Sipsey Wilderness

The Sipsey Wilderness lies within Bankhead National Forest around the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River in northwestern Alabama, USA. Designated in 1975 and expanded in 1988, the 24,922-acre Sipsey is the largest and most frequently visited Wilderness area in Alabama and contains dozens of waterfalls. It was also the first designated wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. The wilderness consists of the low plateau of Brindley Mountain which is dissected into a rough landscape by several creeks and rivers. Due to the layers of limestone and sandstone that make up the area, waterfalls are very common. The Sipsey wilderness is in the Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests ecoregion. Much of the wilderness was once logged, but new growth forests have now taken hold in the logged areas. Today there are 7 trail heads and 12 officially maintained trails within the forest. The Sipsey River Picnic Area is the only trail head with a fee.