Hiking_AL-29

Start: Parking lot at south bathhouse next to Open Pond

Distance: 5.8-mile loop

Hiking time: About 3 hours

Difficulty: Easy to moderate (due to distance) over flat to mildly rolling hills

Trail surface: Dirt footpath, some sandy service road

Best seasons: Fall–late spring

Other trail users: Cyclists

Canine compatibility: Leashed dogs permitted

Land status: National forest

Nearest town: Andalusia

Fees and permits: Day-use fee per car

Schedule: Year-round, sunrise to sunset

Maps: USGS Wing, AL; DeLorme: Alabama Atlas & Gazetteer, page 58 F5

Trail contact: Conecuh National Forest, 24481 AL 55, Andalusia, AL 36420; (334) 222-2555; www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/alabama/recreation/picnickinginfo/recarea/?recid=30107&actid=71

Special considerations: Hunting is permitted in all of Alabama’s national forests and may restrict access to trails. Please visit the Forest Service website for dates and restrictions.

Finding the trailhead: From Andalusia at the intersection of US 84 (River Falls Street) and US 29, take US 29 south 11.2 miles and turn left onto AL 137 South. Travel 5.4 miles and turn left onto Open Pond Road. Travel 0.3 mile and turn right onto CR 28 (Tower Road). Travel 1.1 miles and come to a Y. There is a self-pay kiosk here. Pay your day-use fee and put the tag in your window. Take the left fork and park in the lot behind the bathhouse. The trailhead is on the south side of the parking lot. Three 6-inch-round creosote poles blocking an old, short dirt road mark the beginning of the hike. GPS: N31 05.408' / W86 32.675'

The Hike

There are two distinct sides to Conecuh National Forest. To the north are some amazing cypress ponds that you can visit on the Nellie Pond Loop. To the south is the wide and fast-flowing Five Runs Creek and a big, beautiful, crystal-clear blue spring cleverly called Blue Spring. You will experience the latter along the Five Runs Loop Trail.

The trail takes you far from the Open Pond Recreation Area, a campground that can be very crowded most any time of the year. Because you’re removed from the madding crowd, you’ll have a better chance of seeing some of the wildlife that calls the forest home. Many endangered species live here, including the flattened musk turtle and red-cockaded woodpecker, which was placed on the Endangered Species List in the 1970s due to timber cutting that resulted in the rapid disappearance of the bird’s habitat. The good news is that cooperation among timber companies, government agencies, and private organizations seems to be resulting in survival of both the red-cockaded woodpecker and the timber industry.

This species differs from other woodpeckers in that it is only about 6 inches long, does not sport a red head, and resides in live trees instead of dead or dying ones. These woodpeckers prefer to burrow into live pines, taking advantage of the tree sap, which serves as a deterrent to predators and protects the trees from fire. The woodpecker got its name during the Civil War. The Confederate army distinguished the rank of its officers with a red feather, known as a cockade, on the side of their hats. The male woodpecker of the species has a small red cockade on the side of its head.

There is also a good chance you will encounter white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, and wild turkeys, plus a variety of waterfowl including wood ducks, pied-billed grebes, and belted kingfishers.

As you walk the trail, keep an eye out for white-topped pitcher plants in the small bogs along the route. During the right season you’ll see plenty of wildflowers, including pink orchids and black-eyed Susans. And in the warmer months, you’ll definitely cross paths with snakes like corn snakes, black racers, and black pine snakes.

The highlight of the trip is the water features. You will pass both Buck’s and Ditch Ponds, then come to Five Runs Creek. This is a wide and fast-flowing black-water stream that feeds the Yellow River and eventually flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The creek is dotted with small drops and shoals.

Finally you will come to Blue Spring. This is a beautiful crystal-clear, icy blue natural spring. It is so clear, you can see the rock formations far below the surface. The spring is plenty deep and makes a great place to swim in the hot summer months. There is a dirt bank on one side, while a retaining wall holds the bank up on the opposite side.

The final pond you’ll come to is Alligator Hole. Alligators are sometimes sighted here. Heed the posted warnings. It is a federal crime punishable by jail time and a $5,000 fine for an individual, or $10,000 for a group, to injure or molest an alligator. I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing: Who in their right mind would molest an alligator? Just don’t tangle with them!

