DSLR, I tend to hike at a fast speed so don't get in my way! ;D It's a relatively quick hike for us but we're always drenched with sweat and ready for a shower by the time we're done. GEOLOGY and POIs Rainbow Mountain, known to be part of the Southern Appalachian Plateau, has many beautiful rock outcrops. Even the nearby homes have them as part of their natural landscape beauty. Here you'll find the Hartselle Sandstone formation which consists of sandstone, limestone, and shale. The erosive resistance of these rocks have resulted in what you'll see here - bluffs, very small seasonal waterfalls, and caves. Balance Rock is a must see. If you're trekking too fast, you just might miss it. It's located on the southern route of Rainbow Mtn Loop. I always find it interesting to see the wavy line features and pebbles in the sandstone on Balance Rock which supposedly was caused by the actions of water from long ago seas. There are also two caves here - Rainbow Pit (a 65 feet deep vertical cave), and Belly-Up Cave. These are known to be the result of water leaching the limestone rock. We've yet to search these out and explore these caves ourselves in fear of possibly falling in. However, I've heard that people have rappelled these in years past. It's also suspected that the nearby subdivision developer will seal the cave (if they haven't already) by placing a large boulder over the entrance to avoid potential lawsuits from ignoramus'. Funny but sad. Sad that such a beautiful piece of land can't be preserved for those of us that appreciate it and the history and features it holds. RECOMMENDATIONS & VERDICT Hike in the mornings especially if the forecasts includes humidity in the afternoon. Bring a minimum of 16oz bottled water per person, a snack (if you prefer), sunblock, hat/cap, hiking stick (if you have one), and a smile. And don't forget to stretch before & afterwards. That's the norm if we lead a hike here. This is close to home so we'll be back as often as our schedule permits, and weather permitting too. Check it out yourself! These trails are worth exploring!!

Tons of trails and options while hiking here. The trails are moderate to difficult, with steep…read moreinclines and lots of stuff to trip on. I'd recommend bringing a walking stick, especially if it has been raining. The trillium were just coming out, not quite in bloom when we visited. I can see this being a very popular local destination to hike on the weekends.

Who knew this park has an old moonshine still? Well it does according to this virtual tour…read morehttp://madisoncountyal.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=4f30c81caa764100a9af1c089ec20b08&webmap=52f2f24050684ac5822e1835afcd054e# This is a nice park with a 1.5 mile super easy trail. The pavilion area has some nature exhibits (posters primarily) and is a nice place for reunions. The lake is pretty and the area well maintained. I think I read where it is comprised of 72 acres. And who doesn't love a covered bridge? Even the drive up Green Mtn to get there is lovely as is the entire mountain community. One word of caution based on first hand experience - and this was decades ago: Our Sr. class picked the park for Senior pictures of "who's who" (I was wittiest believe it or not). Long story short it was autumn and we were getting ready to pose near the chapel, when a copperhead snake lunged at me. He blended in great with all the leaves on the ground. He didn't bite me thank goodness! Enjoy (with caution!)

My favorite trail to frequent in Huntsville. Has a chapel and pavilion for rent as well! They can…read morebe rented separately or together. Make sure to check out the school house and the covered bridge!

Great organization working to conserve the natural lands in Huntsville and across North Alabama…read more They create and maintain great trails and natural spaces in 10 different nature preserves, all of which are unique and important to preserving our environment.

We are part to Land Trust of North Alabama and we enjoyed every trail they recommendedread more

AMENITIES: Biking, Hiking, Observation Points, Parking, Picnic Area…read more 375+ acres of bottomland and wildlife habitat located along the Flint River. Over 3 miles of primitive hiking trails with Observation Points. NO domestic animals are allowed.

Its a swamp and a boardwalk not much other to say. When we went it was dry but it still was nice,…read moreboardwalk looks relatively new.

A great small hiking trail that is a part of the Joe Wheeler State Park system and the Alabama…read moreBirding Trail. It's the largest Black Tupelo swamp in Alabama and home to many bird varieties. Not much going on in winter from what I saw, but it's a cool place to visit if you're near the Wheeler Park. We did saw a palliated wood pecker on one of the many dead trees in the swamp. It's an easy walk along a boardwalk that dead ends at a creek. Really cool trees! See the website for directions. They lead us straight to it.

I really like Green Mountain Nature Preserve (or Green Mountain Park/Madison County Nature Trail as…read morewe locals refer to it). I have not hiked the Preserve's Alum Hollow Trail; however, it sounds like a great reason to return to this preserve! Alum Hollow is named after the Alum Caves found on this trail that includes three streams (based on the recent waterfall) and three cave like overhangs. Alum is the name of the diminishing stone found in these caves. I've been numerous times to the Madison County Nature Trail, which is roughly a 1.5 mile loop around a pretty lake where children under 16 and seniors over 60 can fish Monday through Friday. On a fall day, my senior "who's who" winners came to this preserve for our yearbook photos! Do know that this park does have snakes, who have been there long before we were, and on my senior trip there was a cotton mouth snake on the trail that I nearly stepped on and my classmates sort of nudged it away with a stick. I'm not a fan of snakes and this preserve does have them. The cool parts of this short hike are the very rustic A-framed chapel, the lovely Cambron Bridge covered bridge, and the Green family's log cabin that you used to be able to actually go inside it; however, these days it is locked off. Also noteworthy is Alabama's largest and oldest Champion Winged Elm Tree stands tall along the trail! The Land Trust of Alabama does a good job labelling the various trees right along this beautiful trail at the Preserves! There are interesting items on display at the covered pavilion and there are pavilions for rent here, too! As others note, this is a very easy walk, parking is plentiful and it is a pretty drive as you climb Green Mountain to get to the Preserve!

Beautiful Nature walk! They have a lot of the types of trees marked too which was fun! The Pond is…read morebeautiful and there are some streams that flow into it. Easy walk, good parking, pretty little drive up too.