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Moderate Hiking Trails near Huntsville

The directory currently contains 18 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Huntsville. Their average mapped distance is 2.9 km and average recorded ascent is 96 m (315 ft); the longest route in the set is 17.4 km.

This subset represents 55% of the 33 quality-checked routes near Huntsville. Its average distance is 2.9 km, compared with 3.5 km across the full local set.

Every route in this set is rated moderate by the directory’s distance-and-elevation model. Technical terrain and live conditions are not part of that rating. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 6 (33%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

1.6 km

Stone Cuts Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

36 m

Cold Springs Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

1 recorded loop

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Moderate

Mountain Mist Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
103 m
Typical duration
1 hr 7 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Cold Springs Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
28 min
Moderate

South Plateau Loop

Alabama · United States

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
85 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
Moderate

Stone Cuts Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
98 m
Typical duration
29 min
Moderate

Varnedoe Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
54 m
Typical duration
42 min
Moderate

Whole Planet Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
11 min
Moderate

Sugar Tree Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
177 m
Typical duration
46 min
Moderate

Stevenson Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
65 m
Typical duration
16 min
Moderate

Fanning Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
4.9 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
302 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
Moderate

Bailey Cove Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
76 m
Typical duration
13 min
Moderate

Falling Sink Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
109 m
Typical duration
22 min
Moderate

Jones Valley Loop Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
52 m
Typical duration
18 min
Moderate

Lowry Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
49 m
Typical duration
10 min
Moderate

Mill Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
118 m
Typical duration
20 min
Moderate

Smokerise Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
110 m
Typical duration
40 min
Moderate

Carpenter Trail

Alabama · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
53 m
Typical duration
13 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Mountain Mist TrailAlabama4.7 km103 m1 hr 7 minModerateApril to October
Cold Springs TrailAlabama2.0 km36 m28 minModerateApril to October
South Plateau LoopAlabama5.4 km85 m1 hr 15 minModerateApril to October
Stone Cuts TrailAlabama1.6 km98 m29 minModerateApril to October
Bill and Marion Certain TrailAlabama3.0 km130 m50 minModerateApril to October
Varnedoe TrailAlabama3.0 km54 m42 minModerateApril to October
Whole Planet TrailAlabama0.5 km45 m11 minModerateApril to October
Sugar Tree TrailAlabama2.4 km177 m46 minModerateApril to October
Stevenson TrailAlabama0.8 km65 m16 minModerateApril to October
Fanning TrailAlabama4.9 km302 m1 hr 29 minModerateApril to October

Mountain Mist Trail, Cold Springs Trail, Stone Cuts Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

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Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

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Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

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Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

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