Hiking_AL-18

Start: Village Point Preserve trailhead at Bayfront Park

Distance: 1.8-mile lollipop

Hiking time: About 1.5 hours

Difficulty: Easy over level terrain

Trail surface: Gravel and dirt roads, boardwalks

Best seasons: Late Feb–mid-May, mid-Sept–early Nov

Other trail users: Cyclists

Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted

Land status: City nature preserve

Nearest town: Daphne

Fees and permits: None

Schedule: Year-round, dawn to dusk

Maps: USGS Bridgehead, AL; DeLorme: Alabama Atlas & Gazetteer, page 63 D6; brochures available online (see trail contact)

Trail contact: City of Daphne Parks & Recreation Department, 2605 US 98, PO Box 400, Daphne, AL 36526; (251) 621-3703; www.daphneal.com/residents/parks-recreation

Finding the trailhead: From the intersection of I-10 and US 98, take US 98 south 1.7 miles. Turn right onto Main Street (a Publix shopping center is on the right at the turn). In 200 feet turn right onto Bay Front Drive. Travel 0.4 mile to the parking area. The trailhead is well marked on the west side of the parking lot next to Mobile Bay. GPS: N33 37.793' / W87 55.117'

The Hike

It’s rare that you get so much history and natural beauty in a single trail within the heart of a city, but that’s what you’ll find on the Village Point Park Preserve Trail in Daphne.

Located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, the city of Daphne is situated on the southern end of the second-largest river delta in the country, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, a fertile land teeming with wildlife, fish, and reptiles, making it a perfect location for civilization to take root. Native Americans, including Choctaws, Tensaw, Creeks, and Seminoles, called this land home thousands of years ago.

The region, however, has had an identity crisis. It was first settled by Europeans, Spain to be exact, in 1557. The Spaniards named the land La Aleda, or “the village.” France came in to claim the territory in the early 1700s only to lose the land to Great Britain after the French and Indian War in 1763. The area then became part of the United States following the defeat of the British in the War of 1812.

The park was created in 2004 by the City of Daphne to protect its history and environment, and the trail here was named a National Recreational Trail in 2011. The trail at Village Point will take you back in time to explore a little of that history as it makes its way over a boardwalk around the mighty Jackson Oak, a giant, sprawling, Spanish moss–laden oak tree where some historians believe General Andrew Jackson made an address to his troops before the famous Battle of New Orleans.

The trail also winds its way around D’Olive Cemetery. In the early 1800s Village Point was the site of the D’Olive Plantation, home of the oldest family in Daphne and Baldwin County. The cemetery is all that remains of the plantation, with many of the tombstones engraved in French. You will learn more about the D’Olive family and Jackson Oak at audio kiosks located at each site.

Besides history, Village Point Park Preserve is a favorite for nature lovers. Just after leaving the trailhead, the path takes you over a beautiful wetland with floating lilies, a wonderful view of Mobile Bay to the west, and a good chance for you to see American alligators in their natural habitat. I can’t stress it enough, alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but feeding them changes the rules. Do not feed the alligators!

From there the trail takes a short side trip to Mobile Bay itself. A small boardwalk takes you over a slough to a nice sand island, where you can take in a gorgeous sunset over the bay.

Most of the trail from here on out uses wide gravel and dirt service roads. You won’t find much motorized traffic here, only the occasional city truck doing trail maintenance. The tall pines and magnolias along this section provide a nice, shady canopy. Depending on the time of year you hike the trail, you will see a wide variety of wildflowers and trees, many of which are identified with signage.

The walk around Jackson Oak is over a composite boardwalk and deck, allowing you good access to the tree but keeping you far enough away. Several ancient live oaks in south Alabama have been killed intentionally by vandals, and the City of Daphne wants to keep this one safe.

The only exception to the service road and boardwalks the trail uses comes at the west end of the trail’s loop. Here the path takes you into the woods on a more traditional 2-foot-wide dirt footpath on the D’Olive Plantation Nature Trail. Along this section, many of the trees are identified with signs and there are several benches for you to rest on as you make your way to the cemetery and Jackson Oak.

0.0	Start from the Village Point Park Preserve trailhead located about 250 feet west of the parking lot on Mobile Bay. The trailhead is well marked. The hike begins on a boardwalk over a wetland.
0.2	Come to the end of the boardwalk. The trail becomes a wide dirt and gravel road and heads off in two directions, to the left (east) and straight ahead. For now, continue straight ahead to the south.
0.3	The trail turns to the right (west), crosses a bridge over a slough, and comes out on a small sand island. There is a fishing pier at the end of the bridge. When you’re ready, turn around and retrace your steps to the end of the first boardwalk at mile 0.2.
0.5	Return to the south end of the boardwalk and turn right (east).
0.6	Come to a T intersection with another dirt road. Turn left here and head east. A right turn dead-ends at a locked fence and gate.
0.8	Pass a side trail with a bridge over Yancey Creek to your right (south). This is an access trail to the Harbor Place condominiums and is private property. Don’t go there. Continue straight (east). In about 400 feet come to a fork in the trail. This is the southwest end of the trail’s east loop. Take the right fork. In just a few feet, turn right (south) onto the D’Olive Plantation Nature Trail. There is a small sign indicating the trail entrance, but it can be hard to see when the area is overgrown. The trail is a narrow, 2-foot-wide dirt footpath through a thick forest with a good, shady canopy.
1.0	Come to a boardwalk that encircles the massive Jackson Oak. The boardwalk is made of a composite material to alleviate problems with rotting. There is an audio kiosk here that tells the history of the oak tree, along with picnic tables off to the side. After the boardwalk, continue on the dirt footpath to the north and in 200 feet cross a dirt service road. A sign points the way to D’Olive Cemetery.
1.1	Arrive at D’Olive Cemetery. Another audio kiosk is located here that tells the history of the D’Olive family and their plantation. After exploring the cemetery, continue west on the trail. In just a few hundred feet there are portable toilets and picnic tables. Shortly after that arrive at the south end of the loop.
1.6	Return to the boardwalk. Turn right (north).
1.8	Arrive back at the trailhead.

Hiking Information

Local Information

Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, 29750 Larry Dee Cawyer Dr., Daphne, AL 36526; (251) 621-8222; www.eschamber.com

Local Events/Attractions

Jubilee Festival, Main Street, Daphne; (251) 621-8222; www.eschamber.com/area_jubilee.php. Held September of each year, the Jubilee Festival is a celebration of living on the Alabama Gulf Coast with plenty of entertainment, arts and crafts, and food.

5 Rivers Delta Safaris, Bartram Landing, 30841 Five Rivers Blvd., Spanish Fort; (251) 259-8531; www.5rds.com. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is the second-largest river delta in the country, and 5 Rivers Delta Safaris can take you right into the bayous with American alligators, black bears, and more with ecotours, canoe and kayak trips, and camping trips.

Restaurants

Market by the Bay Takeout Restaurant, 29145 US 98, Daphne; (251) 621-9994; www.marketbythebay.com. Serves up great local seafood at affordable prices.

Organizations

Village Point Foundation, PO Box 1374, Daphne, AL 36526; www.villagepointpark.org