Yellowhammer Outdoor Development

Yellowhammer Outdoor Development Yellowhammer Outdoor Development is the statewide initiative of North Alabama Trails and Recreation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

05/29/2026

🛶 Summer Paddling is here… 🌊

And what better time than Rivers of Alabama Day to learn how YOU can get out on the water this summer.

Rivers of Alabama Day highlights the immense value and importance of Alabama’s waterways.
At ASRT, we believe that the appreciation of those waterways helps foster their longevity, so we are delighted to bring you another installment of our Summer Paddling Programs.

🛶 Summer Paddling Series: These paddling events offer collaboration with local outfitters so that new and learned paddlers can get out on the water.

🛟Bring Your Own Float: Perfect paddling opportunities for those with a bit more experience and their own equipment. You’ll be guided by one of our own Trail Angels!

🌊 Partnership Paddles: These co-hosted events elevate state orgs and offer a chance to paddle with the staff.

Visit tinyurl.com/ASRT-events, or the link in our bio
⬇️
Registration is currently open for May events

We recently ventured out to DeKalb County to check on some exciting progress with our YOD project partners. If you haven...
05/29/2026

We recently ventured out to DeKalb County to check on some exciting progress with our YOD project partners. If you haven't been out this way lately, you are missing out on some incredible transformations!

📍 Mentone Brow Park
This hidden gem has been a project close to our hearts, and its true beauty is really starting to unravel. The "second shelf" of the brow has undergone a massive overhaul! A huge shoutout to Fields Land Management for coming in and clearing out the thick brush. Following that, local Mentone resident Alex Watters stepped in to add some strategic beautification, masterfully shifting the native brow rocks into a stunning rock wall.

This transformation is laying the groundwork for some amazing amenities, including a new picnic area, a walking track, and a proposed observation deck to take in those endless views—plus, we have hopes for a future bouldering site for climbers! 🧺🚶‍♀️🧗‍♂️✨

📍 High Falls Park
From Mentone, we headed south to High Falls Park to check out the newly completed Entrance Improvements. This project marks Phase 1 of the park reaching its full potential while ensuring visitors stay safe as they take in the incredible falls. 🌊🥾

We are so proud to partner on these spaces. Do yourself a favor—go visit these amazing parks, take in some of the most breathtaking views in the county, and follow along as we continue the progress!

Our team had an incredible time at the Alabama Recreational Trails Leadership Workshop at beautiful Tannehill Ironworks ...
05/28/2026

Our team had an incredible time at the Alabama Recreational Trails Leadership Workshop at beautiful Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park!

The workshop, “Advancing Accessible and Adaptive Outdoor Recreation,” was packed with powerful insights on how to expand outdoor opportunities for people of all abilities. From inclusive trail design to smart programming and marketing, we’re coming back with so many fresh ideas to implement right here at Yellowhammer Outdoor Development.

The highlight? Although the weather didn’t cooperate as much as we wished, getting to stay after the workshop to see all the adaptive bikes that Lakeshore brought was incredible! The outdoors belongs to everyone. 🌲♿️

Huge thanks to the Alabama Trails Commission and the University of Alabama for hosting such a fun, informative, and vital gathering for outdoor recreation professionals! 👋🎒

Last week, YOD was honored to attend the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Quarterly Meeting in beautiful Demopolis, Alabama...
05/27/2026

Last week, YOD was honored to attend the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Quarterly Meeting in beautiful Demopolis, Alabama!

Our Executive Director, Jared Carter, was the guest speaker. He shared YOD’s exciting plans to step into the Black Belt region and reminded everyone that we are a go-to resource for all outdoor recreation needs.

Moving forward, we plan to host a Regional Zoom meeting, inviting key tourism leaders, towns, cities, and counties to chime in and see how we can all partner together to carry out our mission—just as we have in North Alabama.

Thank you, ALBBAA, for having us at your meeting! We look forward to the next one.

It’s been an incredible month of outdoor education! 🌲YOD has been honored to partner with the Cleburne County Soil and W...
05/12/2026

It’s been an incredible month of outdoor education! 🌲

YOD has been honored to partner with the Cleburne County Soil and Water Conservation District and Cleburne County Middle School for two fantastic initiatives: the Classroom in the Forest program and the 7th Grade Mountain Men program.

We had the opportunity to share the Leave No Trace principles with these students, discussing how we can all enjoy our natural spaces while keeping them pristine for the future. We truly enjoy working with these amazing students and value our continued partnership with SWCD and CCMS!

🚧 Work in progress at Bridgeport River Park! 🚧Gravel is on the ground, the path is taking shape through the trees, and a...
05/08/2026

🚧 Work in progress at Bridgeport River Park! 🚧

Gravel is on the ground, the path is taking shape through the trees, and an accessible trail at Bridgeport River Park is becoming a reality. Yellowhammer Outdoor Development is proud to be behind the scenes making it happen.

