Alabama has a number of trails with minimal obstacles. \u00a0Some are very easy and others are wheelchair accessible. \u00a0Here are just a few of them.<\/p>\n

These\u00a0links \u00a0were found through Internet search. \u00a0I would love some first-hand information. \u00a0\u00a0With your help, we can share our knowledge with disabled people everywhere and also increase awareness of the need for more accessibility. Please e-mail me with your suggestions using the form in the sidebar.
\n<\/a>
\nFederal<\/a>
\nState<\/a>
\nLocal<\/a>
\nPrivate<\/a>
\nMiscellaneous<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>Federal<\/h2>\n

• Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge
  \n<\/strong>The Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge has an accessible trail and an easy birding trail.\u00a0 The refuge lies in both Mississippi and Alabama and is part of the Gulf Coast Complex.\u00a0 \u00a0Here is the refuge’s website.<\/a>
  \n<\/a>The Oak Grove Birding Trail<\/a> is just off Bayou Heron Road, south of the headquarters building. \u00a0Here is a description and photographs from MathProfHiker’s Hiking Blog<\/a>, which states the trail is \u00a0“0.5 miles flat and easy miles.” \u00a0 \u00a0The \u00a0 Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s <\/a>website \u00a0describes the habitat as “maritime, mixed hardwood forest intermingled with pines that slope down towards the marshes that border the upper reaches of Bayou Heron. ”
  \n<\/a>The Escatawpa Trail system is part boardwalk and part gravel. 3 options are available, including a boardwalk\/gravel loop that is “fully accessible for visitors”. Several benches are available along the trail as well as an overlook at the Escatawpa River. \u00a0Mathprofhiker’s Hiking Blog<\/a> suggests you hike it in the dry season lest you end up wading as he did. Here is a description from Travels with Emma<\/a>, another useful blog.
  \nBrochure & Map<\/a>\u00a0 Phone 228-475-0765<\/p>\n

  Know more about Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
  \nHave you visited this location and know of more accessible or easy trails?\u00a0 Is any of the information given here incorrect?\u00a0 If so, please contact me using the form to the left and let me know what should be changed or added so I can update this post.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>

• Here is the Website for the National Forests in Alabama<\/a>. \u00a0There is contact information for the various Forest managers, but accessibility is not mentioned in the site.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul>
  \nBack to top<\/a><\/p>\n

  <\/a>State<\/h2>\n

  • Alabama State Parks<\/a>\u00a0 Some trails in the State Parks are described as “easy” or “family oriented”, but since those might include trails with obstacles such as fallen logs, major tree roots, rocks, etc.. I am not including them here.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>

  • Dauphin Island Sea Lab<\/strong> –
    \nThe\u00a0Dauphin Island Sea Lab\u00a0is an accessible public aquarium where you can learn about the four key habitats of coastal Alabama: the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, Barrier Islands and Northern Gulf of Mexico.\u00a0 The lab is on the east end of Dauphin Island, about 3 miles from the mainland and 35 miles south of Mobile.
    \n<\/a>They don’t have trails per se, but there is a 10,000 sq foot exhibit hall and a “Living Marsh Boardwalk” \u00a0 The lab is handicapped accessible. \u00a0Entry fee for an adult is $10 Phone 251-861-2141\u00a0 Here is their website.<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/li>

  • Gulf State Park<\/strong>\u00a0 – easy and accessible trails
    \nGulf State Park has two miles of white sand beaches. \u00a0A number of the trails here are “easy”, but maybe not enough. \u00a0Call to find out.\u00a0 The park is southeast of Mobile and west of Pensacola.
    \n\u00a0Bear Creek\u00a0is described in the web site as: “… a unique trail because it used to be an old paved road heading to Orange Beach.\u00a0 Since it is paved, this trail is the most accessible to the handicapped and campers with small children in strollers.”
    \nHugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail<\/a>\u00a0 paved \u00a0“Seven trails among six distinct ecosystems make up more than 15 miles of the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail complex through Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Alabama and the Gulf State Park.” \u00a0\u201cThe trails run along marshes, secondary sand dunes, swamps, over creeks.\u201d
    \nWebsite<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Phone 251-948-7275 \u00a0Trail Map<\/a><\/p>\n

    Know more about Gulf State Park?
    \n<\/span>Have you visited this location and know of more accessible or easy trails?\u00a0 Is any of the information given here incorrect?\u00a0 If so, please contact me using the form to the left and let me know what should be changed or added so I can update this post.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul>
    \nBack to top<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>Local<\/h2>\n

    • Huntsville Botanical Gardens\u00a0<\/strong>
      \nThe Huntsville Botanical Garden “boasts a picture perfect aquatic garden, a spectacular wildflower and nature trail and numerous specialty gardens and plant collections. \u00a0They have the nation\u2019s largest seasonal\u00a0butterfly house\u00a0and eight specialized gardens aimed toward the younger set.”\u00a0 Here is their website.<\/a>
      \nAlthough their site does not specifically say the trails are wheelchair accessible, they do say “Wheelchairs and strollers are available through the Visitor Center. For visitors with limited mobility, a shuttle is usually available April through October. For reservations, call\u00a0256-830-4447 ext. 221.” \u00a0 They have a nature center\/butterfly house and a nature trail.\u00a0 Map<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul>
      \nBack to top<\/a><\/p>\n

      <\/a>Private<\/h2>\n

      • Audubon Bird Sanctuary<\/strong>
        \nThe Audubon Bird Sanctuary on Dauphin Island, has “…164 acres of maritime forest, marshes, dunes, a lake, swamp and beach. Multiple walking trails, some handicapped accessible, allow the avid birder miles of habitat for spotting neo-tropical migrants.”\u00a0 Here is their website.<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Call\u00a0Phone: 251–861-3607 for information.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>

      • Camp ASCCA
        \n<\/strong>Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults is a camp for the disabled affiliated with Easter Seals.\u00a0 Website<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul>
        \nBack to top<\/a><\/p>\n

        <\/a>Miscellaneous<\/h2>\n

        • Nature For The Blind<\/a>\u00a0 has a directory of Braille trails for almost every state in the US and for many other countries.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>

        • The Rails-to-Trails<\/a> Conservan<\/a>cy<\/a> lists wheelchair accessible trails in Alabama.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul> Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Alabama has a number of trails with minimal obstacles. \u00a0Some are very easy and others are wheelchair accessible. \u00a0Here are just a few of them. These\u00a0links \u00a0were found through Internet search. \u00a0I would love some first-hand information. \u00a0\u00a0With your help, we can share our knowledge with disabled people everywhere and also increase awareness of the … Continue reading Rails-to-Trails – Alabama<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-134","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=134"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6208,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134\/revisions\/6208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}