Scenic North Alabama Motorcycle Route-Covered Bridges
Three covered bridges still exist in Blount County, the Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama and home of the popular Covered Bridge Festival. Enjoy a scenic drive through farmlands and rolling hills on tree-lined roads with lots of curves.
Swann Covered Bridge
- Location: 1590 Swann Bridge Road Cleveland, AL 35121
- Phone: (205) 247-9640
1. Swann Bridge
Located one mile west of Cleveland, just off Alabama 79, and is the longest in the south with a 324 feet span.
2. The Easley Bridge
North of Oneonta on U.S. 231 between Oneonta and Cleveland at Rosa (turn on the road leading beside Pine Grove Baptist Church). It is considered the “baby” of the three bridges at just 95 feet but may be the most picturesque of them all. It is a Town-type bridge 14 feet wide and just 18 feet above the river there. It was built in 1927 and 1928 shortly before the other two.
3. Horton Mill Bridge
Built in 1935 to replace another, located about three-fourth mile below the present site and built in 1894 or ’95 by L.M. Horton. The 42,000 board feet of lumber required for Horton Mill Bridge’s town-truss style was bought at $17 per thousand. All work was done strictly, securely, and solidly “by hand” without benefit of modern tools. Horton Mill rises 70 feet above the Calvert Prong of the Warrior River making it the highest covered bridge above water in the United States. The restoration of the bridges in the early and mid-1970s was due primarily to efforts of the Blount County Historical Society. Horton Mill then became the first covered bridge in the South to be named to the National Register of Historic Places. Horton Mill Bridge is located just to the left off Alabama75 about five miles north of Oneonta.
Spring Valley Beach Water Park
- Location: 2340 Spring Valley Beach Drive Blountsville, AL 35031
- Phone: 205 429-2323 205 429-2075
- http://www.springvalleybeach.com
4. Spring Valley Water Park
Spring Valley Beach Water Park is located less than one hour from Huntsville, Decatur, Birmingham, and Pell City, and has one of the largest swimming pools in the Southeast. The park offers six water slides: The “Sidewinder,” the “Chiller,” “Black Out,” “The Need for Speed,” and an above-ground slide, the “Circle S” and the new “360 Rush.” Hours: Daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. from mid-May to Labor Day.
Wills Creek Winery
- Location: 10522 Duck Springs Rd. Attalla, AL 35954
- Phone: (256) 538-5452
- http://www.willscreekwinery.com
5. Wills Creek Winery
Where European tradition meets southern charm, Wills Creek Vineyards and Winery is nestled in the peashell hills of Duck Springs Valley, in the heart of the Duck Springs Wildlife Preserve. The facility offers a winery, wine tasting room with free samples and meeting space. A beautiful deck offers views of the Appalachian Mountain pea shell hills and Duck Springs nature preserve and pond. Events are held throughout the year including harvest festivals where visitors can take part in grape stomping, farm to table dinners using local produce, winemaking classes, just to name a few.
Lake Guntersville State Park
- Location: 1155 Lodge Drive Guntersville, AL 35976
- Phone: (256) 571-5440
- http://www.alapark.com/lakeguntersville
6. Lake Guntersville State Park
Located along the banks of the Tennessee River in Northeast Alabama, Lake Guntersville Resort State Park promises to satisfy whether you are looking for a resort-style retreat or an outdoor adventure in the park’s 6,000 acres of natural woodlands. One of the main attractions at the park soars high above all the others. Thanks to conservation efforts Alabama's nesting bald eagle population is increasing, and Guntersville has become a focal point of Eagle Awareness in the state. Each year, on select weekends in January through the first weekend in February the park’s Eagle Awareness programs entertain and educate the public about our once endangered national symbol.