Old Railroad Bed Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Utilizing an abandoned turn of the century railroad bed, the Railroad Bed Trail runs from Toll Gate Trail to the North Alabama Land Trust Bankhead Trail. Along the way it intersects with Wagon Trail, Fagan Springs Trail, Alms House Trail, Belue Trail, before ending at the Bluff Line Trail.

The railway was built to transport people to the top of Monte Sano and the Monte Sano Hotel. Along the entire trail, you can see the fruits of their labor where the workers had cut out large swaths earth to decrease the grade for the trains. Most impressive is the 175 ft bridge that crossed Fagan Creek of which only the some of the large stone blocks and dirt ramps still exist.

From its start, the Railroad Bed Trail is straight and flat and very obviously an old railroad bed. The grade gradually starts to increase after you pass The Wagon Trail and continues to do so the entire trail. Around the 1/2 mile point, the trail starts to increase in difficulty as it crosses over Fagan Creek before reaching the best part of the trail about one mile in where there was once a large train trestle. The large stone footings from the old bridge are now used to support a wooden bridge. After the old bridge, the grade gets steeper and the path gets more rocky as it winds its way up the mountain until finally terminating at the Bluff Line Trail.