Horse riding around Huntsville (Athens, Skyline: appointed, house, live)

[ognend]

Hello,

I got a job with a company out of Huntsville, the job is really working from home so I can live anywhere. But, I saw the price of land just 20+ miles outside of the city and compared to other areas - it is darn cheap! I can have a nice house with 20 acres for under $200K, hay for my horses and a small hobby farm too...

So, my wife and I are contemplating moving there.

My question concerns horses - we have two and like to ride them out on trails. Are there any trails, forests, etc. in the proximity to Huntsville? Within one hour of trailering/driving is fine... Where do people generally ride in the area?

Any information is appreciated.

Thanks!
OD

[E Limestone Dude]

Here is a 10 mile trail in Athens you can ride:

Rails to Trails

[pamnbam]

Buck's Pocket is supposed to be really nice; it's about an hour--hour and a half from Huntsville.

[ognend]

Thanks!

When I look at the map of Alabama, to the East and North-East of Huntsville there is a large green area that looks mountainous. I am a bit ignorant on the geography of this part of the country - can someone tell me what those (mountains?) are? Google Maps does not label them as anything...

Thanks!
OD

[FTG-05]

Originally Posted by ognend

Thanks!

When I look at the map of Alabama, to the East and North-East of Huntsville there is a large green area that looks mountainous. I am a bit ignorant on the geography of this part of the country - can someone tell me what those (mountains?) are? Google Maps does not label them as anything...

Thanks!
OD

Most if not all of it is private property. There is some land up there that is Forever Wild land with county road access, but most of it is private.

Near Huntsville, I'd say Bankhead NF or the Skyline WMA area. I don't know if you can ride horses in the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge.

[Southlander]

I don't think horses are allowed in Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, but Bankhead National Forest - the parts in Lawrence and Winston counties - does. You might want to check their websites.

[pamnbam]

Also, if you happen to find a riding buddy at Redstone Saddle Activity (they board close to 90 horses), you could use their trails as a visitor. I hear they've got miles of beautiful trails out there, too.

[writerwife]

You might try calling a few of the stables around the huntsville area. They may have some trails or be aware of trails that you can ride on. A lot of folks on the outskirts of different areas do have horses and own property and will let others ride there.
I'm not in Huntsville anymore, I'm out toward Bankhead that some have mentioned (On the map I'm actually in the Bankhead Forest area) and though there is a lot of good riding area there, it really is quite a drive out from Huntsville.

[ognend]

Originally Posted by writerwife

You might try calling a few of the stables around the huntsville area. They may have some trails or be aware of trails that you can ride on. A lot of folks on the outskirts of different areas do have horses and own property and will let others ride there.
I'm not in Huntsville anymore, I'm out toward Bankhead that some have mentioned (On the map I'm actually in the Bankhead Forest area) and though there is a lot of good riding area there, it really is quite a drive out from Huntsville.

Thank you very much!
OD

[deesonic]

Man. Based on the thread title, I was expecting a report on a horse riding around town unchecked. A little disappointed...