Alabama trails · Vernado Trail
Vernado Trail
A 3.9-mile network in Alabama, with 340 ft of climbing. Reaches Madison County Nature Trail Lake and other lake/pass destinations. Managed by the state.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 53% of the ascent falls between mile 1.3 and mile 2.6. It gives back about 304 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Madison County Nature Trail Lake (lake)
- Blevins Gap (pass)
Getting there
Blevins Gap — parking nearby. About 24 min drive (14 mi) from Huntsville. 34.65678, -86.51637 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:25 a.m., the sun rises at 6:50 a.m. and sets at 6:12 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:38 p.m. (CDT) — 11 h 22 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 3.9-mile route takes roughly 1 h 36 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 8:26 a.m. — 9 h 46 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Vernado Trail + West Bluff Trail — 3.7 mi loop, 506 ft gain
- West Bluff Trail + Vernado Trail — 1.6 mi loop, 136 ft gain
- Vernado Trail — 3.7 mi loop, 483 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Fanning Trail — 0.0 mi
- Arrowhead Trail — 4.5 mi
- Natural Well Trail — 4.5 mi
- McKay Hollow Trail — 5.9 mi