An extensive collection of parks and greenways exists in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...

for the public's recreational use.

Parks

Parks within Huntsville city limits

The city of Huntsville currently has 57 parks which cover over 3,000 acres of land.

Proposed parks

*Capshaw Road Park *Zierdt Road Park

Current greenways

, there are 9 greenways with of trail.

Aldridge Creek Greenway

Aldridge Creek Greenway is a 103.55-acre greenway consisting of a walking and biking trail in South Huntsville that runs along Aldridge Creek connecting Ken Johnston Park to Ditto Landing and the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

. The greenway runs north along Aldridge Creek from the main trailhead for 1.25 miles to the sidewalk on the west side of Bailey Cove Road just north of Country Lane Drive and south to the entrance of Ditto Landing, about 3.5 miles. The address of the park is 1100 Mountain Gap Road at Ken Johnston Park just west of Bailey Cove Road. Parking is also available on the south end of the greenway at Ditto Landing and additional parking is located behind Challenger School on Chaney Thompson Road. The city had planned to continue the greenway north to connect to Atwood Linear Park Greenway. However, Valley Hill Country Club will not allow the city to expand the greenway through their golf course. The city has plans to construct future segments of the greenway from the current north terminus to the east end of Esslinger Road.

Atwood Linear Park Greenway

Atwood Linear Park Greenway is a trail that connects Jones Family Park to the Valley Hill Country Club. The trail is a multi-use walking and biking trail that runs along Atwood Drive in the Jones Valley area of Southeast Huntsville. Parking is available at Jones Family Park on the north side of Four Mile Post Road.

Big Cove Creek Greenway

Big Cove Creek Greenway is a 53-acre greenway in southeast Huntsville's

Hampton Cove Hampton Cove is a master-planned housing subdivision located in Big Cove area of Huntsville, Alabama. Situated in the foothills and valleys of North Alabama's Cumberland Plateau, the Housing lies in the coves between Monte Sano Mountain and G ...

subdivision that runs along Big Cove Creek north to just south of Caldwell Lane. There is a multipurpose walking and biking trail that is long that connects the Flint River greenway to the Hampton Cove community. The city of Huntsville plans to extend the greenway north to

Monte Sano Mountain Monte Sano Mountain is a mountain located in Huntsville, Alabama. The name ''Monte Sano'' is Spanish for "Mountain of health". This name comes from the fact that curative health resorts used to be located on the mountain to take advantage of th ...

and connect it to the existing Arrowhead trail.

Flint River Greenway

The Flint River Greenway is one of the newest greenways in the city of Huntsville. It is located in southeast Huntsville in the Hampton Cove subdivision. Currently, there is a walking and biking trail connecting Old US 431 to the Big Cove Creek Greenway in the Hays Nature Preserve where parking is available. The city of Huntsville plans to extend the greenway south along the Flint River to eventually connect to the Tennessee River greenway. When completed, the greenway will be long and contain canoe launch sites spaced throughout the length of the greenway.

Gateway Greenway

Gateway Greenway is a long trail that connects Veterans Park to Pratt Avenue in downtown Huntsville. Parking is available along Meridian Street.

Indian Creek Greenway

Indian Creek Greenway is a series of greenways that make up of walking and biking trails in West Huntsville. The north section of the greenway is located in the Providence subdivision off of

University Drive University Drive is a major east–west thoroughfare in Huntsville, Alabama, following US Route 72 into the city from the west. The highway carries on average approximately 56,000 vehicles a day at . Route Description From the west, US 72 enter ...

. The larger, south section of the greenway, which is long, runs from Creekwood Park to Old Madison Pike just west of

Cummings Research Park Cummings Research Park, located primarily in the city of Huntsville, Alabama is the second largest research park in the United States and the fourth largest in the world. It is one of the world’s leading science and technology business parks, with ...

. Parking is available at the trail heads at Creekwood Park and off Old Madison Pike east of Slaughter Road.

Little Cove Road Greenway

Little Cove Road Greenway is made up of a long trail that connects Big Cove Creek Greenway north to the Flint River in Southeast Huntsville. The greenway travels along Little Cove Road/Eastern Bypass/Old Hwy 431.

Tennessee River Greenway

The Tennessee River Greenway connects to the Aldridge Creek Greenway at Ditto Landing in South Huntsville and adds an additional of walking and biking trail that runs along the Tennessee River. This greenway connects Ditto Landing to the Madison County Marina. Parking is available at Ditto Landing. The City of Huntsville plans to extend the greenway south along the river and will end at the Flint River, where it will eventually connect to the Flint River greenway.

Wade Mountain Greenway

In North Huntsville lies nearly of greenway known as Wade Mountain Greenway with of a paved trail and is an unpaved hiking trail.

Proposed greenways

*Barren Fork / Miller Branch - Southwest Huntsville near Huntsville International Airport that will connect Martin Road with Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge *Betts Spring Branch Greenway - Southwest Huntsville. Along with a proposed Madison City greenway of the same name, will connect to Indian Creek Greenway and

. *Big Spring - Downtown Huntsville. This greenway will connect Big Spring Park to the

Monte Sano Nature Preserve Monte Sano Nature Preserve is, at , one of the largest urban nature preserves in the US and is located on Monte Sano Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama. The Land Trust of North Alabama manages the nature preserve and Land Trust volunteers have cre ...

