Alabama’s got a reputation for exceptionalism in many areas (college football, barbecue, mega churches, reality dating show contestants, etc.), but hiking trails isn’t one of them. This isn’t because the state lacks incredible trails. They’re just more sparse and off the beaten path than their more popular Southeastern neighbors in Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. Alabama hosts a handful of spectacular trails that will make you ask yourself the question that’s every hiker’s greatest joy or most horrifying nightmare when hiking a new trail: “Where am I?” Context is everything, of course, and I’m constantly amazed by the immense beauty I encounter on trails in seemingly ordinary locations.
While visiting my brother and his wife in Birmingham, I decided to make the 90-min. drive to Cheaha State Park and hike to McDill Point via the Pinhoti Trail. The Pinhoti Trail traverses 335 miles across northern parts of Alabama and Georgia. This includes a section that runs through Cheaha State Park, home to Alabama’s highest peak, Cheaha Mountain (2,411 ft). Before embarking on my hike, I drove to the summit of Cheaha Mountain, because that’s possible and only a couple of miles from my intended trailhead. Candidly, I have nothing positive to say about visiting Alabama’s highest point. There’s no overlook at the top of Cheaha Mountain, only a musty lookout tower and equally decrepit information center. The tower isn’t even taller than the surrounding trees, so there’s nothing you can see from this obsolete structure that you can’t see from the parking lot. I visited on a Tuesday in November, and I’m not sure whether facilities were closed for the winter season or due to COVID, but I think there’s a fee for accessing the highest point in Alabama when facilities are open. Unless you just feel compelled to visit the highest point in the state, save your time and money and skip this underwhelming destination. However, there are bathrooms (permanent ones, not the portable kind) near the summit, and these were open when I visited, so maybe the side trip wasn’t a complete waste of time.
After the disappointment of visiting the Cheaha Mountain summit, I honestly didn’t have high hopes for the Pinhoti Trail to McDill Point. However, those reservations quickly faded after I began this gorgeous trek. The hike was more challenging than I expected, but this one packs in some incredible scenery over a short distance, making the effort entirely worthwhile. The section I hiked covers about 2.5 miles (one way), and although there’s only about 1,000 feet of elevation gain, exposed roots and loose rock dominate the terrain of this rugged trail, so allow more time than you think you’ll need based on the distance and elevation gain alone. Also, the trail can be difficult to follow in certain spots, so I’d highly recommend bringing a map that doesn’t rely on a cell signal. The AllTrails route (linked here) is accurate, but keep in mind that you’ll need the Pro subscription to download the map for use without cell service, and I had none from start to finish on this hike.
I expected an impressive overlook at McDill Point, but I didn’t expect so many smaller ones with incredible views along the way. The trail traverses a ridge up and over the summit of Hernandez Peak (Alabama’s 4th highest point at 2,307 ft) and then dips slightly before the final ascent to McDill Point, accessible via a short spur off the Pinhoti Trail. Several of the magnificent viewpoints along the ridge have primitive campsites as well. Because views from these campsites extend for miles and miles to the west over a luscious sea of green forests below, I’m sure the sunset views are spectacular.
Just before the split to McDill Point, I encountered a very narrow and brushy section that was covered in down trees and limbs. Navigating through this wasn’t difficult, but it slowed me down. In warmer months, I’d have been extra cautious about snakes, but I saw none on this breezy day in early November. After emerging from the brush, the trail flattens and widens, and the remaining stretch to McDill Point (less than half a mile) is the easiest section of the hike. At the split, I saw something unusual that I’ve never seen on any hike: airplane wreckage. I’d read about debris from a fatal flight that lay scattered throughout Cheaha State Park, but I didn’t expect to see so much of it so close to the trail. The wreckage can be found in two areas along the trail. The first includes several large pieces of debris off the trail to the left of the split between the Pinhoti Trail and the spur to McDill Point. There’s even more debris, including the decaying metal frame of the body of the plane, easily noticeable from the spur to McDill Point, just before a small collection of primitive campsites adjacent to the overlook. After some research, I’ve since learned that the wreckage includes the remains of a small single-engine plane that crashed on the day after Christmas in 1972. The only victim was the pilot, a man flying alone from Texas to Atlanta before the journey abruptly ended in Cheaha State Park due to low visibility and bad weather.
The many unique sights along the trail to McDill Point make this hike worthwhile, but the overlook at the end completely shattered my expectations. The expansive views from McDill Point rival those from my beloved overlooks in South Cumberland State Park in Tennessee. If you’ve been following my journey and know how enamored I am by the beauty of South Cumberland State Park, I hope that puts McDill Point into perspective. This overlook (which is actually two overlooks separated by about 100 yards of trail) drops the mic hard. I was lucky enough to experience this place with only a few other people present since I was hiking in the middle of the week, but I’m sure it’s packed on weekends. Photos really don’t capture the magnitude of the views, which extend so far that they eventually just fade into the horizon.
I enjoyed a leisurely lunch of tuna and almonds at McDill Point and basked in the warm sunshine, immensely happy to have had the opportunity to experience this place on an uncommon day off work in the middle of the week. I remember thinking, “This is what they call a mental health day”, and pledging to take more of these in the future. I’d traveled to Birmingham to visit my brother and his wife, and I’d been working remotely from their house throughout my visit. I spent quality time with them the previous weekend and in the evenings after work, and I’m so grateful for our time together. I always welcome a change of scenery and time with family, but nothing makes me feel as refreshed and invigorated as time alone on a beautiful trail, and the Pinhoti Trail to McDill Point provided a stunning addition to my time well spent in Alabama.
