South Region - Hiking Alabama: A Guide to the State's Greatest Hiking Adventures - page 189

Maps: USGS McCalla, AL; DeLorme: Alabama Atlas & Gazetteer, page 46 A2;
online at www.alabamaforeverwild.com
Trail contact: Alabama State Lands ADCNR, 64 N. Union St., Montgomery, AL
36130; [phone]; www.alabamaforeverwild.com
Finding the trailhead: From Tallassee at the intersection of AL 14 / E. Barnett Av-
enue and AL 229 / Jordan Avenue, take AL 14 east 2.3 miles. Turn left onto
Macedonia Road and travel 3.1 miles. Turn left onto Hicks Store Road and travel
1 mile. Turn right onto Gravel Pit Road and in 400 feet turn right onto Coon
Creek Landing Road. Follow the road to the boat ramp / parking area. The kiosk
and trailhead is on the left (west) side of the parking lot. GPS: N32 35.838' / W85
52.831'
The Hike
The Tallapoosa River flows from the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia some
265 miles until it merges with the Coosa River. Several sections along its route
have been dammed, creating a number of lakes and reservoirs. Near the town of
Tallassee the Yates Dam was constructed to provide power to the region. A side
benefit to the dam was the creation of recreational opportunities in the area, in
particular boating and fishing on Yates Reservoir.
In February 1995 the Alabama Forever Wild program purchased a 320-acre
tract of land along the banks of a feeder creek to the river, Coon Creek, to provide
environmental education as well as recreational opportunities such as fishing,
hunting, boating, and paddling. In 2009 the agency added to those recreational
possibilities by opening two hiking trails here: the Wood Duck Trail and this trail,
the Overlook Loop.
This aptly named 1-mile loop takes you high above the creek for some impress-
ive views. Late spring through summer the foliage is thick so the view is ob-
scured, but in late fall and winter it's really nice. In the spring the white flowering
dogwoods brighten the way. All along the route you will see a wide variety of
mushrooms and fungi like turkey tail, plus wildflowers including trillium, silver
bells, and hypatia.