11 extraordinary Alabama natural attractions you can visit during spring break

People who aren’t from Alabama often don’t realize the wide-ranging natural beauty found here. We have mountains, white-sand beaches, remnants of once-vast prairies, red clay, the rich soil of the Black Belt and an array of flora, fauna and wildlife.

Families looking for spring break and summer trips might want to think about destinations that will bring them closer to nature.

We rounded up 11 of our favorite natural attractions in Alabama to add to your list.

Natural Bridge

U.S. Highway 278 W, Natural Bridge, Ala.

Entry fee: Yes

About 28 people call the Winston County town of Natural Bridge home, overseeing one of Alabama’s natural wonders: the Natural Bridge. The 148-foot sandstone bridge is the longest east of the Rockies, according to NorthAlabama.org. The arch of the bridge is 60 feet above the path below.

Goat trees

109 Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL

Entry fee: No

Most people think of the Sea Lab when they think of Dauphin Island but it’s also home to some unusual oaks known as Goat Trees. According to a legend recounted on AlabamaBirdingTrails.com, the trees located near Shell Mound Park once served as shelter for wild goats that inhabited Dauphin Island. The trees have limbs that reach as far as 50 feet and grow nearly parallel to the ground, providing the perfect climbing surface for goats. These days, the Goat Tree Preserve is listed as part of the National Wetlands Inventory and provides habitat for dozens of birds, including warblers, vireos and gnatcatchers. It is a favorite destination of bird watchers.

White Cliffs of Epes

Gorgas Memorial Bridge, Epes, Ala.

Entry fee: No

Although there is no convenient access point to this incredible natural phenomenon, it can be seen from below the Gorga Memorial Bridge over the Tombigbee River. The rare white cliffs “are part of the Selma Chalk formations which were deposited at about the same time as England’s famous White Cliffs of Dover,” according to RuralSWalabama.org.

Tourism groups have been in discussions to create trails and better access to this unique feature of Alabama.

Dismalite ‘glow worms’

901 County Road 8, Phil Campbell, Ala.

Entry fee: Yes

A trip to Dismals Canyon in the daytime is fascinating enough but when you visit at night, you have a chance to see the glowing critters that cling to the sides of its boulders. Called Dismalites, they are the larvae stage of a unique insect “that emits a bright blue-green light to attract food, in the form of other flying insects,” according to DismalsCanyon.com. “It requires a select habitat to survive: humidity to prevent it from drying out; hanging surfaces to allow it to build sticky webs to trap the food; an adequate food supply of insects; a still atmosphere to prevent lines from tangling; and darkness to allow it to show a light. Dismals Canyon provides the perfect habitat for these unique insects to survive.”

Alligator Alley

19950 County Road 71, Summerdale, Ala.

Entry fee: Yes

Talk about your old-fashioned roadside attraction: Alligator Alley allows visitors to walk onto boardwalks to see some of the more than 600 alligators. Keep in mind that this is a sanctuary and the animals live in their natural swamp setting.

The attraction’s website says, “From alligators seen in their natural habitat to other inhabitants including turtles, ospreys, owls and bullfrogs, adventure awaits you at every turn on a self-guided tour through the swamp.”

Noccalula Falls

500 Noccalula Road, Gadsden, Ala.

Entry fee: Yes

Noccalula Falls is a gorgeous 90-foot waterfall into the Black Creek ravine. While the falls themselves are worth the trip, Noccalula Falls Park offers plenty of family fun.

You can walk along the park’s paved walking trail system, ride the authentic Huntington miniature train, visit the petting zoo and tour the Pioneer Village that includes a historic covered bridge. There is a separate fee to play the mini golf course in the park.

Cathedral Caverns

637 Cave Road, Woodville, Ala.

Entry fee: Yes

Cathedral Caverns State Park in Marshall County offers cave tours that include the “Goliath” stalagmite, a frozen waterfall and more. The mouth of Cathedral Caverns is one of the largest natural cave openings in the world at 126 feet wide and 25 feet high. The park includes picnic facilities, a gift shop and gemstone mining.

Cherokee Rock Village

2000 County Road 70, Leesburg, Ala.

Entry fee: Yes

Cherokee Rock Village sits a top Lookout Mountain in Cherokee County. Visitors to the site can go rock climbing, hiking and camping. The Cherokee Rock Facebook page says, “This rock outcropping atop Lookout Mountain has been known by many names over the years including Cherokee Rock Village, Little Rock City, Sand Rock and Sandrock. It is believed to have been of ceremonial importance to Native Americans. The view of Weiss Lake and the surrounding area is spectacular. Cherokee Rock Village has been popular with rock climbers since the early 1970s even before there was a road to the site.”

The Bamboo Forest

800 Upper Kingston Road, Prattville, Ala.

Entry fee: No

In a section of a 26-acre area in Prattville called Wilderness Park, bamboo grows as much as 60 feet high and 6 inches in circumference. It was the first designated wilderness park in the country. In the 1940s, someone sent a packet of seeds to the owner of the property, who planted them. Before long the exotic plants covered a wide area of the property. The trees form a canopy overhead, making it a unique hiking spot, according to Alabama Recreation Trails.

The Hiding Tree

Blakeley State Park

34745 Alabama Highway 225, Spanish Fort, AL

Entry fee: Yes

Kids love crawling in and around the “Hiding Tree” at Blakely State Park. Blakeley, once a thriving town in the 1800s, is now a ghost-town-turned-state-park, according to Blakeley Park’s website. The site has lots of trails and natural features, as well as a cemetery and a Civil War fort site. One attraction that draws visitors is the Hiding Tree, which has a large, human-sized opening at its base. Legend says that during the Civil War, soldiers would crouch in the natural hollow, either to hide from attackers or to ambush them.

Mushroom, elephant rocks

Horse Pens 40

3525 County Road 42, Steele, Ala.

Entry fee: Yes

A natural Alabama site with the odd name of Horse Pens 40 is also a favorite of rock climbers. Located in St. Clair County near Steele, it is described on its website as “a natural wonderland of unique rock formations nestled atop Chandler Mountain in the foothills of the Appalachians.” The surfaces of many of the boulders appear scaly, like reptiles, and one is known as Dinosaur Rock. You can also see Elephant Rock, Mushroom Rock and more.

Horse Pens 40’s name comes from its natural shape that formed an enclosure for livestock and horses for people hiding from invaders during the Civil War or for outlaws on the lam, according to its website.