CRATA is building more hiking trails in Elmore County
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CRATA expands
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lmore County is home to scenic trails created and maintained by the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association, and use of the trails has skyrocketed in the past few years. So much so that CRATA is working toward opening three new paths in the 6,000-acre Alabama Forever Wild stateowned lands. CRATA is a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by local outdoor enthusiast and advocate Jimmy Lanier and friends. The group works to expand offerings to the public through trail construction, educational kiosks, signage and guided maps. Managed by a board of directors, CRATA’s mission is to increase the opportunities for outdoor activities and educate the community on good stewardship for the area’s natural resources. Two popular trails opened in Elmore County about five years ago on Yates Lake. The John B. Scott and Railroad trails have gained popularity over the years, and CRATA board member Walt Hutcheson said any given weekend morning, the parking lots to the trailheads are packed. “We have a sign-in log, but we estimate that less than half of people that arrive sign in,” he said. “So, we don’t know exactly how many people use the trails, but you usually see 20 to 25 cars parked out there.” These trails run just south of Martin Dam on the Forever Wild Gothard-Yates Lake Wildlife Management Area, surrounded by pine-hardwood hills and creek valleys on Yates Lake. The Forever Wild WMA allows for hunting, fishing, birdwatching, canoeing and wildlife viewing and serves as a nature preserve for educational studies. The John B. Scott Trail features 4.7 miles 20
weaving along the Tallapoosa River. The Cherokee Bluffs Dam Railroad trail follows the historic railroad bed built in the early 1920s and used in the construction of Martin Dam. Hikers can choose the 2.7-mile journey to Channahatchee Creek or follow the Highline and Lowline railroads to Elmore County’s highest point, Saddle Rock Mountain. “The first year of the pandemic when a lot of people worked from home, our trails were overrun,” Hutcheson said. “We saw a huge increase in traffic on our hiking trails because more people were outdoors.” Over the last two years, Hutcheson said CRATA has been negotiating with the state to expand the hiking trails in three phases. Since the area in question is owned by the state and heavily managed by the Department of Conservation, CRATA has to submit detailed plans requesting the creation of hiking trails. The plan includes a GPS track of the proposed trails, followed by an environmental study done by state employees. “Biologists have to actually investigate if that path is good for people to walk without impacting any endangered species,” Hutcheson said. “They have to make sure we’re not going to create a negative impact on the environment and land.” The nonprofit submitted a three-year plan and is awaiting approval on the latter two. In the meantime, it received the greenlight on phase one, which should be complete this year. The trails will spotlight the Channahatchee Creek and shorelines of Yates Lake and the Tallapoosa River. When complete, all three phases will add roughly 12 miles of trails and connect back to the current 2022-23 FYI
