FUN ON THE WATER
Located along the Tennessee River in Scottsboro, Jackson County Park is a destination for boating and fishing and features a swimming area, walking trails, campsites and rental cabins. In addition to Alabama’s largest lake, Lake Guntersville State Park is home to 6,000 acres of natural woodlands, an 18-hole championship golf course, the Screaming Eagle Zipline, a beach complex and 36 miles of hiking and biking trails. Paint Rock River is a free-flowing tributary of the Tennessee River that offers opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, fishing and wildlife viewing.
In Cherokee County, water recreation opportunities abound. Leesburg Landing hosts many Weiss Lake fishing tournaments; Slackland Beach is a day-use park for fishing, swimming and birdwatching; and Terrapin Creek is a Class I-II recreational stream for family-friendly canoeing and kayaking. Pirates Bay Waterpark, in Leesburg, overlooks Weiss Lake and has more than a dozen water attractions, including tube slides, body slides, waterfalls and a splash playground.
FOR ANGLERS
Lake Guntersville is a world-renowned bass fishing destination, and Scottsboro is home to the Ultimate Angler Championship, a bass fishing tournament hosted by Unified Pros and the State of Alabama. In Cherokee County, Weiss Lake is a 12-month fishery and known as “The Crappie Capital of the World,” and with 14 miles of floatable water, Terrapin Creek is a prime location for spotted, largemouth and redeye bass and fly-fishing.
OUTDOOR FUN
The 491-acre Graham Farm and Nature Center, an educational outreach location for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, is a great place to learn about environmental stewardship while enjoying nature through a variety of programs and outdoor activities. Take a stroll along the nature trail at Cornwall Furnace, a 5.5-acre park that is home to the first water-powered cold blast furnace in the country, said to be one of the best preserved in the Southeast. Indian Mountain ATV Park, in Piedmont, offers 4,700 acres of mountainside trails and tracks for ATVs, UTVs and dirt bikes as well as camping, fishing and hiking. Shady Grove Horse Ranch, near Mentone, has 800 acres of wooded wilderness and miles of picturesque trails that wind atop Lookout Mountain. For the more daring, True Adventure Sports, in Fort Payne, has rappelling, rock climbing, zip lining and even scuba diving.
SCENIC ROUTES & VIEWS
Part of the roughly 80-mile Appalachian Highlands Scenic Byway runs through DeKalb and Cherokee counties, and a portion of 93-mile Lookout Mountain Parkway passes through DeKalb County. Both offer scenic views and access to nearby attractions. Little River Canyon Nature Preserve is located along the borders of DeKalb and Cherokee counties and is one of the deepest canyon systems east of the Mississippi River and the deepest in Alabama. This summer it was featured on USA Today’s list of “most breathtaking views in the South.” The Little River is notable because it flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain. In Cherokee County, Leesburg is home to picturesque Yellow Creek Falls, a 100-foot waterfall that is best accessed by kayak or canoe, and Cherokee Rock Village, a destination for rock climbing, bouldering and rappelling.
In DeKalb County, High Falls Park is known for its 35-foot waterfall and a natural rock bridge located at the bottom of the falls.
Located along the Alabama-Tennessee state line in Jackson County, The Walls of Jericho is more than a popular hiking destination — it also offers opportunities for camping, horseback riding, hunting and stream fishing. Pisgah Gorge is known for its scenic waterfalls and serene hiking trails. Jackson County also is home to part of the long-distance Pinhoti Trail before the trail enters Georgia and ultimately connects to the Appalachian Trail. Be sure to catch the sunset over the Tennessee River from the overlook at Weathington Park. The park also has a well-maintained .25-mile loop trail and is an ideal spot for picnics.
CAVING ADVENTURES
Jackson County has more caves per square mile than any other county in the country. Popular destinations include Stephens Gap Callahan Cave Preserve and Neversink Cave Preserve, which both require a permit and specialty rappelling gear, but reward adventurers with stunning views. More accessible caving opportunities include John T. Dolberry Tumbling Rock Cave Preserve, which features more than six miles of surveyed passage, huge column formations and a nearly 400-foot waterfall, and Cathedral Caverns State Park, which has one of the largest cave openings in the world. JC Russell Cave National Monument protects one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast, and Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge protects federally endangered gray and Indiana bats and offers a variety of recreational activities.
