I am starting to see a theme for Logan and I. When we get an unexpected offer for babysitting on a weekend afternoon, a hike is often part of the plan. This past Saturday my older sister offered to watch our kids in the afternoon, so they could visit with her kids who are quite a bit older and also very helpful. We rarely turn down a free babysitter, so we planned our day around it. Despite Logan’s job requiring him to be in Nashville Saturday morning for a while, he made it back after lunch and we loaded up to head to her house in southeast Huntsville. Luckily, she lives close to a plethora of trails. With all our spring rain, I knew a waterfall was where I wanted to head. We also had plans to go to Costco and grab dinner, so a long hike wasn’t in the cards. Lucky for us, Alum Falls was located just a few minutes from her house on Green Mountain.

I pulled up a couple of blogs stating the route was around 1 mile out making it two miles round trip. It was also rated as easy. I would agree with the rating of easy, despite having to climb over and around a couple of downed trees from our recent windstorm. Our Garmin GPS watches clocked the descent at closer to 1.15 miles. We then walked a bit more to see the rockshelter, from there I noticed another much taller falls. I imagine it is only running during the spring or after a storm. The land trust map does show this waterfall does not offer a name for it. It is visible from the ranger trail, and it appears that the Oak Bluff trail would cross below it.

After exploring a little, we headed back up the Alum Hollow Trail. I didn’t realize until the end of the hike that we could have continued on the ranger trail and reconnected with the Alum Hollow Trail near the trailhead. It would have allowed us to see more things, so I recommend trying that route if a rating of Difficult doesn’t deter you. The North Alabama Land Trust has more information about all of the trails in Green Mountain Nature preserve, as well as their other properties.

Before heading out on a trail, it is always wise to download a copy of a trail map in case you lose cellular signal, bring plenty of water, a first aid kit, and a snack. Practice Leave No Trace by carrying out everything you bring in and refraining from collecting any artifacts, wildflowers, or other natural items.