. *Blevins Gap - Hampton Cove/Jones Valley. This greenway will connect Big Cove Greenway to

Blevins Gap Nature Preserve Blevins Gap Nature Preserve is a nature preserve in southern Huntsville, Alabama. It measures in total and contains over 12 miles of trails within its borders. Cecil Ashburn Drive splits the preserve into two parts. The northern section measures ...

and Baliey Cove Road running along Cecil Asburn Drive. *Blue Spring Creek - Northwest Huntsville. *Broglan North - Northwest Huntsville. *Broglan South - West of Downtown Huntsville. This greenway will connect Holmes Avenue to

Governors Drive Governors Drive is a major east–west thoroughfare in Huntsville, Alabama. It follows U.S. Route 431 (US-431) in east Huntsville and State Route 53 (SR-53) in west Huntsville. Governors Drive is one of the main entrance points to the city from ...

. *Chapman Mountain - Northeast Huntsville. This greenway will connect

Monte Sano State Park Monte Sano State Park is a publicly owned recreation area and mountaintop retreat encompassing on the eastern portion of the top and slopes of Monte Sano Mountain on the east side of Huntsville, Alabama. The state park has 1930s-era, Civilian Co ...

will

Alabama A&M Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Alabama A&M) is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1875, it took its present name in 1969. AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshal ...

. *Dallas Branch - North of Downtown Huntsville. *Dry Creek Northwest Huntsville. This greenway will connect Providence and Indian Creek Greenway with Wade Mountain. *Huntsville Spring Branch - West Huntsville. This greenway will run north/south connecting Downtown with Ditto Landing. *Knox Creek - West Huntsville near Athens. This greenway will run south of Capshaw Road connecting Limestone Creek with Wall Triana Highway. *Limestone Creek - Limestone County. This greenway will run 14 miles, connecting East Limestone to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. *McDonald Creek - Southwest Huntsville. This greenway will connect

U.S. Space and Rocket Center The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is a museum operated by the government of Alabama, showcasing rockets, achievements, and artifacts of the U.S. space program. Sometimes billed as "Earth's largest space museum", astronaut Ow ...

with

John Hunt Park John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

. *Pinhook II - North of Downtown. This greenway will run north from Big Spring Park to

Sparkman Drive Bob Wallace Avenue and Sparkman Drive are major thoroughfares in Huntsville, Alabama that connect to make a horseshoe-shaped road around the city. The two roads run through several residential neighborhoods and school zones including the Universit ...

. *Smithers Mountain - Northeast Huntsville. *Spacewalk I - East Huntsville. This greenway will connect the

Burritt Museum Burritt on the Mountain is an open-air museum in Huntsville, Alabama. The museum grounds on Round Top Mountain, a plateau connected to Monte Sano Mountain, were the estate of local physician William Burritt, who willed his house and land to the ...

and

with Blevins Gap. *Spacewalk II - East Huntsville. This greenway will connect Blevins Gap (Blevins Gap Nature Preserve) with

Madison County Nature Trail The Madison County Nature Trail a.k.a. Green Mountain Nature Trail is a park in Huntsville, Alabama. It is located above the surrounding communities atop Green Mountain in southeast Huntsville. A trail surrounds Sky Lake. Facilities include a c ...

. *Spacewalk III - East Huntsville. This greenway will connect

with

Ditto Landing DITTO is a company that sells software that aids eyewear companies sell their products online using virtual fitting. Originally DITTO was a retailer that sold designer prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses. The company is based in San Francisco, ...

. *Wallace Mountain - Southeast Huntsville. This greenway will connect Spacewalk III with the Flint River. *Warparth Ridge - East Huntsville. This greenway will connect

with the Flint River. *Weatherly Mountain Greenway - South Huntsville. *Zierdt Road - West Huntsville.

Trails

Blevins Gap Nature Preserve
offers 10.5 miles of hiking trails on 971.12 acres
Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve
offers 3 miles of hiking trails with plans for 10 miles of trails *

, located on Green Mountain, has of walking trail around a large lake *

offers over of hiking trails
Monte Sano Nature Preserve
the green backdrop for the city of Huntsville, offers 1,107 acres and 23+ miles of public trails.
Singing River Trail of North Alabama
is a future 70-mile bicycling and walking trail that will connect Huntsville to multiple nearby cities.

Preserves

Goldsmith Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary

The Goldsmith Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary is located in southeast Huntsville, near Hampton Cove, to the west of the Hays Nature Preserve.

Hays Nature Preserve

The Hays Nature Preserve, located in southeast Huntsville near the subdivision of Hampton Cove, is the city's largest and most undeveloped parklands. The Flint River and Big Cove Creek greenways run through the nature preserve and connect with various hiking trails along the way.

Monte Sano Nature Preserve Monte Sano Nature Preserve is, at , one of the largest urban nature preserves in the US and is located on Monte Sano Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama. The Land Trust of North Alabama manages the nature preserve and Land Trust volunteers have cre ...

Located on

, Monte Sano Nature Preserve covers making it one of the largest urban nature preserves in the US, larger than

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

. It includes over of trails for hiking and mountain biking, which connect to

and

Burritt on the Mountain Burritt on the Mountain is an open-air museum in Huntsville, Alabama. The museum grounds on Round Top Mountain, a plateau connected to Monte Sano Mountain, were the estate of local physician William Burritt, who willed his house and land to the ...

. This Preserve is managed in partnership with the Land Trust of North Alabama.

Wade Mountain Nature Preserve

Wade Mountain Nature Preserve is a series of greenways and trails that make up of walking and hiking trails in North Huntsville.City of Huntsville - Wade Mountain Preserve
/ref> The trails are made up of paved trail and {{convert, 4.375, mi of unpaved hiking trails that lead up Wade Mountain to the Devil's Race Track. This Preserve is managed in partnership with th
Land Trust of North Alabama.

References

Protected areas of Madison County, Alabama Tourist attractions in Huntsville, Alabama Culture of Huntsville, Alabama Parks in Huntsville, Alabama Greenways