There are only two issues with this hike. First, if you do decide to hike this in the summer, be ready for mosquitoes, lots of them along the creek. The second is that all the trails in Conecuh National Forest, including the Five Runs Loop, are marked with the same white diamond blazes. There are a few times at the beginning of the loop that you will see white blazes on side trails that are not part of the hike. Review the “Miles and Directions” section carefully for tips on not taking the wrong path.

0.0	Start from the parking area next to the south bathhouse at Open Pond. The entrance to the trail is about 100 yards northwest of the bathhouse. Three 6-inch-round creosote poles mark the entrance (they are actually used to keep people from driving in on the abandoned dirt road at this point). In 300 feet pass a white-diamond-blazed trail on the right (south). You will see Buck’s Pond straight ahead to the east. Continue straight toward the lake. In another 200 feet turn right (south) onto a second white-diamond-blazed trail. The trail is now a 2-foot-wide dirt path. Nice views of the pond are to your left (northeast).
0.5	Ditch Pond is to your left (west).
0.6	A trail comes in from the north. A sign here points the direction to Blue Spring to the east and the Blue Lake Recreation Area to the north. Turn right onto the side trail and head north. The trail is still blazed with white diamond markers.
1.0	Cross an abandoned service road. You will see an established campsite to the left (east). In about 400 feet cross another abandoned service road.
1.3	Pass a bench.
1.4	Cross a creek and wetland over a 25-foot-long bridge.
1.5	Pass a bench.
1.9	Cross FR 348A to the east.
2.2	The path is more grassy here for a short distance. Look for pitcher plants alongside the trail.
2.5	Cross FR 337 to the northwest.
2.6	Cross a narrow creek. After the crossing, Five Runs Creek will be on your right (east).
2.7	Cross a runoff on a makeshift bridge: two 2-by-12-by-10 boards. There is a pond on your left (west) and Five Runs Creek on your right.
2.8	The trail is a bit washed out, about a 3-foot section. You will need to hop this one carefully. A steep bank to the creek is next to the trail. In 100 feet you’ll see a line of shoals in the creek and then come to a Y. The right fork to the northeast is a short, 20-foot trail to the creek with a better view of the rapids. Take the left fork. You will be walking away from the creek.
2.9	Come to a T intersection. Turn right (northeast) and walk across a long wooden bridge. After crossing the bridge, come to another T with a dirt service road. Turn right (east) onto the road. In 200 feet arrive at Blue Spring. After visiting the spring, turn around and retrace your steps back to the bridge and cross it to the southwest.
3.0	After crossing the bridge, continue straight (west) on the wide hard-packed clay path.
3.1	Come out to a small, open, grassy area. In 200 feet come to a Y. Take the left fork to the northeast (a large brown sign that reads Trail is here, pointing the way).
3.2	Cross FR 337 to the west.
3.5	Pass a small bog with a few pitcher plants.
3.7	Cross FR 348A to the west.
4.1	Cross FR 348 to the north.
4.5	Cross a wetland over a 120-foot-long bridge.
4.7	Pass a wildlife food plot on the right. In 200 feet cross an abandoned service road to the west.
4.9	Cross an abandoned service road. In 500 feet cross a creek over a 20-foot bridge. In the right season there are wildflowers blooming here.
5.1	A trail comes in from the southeast. A sign here points the direction to the Open Pond Recreation Area (0.7 mile to the south) and Blue Pond Recreation Area (3 miles to the west). Turn left onto the dirt footpath (the blazes are still white diamond markers). You will be walking next to Alligator Hole on your right (west).
5.2	Cross a creek over a 15-foot bridge.
5.3	Come to FR 348. Turn right (west) onto the road. In 200 feet take the left fork of a Y onto a small sandy road that will take you along the banks of Ditch Pond.
5.6	A paved road T-bones at the dirt road you are walking on. Continue straight on the dirt road to the southwest. A sign here points the direction to both Ditch and Buck’s Ponds.
5.7	The road crosses over a culvert (there is a short split-rail fence on either side of the road). You are back at Buck’s Pond, where you started the loop. Turn right (northwest) and follow the dirt road the short distance back to your vehicle.
5.8	Arrive back at the trailhead.