Land Trust of North Alabama has expanded recreational access on Green Mountain in South Huntsville with the creation of a new 3.2-mile trail. The official opening of Green Mountain Trail makes a new area of the mountain available for public use. The new area, referred to as Green Mountain North, features rocky, beautiful terrain in a forest setting with primary access from Riverview Drive at the top of the mountain. This addition to Green Mountain Nature Preserve is nearby but not connected to the existing and overwhelmingly popular 5.4-mile trail system at Alum Hollow Trailhead on South Shawdee Road (now Green Mountain South).

Land Trust of North Alabama acquired the initial piece of this property in 1997 and pieced together fourteen more parcels over the next 27 years to preserve 187 acres of the mountainside. Land Trust staff began planning of the trail layout at the beginning of 2022. Once the proposed path was finalized, the trail building project kicked off on National Trails Day in June 2022. The same rocky and impressive terrain that make this a memorable hike also made for a lengthy and challenging construction process. Throughout the two-year project, the Land Trust hosted 134 work days with 194 volunteers contributing their time, totaling an impressive 2,608 volunteer hours. The result of all that effort is a natural surface trail that was built to withstand weathering and heavy foot traffic while also delivering an enjoyable user experience.

“Because of the complexity and scale of the project, it took a significant amount of time and volunteer support to complete this trail. We’re really proud of the result and excited to invite people to enjoy it” said Land Steward Tim Barnack, who oversaw the construction process.

The completed Green Mountain Trail stretches north from Riverview Drive SE to Green Mountain Road, climbing approximately 672 feet in that distance. The route features substantial boulders and quiet woodland traversing populations of Paw Paw and Smoketree along its path. The trail is rated moderate to difficult due to the elevation change and areas of uneven terrain. A portion of the trail crosses property currently owned by Bob and Sue Kuehlthau who generously granted trail access to allow for the trailhead at Riverview Drive.

Volunteer Kevin Pelin, who worked on the project, shared, “The Green Mountain Trail was built through an existing hillside forest tract which allowed us to make use of the beautiful landscape to create an exciting, purpose-built path. The trail has many interesting features for everyone to enjoy both visually and from an exercise perspective. Working on and completing this project has been both a challenging and a very rewarding experience.”

Green Mountain Nature Preserve is open dawn to dusk daily and free to access but donations are encouraged. Visitors can find trail maps for the north and south portions of the preserve and other helpful information at landtrustnal.org/green-mountain-preserve.