Gulf Shores Backpacking Trip to Cheaha State Park Offers Beginners 13 Miles on the Pinhoti Trail

GULF SHORES, Ala. — A Gulf Shores backpacking trip next weekend will take a small group of residents from the sea-level coast to the highest ground in Alabama, carrying everything they need on their backs for two days on the trail at Cheaha State Park.

The overnight trip on Nov. 7–8 is the final phase of a three-part program led by city Fitness Coordinator Holly Howell, who says sharing her love of backpacking with the community is a labor of love. The same weekend, the city is hosting a far more relaxed option closer to home: a family campout at Sims Park.

A three-phase program for new backpackers

Howell designed the program to take participants from basic skills to a real backcountry trip. It begins locally with hands-on training, moves to a day hike to put those skills into practice and finishes with an overnight hike and campout at Cheaha.

“This program is a great opportunity to learn the basics, build confidence and put your new skills to the test on the trail,” Howell said. “The program includes hands-on learning, a local day hike and an overnight hiking and camping at Cheaha State Park.”

The local practice hike was scheduled for Halloween morning, with participants meeting at 9 a.m. for a two-hour hike on the Backcountry Trail, the paved and natural-surface trail network that winds through Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

A final class is set for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, in the Cultural Center gymnasium on Oak Road West. That session will cover hiking gear, nutrition and hydration on the trail.

Carrying everything on the trail

On a true backpacking trip, hikers do not return to a car or cabin at night. Everything they need is in their packs.

“It’s what’s in their backpack,” Howell said. “They’re carrying their food. They’re carrying their bedding. We’re going to filter water and then set up camp and then continue to hike the next day.”

The route at Cheaha will include the Pinhoti Trail, a long-distance footpath through the mountains of east Alabama. Howell said the group will cover about 13 miles over the two days with roughly 2,200 feet of elevation gain, a serious change of scenery for hikers used to the flat terrain of the coast.

“It’ll be challenging but doable, but I’m going to teach everybody,” she said.

Cheaha State Park, in the Talladega National Forest, surrounds Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama. The park is known for rocky overlooks, hardwood forests and sweeping views, especially in fall.

A passion for the outdoors

For Howell, the trip is about more than exercise.

“It’s my passion,” she said. “I love backpacking. I love camping. I love the survival aspect of it, starting a fire with just a spark. I just, I love all that, so being able to kind of share that with the community and get them outside and practicing those skills and learning those skills, it’s just, it makes me happy.”

Skills such as filtering water, choosing and packing gear, planning meals and setting up camp are the foundation of safe backpacking. Learning them with an experienced leader before heading into the backcountry can make a first trip far more enjoyable and much safer.

Cost and spots

• Residents: $80
• Nonresidents: $90
• Included: Transportation in a city van
• Group size: Six slots available
• Trip dates: Nov. 7–8, Cheaha State Park and the Pinhoti Trail
• Final class: 5:30–6:30 p.m. Nov. 5, Cultural Center gym, Oak Road West

Prefer s’mores? The Sims Park family campout

For families who would rather camp close to home, the city’s Family Camping Night at Sims Park on Nov. 7–8 offers what Howell’s program does not: a short drive, a bonfire and a sing-around-the-campfire atmosphere.

“Spend the night under the stars with the family and enjoy s’mores, a cozy bonfire, games and plenty of family fun,” a city release states. “Don’t forget your sleeping bags or bedding, chairs, snacks and drinks, bug repellent and flashlights.”

The city will rent a tent and provide food, including s’mores, for a family of four for $50 for the night, or $30 for families that bring their own tent. Families can bring more than four people for $5 per additional camper. Grills and pets are not allowed.

South AL News previously reported details on the Sims Park family camping night, including registration information.

Two ways to get outside

Together, the two programs give Gulf Shores residents a choice of how deeply to dive into the outdoors this fall: a demanding mountain trek with everything on their backs, or an easy night under the stars a few minutes from home. Residents interested in either can contact the City of Gulf Shores Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department for registration information.