There are places you go for one reason and leave with something you never expected to find. Indian Mountain ATV Park in Piedmont, Alabama is one of those places. You come for the trails. You come for the mud and the elevation and the sheer thrill of navigating 4,700 acres of rugged terrain. And then you get to the top of a mountain called God's Path, and you realize this place is something else entirely.
On a recent episode of Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama, I sat down with LaBreeska Ponder, co-owner of Indian Mountain ATV Park and a powerhouse in the Alabama outdoor industry. What followed was one of the most moving conversations I have had in 112 episodes. I did not expect to tear up talking about an ATV park. And yet.
From Boom Town to Off-Road Destination
Most people who come to Indian Mountain know it as one of the largest private off-road parks in the Southeast. What they may not know is what the land was before any of that.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, this property was a literal boom town. Iron ore was mined here, and at its peak the area drew real estate investors and major industry, including North American Arms Gun Foundry, whose foundations are still visible on the property today. There was even a five-story hotel called the Signal Hotel, one of the first in Alabama to have running water and electricity. Guests would arrive by railroad and be brought up by horse and carriage to stay the night.
Then the boom ended, and the land became a ghost town.
LaBreeska's parents acquired the property in 1985, when it was overgrown with timber and the history was buried under decades of quiet. Her father began uncovering relics. The stories started coming back to the surface. And when LaBreeska and her husband purchased the property through her parents' estate, they knew they wanted to honor what had come before.
The park's office was built on the exact footprint of the Signal Hotel. A large sign on the front of the building tells that history to every visitor who walks through the door. Inside, photographs donated by the Cherokee County Historical Museum line the walls. People come in ready to ride and leave knowing they have been somewhere that mattered long before they got there.
Indian Mountain ATV Park opened in February 2020, and has since welcomed riders from Uruguay, Russia, Japan, and beyond. The president of Suzuki showed up with an interpreter to see what all the fuss was about. Polaris travels from Minnesota to host training events on the property. Manufacturers come to test their machines because, as LaBreeska explained, the park offers a little bit of every terrain they look for. It is the kind of place that speaks for itself.
130 Miles of Trails and the Wildlife You Did Not See Coming
With 4,700 acres and 130 miles of trails stretching across Cherokee County, Indian Mountain manages its footprint day by day, adjusting for weather and trail conditions with the kind of responsiveness that only comes from a team that genuinely loves the land. LaBreeska and her husband ride the trails themselves. They listen to their riders. It is a group effort, and it shows.
The wildlife is part of the draw in a way that surprises most first-time visitors. Deer and turkey are plentiful in every size from newborn to full-grown. A black bear meanders through on occasion, caught on camera by neighboring properties as well. Bobcat, mountain lion, and black panther have all been spotted or photographed on the property. Beavers, otters, and geese make their home near the water.
And then there is the albino squirrel.
He lives just off one of the main trails, and he is, as LaBreeska put it, a fat and happy little critter who loves to come out and show his white color. I love that.
The park also has a fully stocked watershed, and fishing is open to anyone who wants to try their luck. The largest bass ever pulled from it was caught by a nine-year-old boy on a lightweight rod. Ten pounds. He thought he had snagged something on the bottom. He had not. That kid now has a fish story that is going to keep growing for the rest of his life, and honestly, he earned it.
Stay Awhile: Camping, Cabins, and the Families Who Keep Coming Back
Indian Mountain added RV and camper hookups in September 2020, just months after opening, and the experience transformed almost immediately. Out-of-towners had a reason to stay through the weekend. Locals brought their campers anyway, just to sit around a fire after a full day on the trails and talk through everything that happened. LaBreeska described it as story time, and I think she is exactly right about what camping does for a family.
A VIP hookup section has since been added for those who want a larger site, and cabins are available for onsite accommodations. The cabins tend to book out fastest, particularly during spring break season, when families descend on the park for the whole weekend. LaBreeska's tip: jump on the website three to four weeks in advance if you want a cabin, and call the office if you need help booking.
