VIEWPOINTS: Birmingham trailhead could create Maine-to-Alabama Appalachian Trail

By Tom Cosby

The Pinhoti Trail is Alabama's link to the Appalachian Trail, whose southern terminus is Springer Mountain, Ga. Completing the trail southward to Flagg Mountain in Alabama (considered to be the southernmost mountain in the entire Appalachian chain) would bring the AT to within 50 miles east of downtown Birmingham. (The Birmingham News file)

The most famous hiking trail in the world is the Appalachian Trail, hands down. The "AT" draws hikers, explorers, photographers, botanists, birders and those simply seeking quiet contemplation -- not only from our country but from around the world. It also has a very special connection to Birmingham that few here know about.

In 1921, a man named Benton MacKaye first envisioned the Appalachian Trail. At the founding Appalachian Trail Conference in 1925, he presented the idea of an AT stretching from Georgia to New Hampshire, with trail extensions north to Katahdin (Maine) and "then to Birmingham, Alabama." The Appalachian Trail was born.

Leaders in Maine took advantage of this and extended the AT to their state from New Hampshire in 1937. Many years later, in the early 1990s, volunteers began quietly extending Alabama's Pinhoti Trail northward to Springer Mountain, Ga., the current southern terminus of the AT -- and also southward to Flagg Mountain, Ala. (Flagg Mountain is considered to be the southernmost mountain in the entire Appalachian mountain chain.) It is about 50 miles east of downtown Birmingham, high above the sleepy hamlet of Weogufka. While there is still work to be done, the possibility of an unbroken trail stretching the entire length of the Appalachians, from Alabama to Maine, is tantalizingly close.

More than just acquiring the land and conservation easements, raising funds and physically building the trail (led by such stalwarts as Mike Leonard, Pete Conroy, Alabama Hiking Trails Society, Appalachian Trail Club of Alabama, U.S. Forest Service, Alabama State Parks, Lee Sentell, state Reps. Paul DeMarco, Richard Lindsey and many, many others), we should create the infrastructure to encourage AT hikers worldwide to start their trek at Flagg Mountain rather than the current official terminus at Springer Mountain. As we like to say, "God is on our side," since the true southern end of the Appalachians is here in Alabama, not Georgia. If you want to hike the entire Appalachian Mountain chain, you'd better start here.

With all this exciting work going on, wouldn't it be remarkable to create, here in our city, a place designated as "The Birmingham Trailhead"? A place that would help fulfill MacKaye's original vision by serving as the official southern check-in point for all AT through hikers headed north? It could provide up-to- the-minute trail information to all hikers, with maps, trail news, outfitters and shuttle services to Flagg Mountain.

But more than just disseminating Appalachian Trail information, such a "trailhead" could also help introduce our citizens to our city's and state's magnificent outdoor pursuits. After all, Birmingham sits at a rare convergence of four physiographic zones, lending itself to a diversity of flora and fauna enjoyed by few other places in the nation. The Birmingham Trailhead could serve as a public "concierge" of outdoor information guiding visitors and residents to all the local and statewide hiking trails, wildflower walks, birding spots, greenways, bike routes, single track, "rails2trails," jogging routes, as well as spots for hang gliding, bouldering, canoeing and kayaking.

The Birmingham Trailhead would fill a need that is simply not currently met: the ready provision of free information about what to do outdoors, where to go, when to go and how to experience the natural wonders of our region. The information is available in part on the Internet, assuming you know what you're looking for in the first place. (Pity the poor, unprepared tourist wandering the Web for reliable information.) Assuming the Birmingham Trailhead was near the city center, it could take advantage of its proximity to transportation terminals in the state's largest city to serve many people.

Much has been said about the desirability of recruiting young professionals and the "creative class" to Birmingham to provide able employees for the emerging high tech/knowledge economy. Research tells us that this coveted demographic is not particularly attracted to cities that only serve up predictable spectator sports and shopping malls. The Birmingham Trailhead can showcase our assets to these much-sought-after people, and help Birmingham better compete with cities such as Charlotte, Nashville, Chattanooga, Greenville and Asheville that already leverage their outdoor assets to win over this demographic.

Creating a home here for the Birmingham Trailhead and letting it serve as "information central" for both the region's and the state's remarkable outdoor activities -- while offering the world a southern gateway to the famous Appalachian Trail -- will serve our city well.

Surely, Benton MacKaye would be proud to see his dream for Birmingham finally become a reality, even if it has taken 90 years.

Tom Cosby is a lifelong Birmingham resident, proud civic booster and hiking enthusiast. Email: Cosby1@bellsouth.net. Keep up with this movement on Facebook by going to facebook.com/AppalachianTrailtoAlabama.