This will be Southeastern Outings first ever dayhike to this lovely lake in the Talladega National Forest.  Payne Lake offers the outdoor enthusiast solitude and a 110-acre scenic lake brushed by numerous nature trails.  Payne Lake could be described as a microcosm of the Oakmulgee National Forest, with its mixed hardwood-pine forest, cattail swamp and rolling hills in close proximity.

We plan to walk on a pleasant, well-built, well-marked but poorly maintained trail along the eastside of the lake, returning by a slightly different route. Distance is about 5 miles round trip.  Long pants are recommended as some parts of the trail are overgrown. Hike rated moderate.

Please bring picnic lunch and water with you.  Meet 8:45 a.m. at the parking lot behind the McDonald’s Galleria on U.S. Highway 31 in Hoover.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.

Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 9 and over welcome.

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

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TLHT1bwjZQfgrric8

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

Please bring three dollar exact change admission fee per person charged to gain admission to parking in Payne Lake Recreation Area.

Information and Leader: Francis Rushton, 205-290-2557

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 300 members.  We scheduled eighty-five events during calendar year 2018 for an average of 7 fun 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.  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 several of our outings.

Thank you.