One detail from our conversation that I have not stopped thinking about: Indian Mountain has seen at least two occurrences of five generations of the same family riding together on the same day. Five generations. Out on those trails. Together. That says everything about what kind of place this is.
LaBreeska talked about watching kids who came with their parents when the park first opened in 2020 grow up and eventually drive themselves to the park. Some of them now pull the trailer. She still calls them kids. They are 19, 21 now. They remind her how old they are. She does not care. She watched them grow up.
For first-time visitors: helmets are required for ATV riders at all times. Side-by-sides require seatbelts or harnesses. Full-size vehicles and Jeeps are now welcome as well. All trails are two-way, so you can always turn around if a trail exceeds your comfort level, and bypass options exist around the harder sections. Stick to what feels right for your skill level and enjoy every bit of it.
God's Path
At the end of every episode, I ask my guests about something unexpected they have experienced in their work in North Alabama. LaBreeska's answer stopped me cold. I said afterward, in 112 episodes, this might be the most powerful story I have ever heard. I meant it.
Before Indian Mountain opened in 2020, the team was putting up trail signage to label and name the routes. LaBreeska's mother-in-law, a good Christian woman who loves to paint, offered to help make the signs. She painted many of them, and when she was done, she had named a few beyond the numbered designations. One of those names was God's Path.
She told LaBreeska: I do not know what the meaning is behind this sign, but the Lord laid it on my heart and I had to do it. Y'all take it and put it wherever you think it needs to go. I have done what I am supposed to do.
They put it on the trail that climbs the highest point on the property. A mile and a half from bottom to top. At the peak, you are at more than 1,800 feet above sea level. On a clear day, you can see Mount Cheaha, West Lake, and towns spread out across the horizon in every direction.
A rider volunteered to build a flagpole for the top of the mountain. They installed it together. And LaBreeska's son-in-law, her oldest daughter's husband, who was deployed to Afghanistan at the time, said: if you wait for me, I will bring you something when I get home.
They waited.
The first flag ever flown at the top of God's Path had flown at his base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It went up at a special ceremony. LaBreeska paused when she told me this part. There was not a dry eye, she said.
They fly that flag only for special events now. Every time they do, they tell the story behind it.
Then another rider, a welder, asked if he could make a cross to go up at the summit. He took it up one day and installed it himself. So when you look out over those mountains from the top of God's Path, you see a flag and a cross against the sky.
LaBreeska said that people have come to faith at the foot of that cross. Riders who came for the trail and left changed. She said she likes to tell folks that the road up God's Path is not straight and it is not easy. But neither is our path on earth.
Indian Mountain hosts veterans groups throughout the year, riders who come to clear their heads and get back to something real. They hear the story of the flag. Some of them knew exactly what that base in Kandahar meant.
I told LaBreeska that what her mother-in-law started with a paintbrush and a prompting from the Lord had grown into something none of them could have planned. She agreed. She said God is good all the time, and I believe she has earned the right to say it.
Plan Your Visit
Indian Mountain ATV Park is open Thursday through Sunday. Hours vary by day, so check the website before you head out. The park is located in Piedmont, Alabama, in Cherokee County. You will need to bring your own machine, whether that is an ATV, side-by-side, motorcycle, or full-size vehicle or Jeep. No rentals are available on-site.
For trail maps, cabin reservations, camping hookups, park rules, and everything else you need to plan your visit, head to indianmtnatvpark.com. You can also find them on Facebook at Indian Mountain ATV Park, and join the Indian Mountain ATV Park Friends Group for community questions and updates. Reach the office directly at (256) 300-1223 or by email at indianmtnatvpark@gmail.com.
Listen to the Full Conversation
There is so much more from my conversation with LaBreeska, including what it was like to open in February 2020 just weeks before the world changed, the full story of the Polaris training events, and what LaBreeska has learned about community from the riders who have become more like family than customers. To hear the full episode, tune in to Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama on your favorite podcast platform and search for the episode featuring LaBreeska Ponder of Indian Mountain ATV Park.
All links are in the show notes. Go check them out. And then go find your way to the top of that mountain.
