Jonathan and I took some friends of mine to see The Big Tree (the biggest tree in Alabama) in the Sipsey Wilderness of North Alabama as a day hike following the Big Tree Shortcut Trail in and out.

We started this #hike at the Thompson Creek trailhead, following Trail 206 until we hit the White Oak Hollow, there we took the Big Tree Shortcut trail up over the ridge and down into West Bee Branch Canyon. Then we hiked down and around to the East Bee Branch and followed that up to where we had lunch at The Big Tree. The Big Tree is a yellow poplar that is about 25 ft (7.6 m) in circumference and about 150 ft (45 m) tall.

After hanging out at the Big Tree for a while, where we ran into some friends old and new, we retraced our steps back down the East Bee Branch, up West Bee Branch and up over the ridge and back to the Thompson Creek trailhead.

Despite what our GPS recording shows (it was very jittery today for some reason), this trail is actually about 6 miles long and does have that 400 ft climb up and over the ridge each way that can be very steep in places. So, take your time and take along some water.

It was a beautiful fall day with the trees just shy of maximum color and we had a great time in the Sipsey Wilderness.

The Sipsey Wilderness (#sipseywilderness) lies within the Bankhead National Forest in northwestern Alabama. Sipsey was the first designated wilderness area in Alabama in 1975 and now encompasses about 24,922 acres (10,086 ha). Rivers and streams have carved canyons and valleys in the limestone and sandstone of the local plateau resulting in a wide range of micro-climates in a short hiking distance, some amazing natural features, a few historic sites, as well as endless nooks and crannies to explore. Wilderness camping, building campfires, hunting, and fishing are permitted. Sipsey is a "Leave no Trace" area ([ Ссылка ]) with, despite appearances, no designated fire rings, camp sites or facilities. Unfortunately, there are many traces of the hundreds who hike and camp here every year. Please be considerate and do not add to the already extensive damage in this special place.

My custom maps of the Sipsey Wilderness: [ Ссылка ]

My other videos of the Sipsey Wilderness:
[ Ссылка ]

The Big Tree Shortcut Loop Trail info (we only did a segment of this): [ Ссылка ]
Sipsey Wilderness info: [ Ссылка ]

Equipment:
Camera: GoPro Hero8 Black: [ Ссылка ]

Title card music by Lobo-Loco: [ Ссылка ]

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