Monte Sano State Park

Such a nice place to go explore right outside of Huntsville. I am from Salt Lake City and got used to having mountains, canyons, hiking and camping right outside my door, just a fifteen minute drive away. This isn’t QUITE the same thing, but it is so nice to find a similar spot in the south that has the comforts of the city AND a nice place to explore the outdoors within miles of each other. This park has great views and a convenient location.

Monte Sano state park is beautiful. There are so many trails, and the variety in difficulty and length make it the perfect place for a quick hike or an extended trip. There are also mountain biking trails, which are in good condition. The only thing to note is that on the Natural Well trail, there is a huge mud slide that hasn’t been cleared yet, so if you want to hike that trail you must cross the area, which can be very difficult depending on the condition of the ground and if you don’t have the right shoes.

The past couple of times that I have been here, I have enjoyed this place. The trails are not too hard to hike, they are bike and dog friendly. I haven’t camped here before, but it looks pretty standard as far as any national park goes. Definitely want to return in the summer for more greenery, but I love making this stop. Worth a gander for the beginning adventure seekers out there.

I grew up going to this park every chance I could.
Wonderful park with views to match.
The playground and camping areas are just wonderful, and so are the trails!
Great place for kids, dogs, and adults!

This is a gem of a place in the city limits of Huntsville AL. If I lived here I would be a regular. The view is spectacular. The campsite is beautiful. Just be warned primitive means primitive. No water on the site and the bathroom is far away. But it was well worth it.

Hubby and I enjoyed the great weather last weekend and took some hikes around Monte Sano State Park. The highlights for us were the vistas on the North Plateau loop and the tea garden. On the flat trails there are a lot of mountain bikes, so we had to keep our ears and eyes open, but overall there weren’t too many people there. We also hiked to the fire tower, and it wasn’t exactly what I’d been expecting. It appears to still be in use, surrounded by a fence, and decorated with a bit of graffiti. We only found porta-​potty restrooms, and the shop is closed for construction. Parking was easy, the trail map worked well, and lots of picnic tables and grills scattered around the park.

Logged about 3 miles hiking the trails in this park. Beautiful landscape. Saw streams, mini caves and a variety of weird plants. If you love nature, this is heaven.

Pretty nice little state park with some cool terrain. Lots of good trails. If there’s been rain recently you might even get to see some waterfalls among the sandstone and limestone cliffs. I wish they would allow backcountry camping. Not sure why they don’t. Seems like they could just charge a couple bucks for permit and it would be an easy way to make some money because it’s a good park for an easy 1 or 2 night backpacking trip. But I guess that’s typical of this state. Not exactly welcoming of outdoor activities unless it involves hunting.

Love the views, and the pavilion which can be really great for groups. I admit I have spent some times swinging on the kiddie swings.. .so much fun!!!
The honor box system for admission – does any one actually pay?

I love the walking/​hiking trails. The one to the firewatch is overrated at the end though because you can’t actually climb up the firestand to the see the view, which is kind of the point to hiking to a firewatch.
The trails aren’t clearly marked either, so sometimes you come to an intersection and choose the wrong trail. They all kind of go in circles though, so you’ll probably not get lost in the woods. There are these «outdoor classrooms» though that give you a history of a certain spot and/​or info on the natural environment in the area, which I really liked.
Oh, and the observatory is closed but still listed on the map. Not sure what was up with that…
I’ll be back.

I’ve never seen so many trails in one park before! At least none that were close enough together that you could feasibly start on one and end on something completely different. Mountain views, claiming water falls, even a rock quarry (no, you can’t go inside, though) are part of the many components of this fabulous park. With so many trails to walk, it’s easy to lose track of time and your place in the world — my group certainly did… My only qualm is that the signs aren’t always clearly marked, but every trail makes a loop (or meets up with a trail that does) and so eventually you’ll wind up back at the parking lot. But isn’t getting a little lost part of the adventure anyway?
There were a number of cabins here, so if a weekend away in the woods is your thing, it looked easy enough to do here. I didn’t stay in a cabin, though, so I can’t say if they’re decent or not.
Overall, a fabulous hiking park in the land of a thousand caves. Take a hike. No, really!

Awesome trails, awesome vistas. Looks like it would be good for group outings and picnics. There’s a lodge for rent for larger events, and larger the picnic area also has playground equipment.
There are lots of trails, that are bike and dog friendly, that go through many parts of the park and make it easy to experience different views.
There’s also a Frisbee Golf course, but we did not take the challenge.
A friend has their rehearsal dinner here a few years ago (I didn’t realize until we were leaving this time that I’d been here previously, to a different part) and we had stayed in the cabins that are for rent. A solid nature experience, away from the city, for those who don’t want to brave the elements and the full outdoor experience.