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If you’re out to score a trophy buck, outwit a black beard or engage in battle with a lunker bass then take to the back roads of Alabama’s Black Belt—a region that delivers both wild adventures, lazy pleasures, better stories and the best of memories!
This south-central part of the state spanning from Mississippi to Georgia is named for its blanket of dark soil. Its fertile earth has long yielded an abundance of wildlife providing legendary deer hunts, plentiful gobblers on the roost, ducks and snarly wild boars. More than fifty outfitters call the Black Belt home and provide all-inclusive hunting excursions and our expansive public lands are top-notch for hunting success.
Exploding bobwhite coveys will test your wits while enjoying the work of skilled canine hunting companions. You have your choice of the traditional mule drawn wagon, horseback or quail buggies.
Our many rivers and lakes are renowned fisheries for aggressive bass, a mess of crappie, monster catfish and full-tilt thrills on whitewater rapids. Lake Eufaula is known as the “Bass Capital of the World” and other bountiful bodies of water include the Alabama, Black Warrior and the Tombigbee Rivers. Experienced fishing guides for all species are found throughout the region.
We’re proud of the storied history in champion bird dogs and the small town of Union Springs is recognized as the “Field Trial Capital of the World”, and rightly so. They’ve been hosting the National Amateur Free-for-All Championship (formerly known the National Shooting Dog Championship) since 1950.
The Black Belt is also home to the Stokes World Record Gator taken in August of 2014. The hunt took place on the Alabama River near Camden, Alabama by life-long resident Mandy Stokes—wearing her pearls! The massive bull weighed in at 1,011 lbs. and measured 15-foot, 9-inches. Mandy still holds the world record and it’s on display.
You can first take an armchair adventure through the pages found in our award-winning coffee table book—Black Belt Bounty. Steeped in the traditions of our hunting and fishing heritage, you’ll be captivated by the stunning photos and artwork and entertaining stories contributed by national acclaimed wildlife photographers and scribes. There’s also a section of wild game recipes shared by Alabama James Beard chefs, hunting lodges, and many others.
If the adrenaline rush is not your game, then visit for a slower paced adventure. You’ll find paddle excursions by canoe or kayak are the perfect vehicles for wildlife observation, birding and gator sightings, all of which provide perfect photo-ops. Our resort state parks offer great hiking trails, camping and fire-side marshmallow roasts and river views.
Our scenic backroads connect charming small towns that are steeped in history and folklore as rich as that black dirt. Living off the land is the way of life around here and farmers markets dot the landscape around almost every corner. You can feed your adventure on local flavors like fried green tomatoes, fiery pepper jelly, buttery cheese straws, salty boiled peanuts, craft brews, distilled spirits, smoky BBQ and a slice of that all-time southern favorite—Pecan Pie!
There’s artistic heritage to experience at the boyhood home of country crooner Hank Williams and in the tiny home town of Harper Lee that inspired her to pen “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Search for yesterday’s treasures in the nooks and crannies of antiques stores or shop the creations of local talented woodworkers, painters of all mediums, skilled potters and more.
Mother Nature shows off big in the Black Belt. So, grab your gear and head to Alabama’s Black Belt for your adventure!