Southeastern Outings River Beach Walk, Woodland Hike, and Picnic in Perry County, Alabama

Enjoy a beach gathering on a beautiful, fine-grained sand beach in Central Alabama and a hike in the heavily wooded Perry Lakes Park.  The scenery is spectacular.  The area is an extensive sand beach on the Lower Cahaba River.  The floodplain broadens and creates areas of bottomland hardwood forests, oxbow lakes and extensive sand and gravel bars. The National Weather Service forecast        in Marion for this coming Saturday is sunny all day with a high temperature of 78 degrees—perfect hiking weather.

Sixteen people participated in this popular outing with us in August, 2019.

A restroom is available at Perry Lakes County Park where we’ll park our cars.  The approximate 1/3 mile hike to Barton’s Beach is easy since the terrain is level and the walk is all on trails.

Since the water is now too cool to swim in, we will hike to and along the beach from the upper end of the beach to the lower end and back without actually getting in the water.  Then we will take you on an extended hike in Perry Lakes Park.  The hike will be longer than it would be when we would spend most of the day at the beach and in the river if the water was warmer.

The Perry Lakes Park and Wildlife Sanctuary contains about 600 acres available to the public for outdoor recreation, education, scientific research, and other activities. Interpretive nature trails (fire lanes and primitive paths) make walking through the woods fairly easy and fun.

Several trees in the park have been designated as Alabama State Champion Trees. The park lakes support a large heron rookery along with an abundance of songbirds.  A 100-foot tall observation tower allows for an exciting view of the forest and oxbow swamps.

Note-To view photos of what we will see on this trip, please click on these links:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pU10HMGLRVZt0iXw1

AND

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9lD4J6YpUyI4dhu22

Please be sure to click on the links and view the photographs.

Hikes at Barton’s Beach and Perry Lakes Park are moderate since the terrain is level and the walks are all on trails.  The two properties adjoin each other so we can walk readily back and forth between them.  We strongly recommend that you wear long pants as there are blackberry plants on some sections of the hike.

If the tower is open, we may also offer an optional opportunity to climb on stairs to the top of the Perry Lakes Park viewing tower, a rebuilt fire tower with gorgeous views high above most of the tallest treetops in the area.

Well-behaved, carefully-supervised children age 7 and older welcome.

Depending on the time we leave the park, we will probably go for an optional dinner on the way back after the outing is concluded.

Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria.  We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.

Info. on the hike and hike leader: Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or seoutings@bellsouth.net

DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE

McDonald’s Galleria-1731 Montgomery Highway, Hoover, AL 35244. Parking lot behind the McDonald’s Restaurant across U.S. 31 from the main entrance to the Riverchase Galleria Shopping Mall.

DESCRIPTION OF SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS

Do you wish you had friends who share your active lifestyle and enjoyment of outdoor activities?  Then become active with Southeastern Outings (SEO), a nonprofit organization committed and created to serve people who enjoy being active in the outdoors.  The organization plans, organizes and leads outings such as dayhikes, easy kayak and canoe trips, stream and waterfall walks, bicycle rides, lake events and other fun activities to beautiful sites in our natural environment.  From time to time we also sponsor potluck suppers and other socials.  All events and activities of the group are open to the public.  Participating in SEO activities is a splendid, simple way to make congenial new friends who enjoy the outdoors.

NO DOGS OR SMOKING ALLOWED, PLEASE, ON ANY SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS EVENTS.

The organization currently has about 250 members.  We have scheduled twenty-three fun events for you to enjoy in the first three months of 2022.  This is an average of SEVEN fun outdoor events per month.  We enjoy the outdoors in all seasons throughout the year.

SEO does not charge for participation in any of its outings.  You do not have to be a member to participate in one or two SEO activities.  Dues are only $10 per family or household.  Please contact Dan Frederick, President, 205-631-4680, or seoutings@bellsouth.net for more information and to obtain three free monthly newsletters with membership application and a complete description of all our outdoor events.

Southeastern Outings now has a website.  Just go to seoutings.org to find announcements of all our upcoming outings scheduled plus some brief, general information about Southeastern Outings, a membership application and 1500 lovely photographs from most of our outings.

Thank you.