Bankhead National Forest Suggestions

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ChuckBax

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203
West Lafayette, IN, USA
First Name
Charlie
Last Name
Baxter
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26688

My wife and I are planning to go to Bankhead National Forest in Alabama to do some dispersed camping and light overlanding in mid to late February. We'll be taking her Crosstrek with our RTT and have a fair amount of camping experience and quality gear.

I'm looking for suggestions about points of interest, campsites, or routes that anyone has enjoyed in Bankhead NF. Any personal experience anyone has in the area would be be appreciated!
 
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Tundracamper

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Launch Member

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3,068
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Shepard
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22670

I live just a couple of hours from Bankhead. That was one of the first forests I went to for Overlanding. Unfortunately, I don’t recall seeing a ton of dispersed camping spots (certainly not to the degree of Talladega, Cherokee, or Chattahoochee NFs). There are several horse/hunting camps and Brushly Lake has a campground and nice trail. I don’t think Brushy Lake would be busy in winter. West of 33 is mostly hiking areas with paved roads along the perimeter, though there are some FS roads.
 

Tundracamper

Rank VI
Launch Member

Influencer I

3,068
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Shepard
Member #

22670

You could probably hike most of the trails in 4 days. I definitely prefer the western portion as opposed to the eastern portion. More rivers and water, etc. Trail maps etc available on web.