Enjoy a beach gathering on a beautiful, fine-grained sand beach in Central Alabama.  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 outing is at Barton’s Beach and Perry Lakes Park near Marion in Perry County, Alabama.

Sixteen people participated in the popular outing with us in August, 2019.  You can float on the river from the upper end of the beach to the lower end of the beach and then carry your float and walk on the beach back up to the upper end and repeat that real fun experience as many times as you like during the day.  You may bring whatever flotation device you wish on this outing.  Dan will bring a float air pump to the beach.   Please see float note below for information about flotation devices.

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

https://goo.gl/photos/GjSSxznfY3U2AWFv8

AND

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

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

Please bring with you swimsuit, towel, picnic lunch and water, soft drink or fruit juice to drink.  Wading shoes with substantial soles are recommended.  A change of clothes (dry underwear also advised) to be left in the car is also recommended, especially if you want to come to dinner with the group after the outing.

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.

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 the tallest treetops in the area.

Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and older able to swim are welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.  All participants must be able to swim to come on this outing!

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

Please meet at 8:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.

Info. and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680

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.

River Float Note

Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best.  Trip leader Dan Frederick now has 60-inch floats for sale for $15 each ONLY at the start of relevant outings.  Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO.  First come, first served.

At this time we have not yet been able to buy the 72-inch long, canvas-covered floats.  Since we have been unable to locate a source for the 72-inch canvas surf riders for the past 5 or so years, recreational vinyl tubes and truck tire tubes may also be used as your flotation devices on this trip.

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 over 200 members.  We have scheduled forty-six fun events for you to enjoy in the first six months of 2022.  This is an average of EIGHT 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.