plot of restored land in the eastern US could be a wilderness just as much as a larger tract of virgin land in the west. Official trailheads Sipsey River Picnic Area Randolph Trailhead Thompson Trailhead Borden Creek Trailhead Braziel Creek Trailhead Gum Pond Trailhead Flannigin Trailhead Directions to trailheads are available from the Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club. Official trails FT 200: Borden Creek Trail, . FT 201: Rippey Trail, . FT 202: Randolph Trail, . FT 203: Lookout Trail, . FT 204: Bee Ridge Trail, . FT 206: Thompson Creek Trail, . FT 207: Braziel Creek Trail, . FT 208: Northwest Trail, . FT 209: Sipsey River Trail, . FT 210: Mitchell Ridge Trail, . FT 223: Gum Pond Trail, . FT 224: Bunyan Hill Trail, . Trail maps are available from the U.S. Forest Service, and from Briartech. During the 2011 Super Outbreak of tornadoes, there was extensive damage to much of the north Sipsey area. It was not considered feasible to fully repair the trail system at the time and efforts were focused on more popular routes. Several badly damaged trails were considered "abandoned" indefinitely, pending the resources to clear them. There is a notice to this effect placarded at the main Sipsey Trailhead, however this notice is not always present at outlying trailheads. It appears that more recently (beginning in late 2013) some effort to clear and reroute the remainder of these trails has started taking place, although it is limited and trail reports continue to suggest difficulty hiking and following some less common trails. It is suggested that potential hikers find reliable recent information while planning a hike. Places of interest Saltpeter Furnace: Located not far from the Bee Branches, a small cave is hidden by a waterfall, and that cave was once so important that a small skirmish was fought at the nearby Hubbard's cotton mill during the American Civil War. The cave is a source of saltpeter, a major ingredient in the manufacture of gunpowder. Sipsey River Picnic Area: Where Cranal Road crosses the Sipsey River, a day-use area has been constructed to allow for picnicking and to serve as a parking area for hiking in the area. A $3 per vehicle day use fee is charged. References The Battle for Alabama's Wilderness; Saving the Great Gymnasiums of Nature, by John N. Randolph External links Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club - Sipsey Wilderness Hiking Club