STATE PARKS
Located atop Sand Mountain, Buck’s Pocket State Park spans DeKalb, Jackson and Marshall counties, has more than 15 miles of hiking trails and is home to the state’s first-ever state park off-highway vehicle trail. DeSoto State Park, on Lookout Mountain, is home to DeSoto Falls and offers a variety of recreational activities and lodging facilities. The park opened a new pool house facility in July.
HIT THE LINKS
There are several opportunities to hit the links in Marshall County, including the Lake Guntersville State Park Golf Course, Cherokee Ridge Golf Course, Gunter’s Landing, Brookside Golf Course, Broken Arrow Golf Course, Boaz Golf Club and Big Spring Lake. In addition to two 18-hole championship golf courses, Goose Pond Colony Resort, located on the banks of the Tennessee River and Lake Guntersville, is home to lakeside cottages, a lodge, a waterfront campground, a full-service marina, restaurant and beach area.
ALL ABOARD
A few stops along the North Alabama Train Depot Trail are located in Jackson and DeKalb counties. The Stevenson Railroad Depot Museum, Bridgeport Depot Museum & Cultural Center, Scottsboro Railroad Depot Museum and the Fort Payne Depot Museum showcase railroad memorabilia and exhibits that preserve local history.
MUSEUMS & LOCAL HISTORY
Located in the historic Joyce Chapel, the Scottsboro Boys Museum pays tribute to the lives and legacy of nine African American teenagers whose pivotal 1930s case turned an international spotlight on race-based injustice in the American South. The Jackson County Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the county and features the neo-classical Brown-Proctor house built in 1881, the “Sagetown” pioneer village and the 1868 Jackson County Courthouse as well as a genealogy center. Both the Albertville Museum and the Guntersville Museum display local historical artifacts and memorabilia; the Guntersville Museum also includes a permanent Frank Nelson watercolor collection, a natural history collection and a Native American exhibit.
The Arab Historic Village showcases 10 historic buildings preserved with authentic furnishings depicting life in a rural North Alabama community between the 1880s and 1940s.
Fort Payne used to be known as “The Sock Capital of the World,” and the Hosiery Museum pays tribute to that legacy with exhibits showcasing the history of the industry. Also in Fort Payne, the Alabama Fan Club Museum houses personal items and memorabilia spanning the country music group’s more than 50-year career.
The Cherokee Historical Museum, in Centre, includes exhibits about trains, steamboats, canons, quilts and more. The Mentone Arts Center preserves the artistic, musical and cultural heritage of Mentone and the greater Lookout Mountain area, hosts classes and workshops and has a gift shop and art gallery.
VINEYARDS, ORCHARDS & FARMS
Sample traditional wines as well as sweet muscadine wines and locally sourced sweet fruit wines at Jules J. Berta Vineyards & Winery in Albertville. Little River Orchard is a small family-owned apple orchard where you can pick a variety of apples. Plenty of farms in DeKalb County welcome visitors, including Blueberry Falls Farm, Breezy Acres Flower Farm, Moonflower Farms and Town Creek Field and Farm. In the fall, be sure to stop by Down on the Farm to pick pumpkins and visit the corn maze.
ONE OF A KIND
Occupying an entire city block in Scottsboro, Unclaimed Baggage Center is one of Alabama’s top shopping and tourist attractions and is the only store in the country that buys and sells unclaimed and lost items from airlines. The City Harbor development at Lake Guntersville has restaurants, shopping, live entertainment and short-term luxury condominium accommodations, and is accessible by land or water. The Rock Zoo is a free roadside attraction at Dawson Farms in Fackler that features boulders painted to look like animals.
Sand Mountain Park & Amphitheater is a 130-acre destination for sports, events and entertainment and includes a water park, public play areas, a 6,000-seat amphitheater and state-of-the-art athletic facilities. The Whole Backstage Theatre, in Guntersville, is the oldest continually operating community theater in North Alabama and produces a wide variety of family-friendly plays and musicals. The 411 Drive-In, in Cherokee County, is open year-round on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and shows newly released movies with two double features to choose from. Scottsboro is home to Alabama’s oldest soda fountain. Payne’s Sandwich Shop and Soda Fountain is a well-known landmark that’s been open since 1869.
You can design and blow your own glassware with a little help from the experts at Orbix Hot Glass in Fort Payne.
This article appears in the November 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