City of Bridgeport, Al had the vision — we're helping turn it into something people can walk, roll, and explore for generations to come. This trail will give everyone, regardless of mobility, the ability to enjoy one of the most beautiful stretches of riverfront in North Alabama.

Projects like this don't come together without the right partners at the table. A big thank you to The Daniel Foundation of Alabama for investing in Bridgeport's outdoor future and making accessible recreation possible for this community.

Stay tuned!

That’s a Wrap for FY 2026 Future Earth Keepers Program 🌍Today was an incredible finale for the Future Earth Keepers Prog...
05/01/2026

That’s a Wrap for FY 2026 Future Earth Keepers Program 🌍

Today was an incredible finale for the Future Earth Keepers Program! We spent the day with the hardworking Hokes Bluff Elementary School 5th grade students, who hit the ground running to protect their community watershed. These students rolled up their sleeves and cleared an impressive amount of trash off the roadways, proving that you're never too young to make a massive impact.

With today’s success, we are proud to announce that 4 schools across 4 counties are now officially certified “Earth Keepers!”

A Heartfelt Thank You

This mission truly took a village. We want to extend a huge thank you to the partners and leaders who ensured our Hokes Bluff cleanup was a success:

Mayor Scott Reeves & the Hokes Bluff Police Department (for keeping our students safe on the move!)

Coosa Valley RC&D

Etowah County, Alabama 4-H

Alabama Power Service Organization (Eastern Division)

All of our amazing community volunteers!

We couldn't have asked for a better way to close out this program. Our watersheds are cleaner and our future is brighter thanks to these students.

🌿 GAYLESVILLE SCHOOL: FUTURE EARTH KEEPERS IN ACTION! 🌿We had another incredible day of stewardship with the 4th, 5th, a...
04/30/2026

🌿 GAYLESVILLE SCHOOL: FUTURE EARTH KEEPERS IN ACTION! 🌿

We had another incredible day of stewardship with the 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade classes at Gaylesville School! These students spent their day cleaning up the watershed and learning firsthand the importance of protecting our local environment.

It is so inspiring to see the next generation take ownership of their community and work together to keep Cherokee County beautiful.

This cleanup was a true team effort, and we are so incredibly thankful for the partners and supporters who made it happen:

Coosa Valley RC&D for the funding that makes the Future Earth Keepers program possible.

The fantastic volunteers from the Alabama Power Service Organization (Eastern Division) for their continued hands-on support.

Maci Peek (5th Grade Teacher) for her dedication to coordinating this impactful day for the students.

Gaylesville SRO Deputy John Sentell and Cherokee County Alabama Sheriff's Office for their vital assistance and for keeping everyone safe while we worked and took the trash off for the cleanup.

Our amazing Parent Volunteers – we couldn't do this without the extra sets of hands and the support of our local families!

Thank you Gaylesville School: School Announcements

✋ ONE MORE TO GO!

Our Spring cleanup series is almost complete! Join us for our final Future Earth Keeper event:

📍 Etowah County – Friday, May 1

If you want to get involved or help out at future events, shoot us a message or email Christy at [email protected].

🌍 1,000+ LBS OF TRASH REMOVED! 🌍Our Future Earth Keepers were hard at work for Earth Day! The Cleburne County Middle Sch...
04/24/2026

🌍 1,000+ LBS OF TRASH REMOVED! 🌍

Our Future Earth Keepers were hard at work for Earth Day! The Cleburne County Middle School 6th grade class rolled up their sleeves and did an incredible job, pulling over 1,000 pounds of trash out of their community. Seeing these students take such pride in protecting our natural resources is what this program is all about!

We want to extend a huge thank you to Cleburne County Middle School for partnering with us. Their dedication to ensuring an impactful, hands-on learning day for these students made all the difference!

This massive effort wouldn’t have been possible without our dedicated partners:

Coosa Valley RC&D for providing the vital funding that makes these programs possible.

The amazing volunteers from Alabama Power Service Organization (Eastern Division) and Cleburne County-Alabama Extension.

Conner Draper with the CCHS Beta Club for his hard work and leadership.

Sheriff Jon Daniel and the Cleburne County Sheriffs Department - Alabama Deputies for keeping our students safe on the roads and providing trailers to haul the trash away.

📸 A big shout-out to our amazing photographer, G.r. Stamps, for capturing the day so perfectly! We can't wait to share these photos of our hardworking students in action.

✋ WANT TO JOIN US?

The momentum doesn't stop here! We have two more Future Earth Keeper cleanups scheduled for next week:

📍 Cherokee County – Monday, April 27
📍 Etowah County – Friday, May 1

If you’d like to volunteer and help keep our waterways clean, shoot us a DM or email Christy at [email protected].

Alabama State Parks and Yellowhammer Outdoor Development recently wrapped up a successful Trail Master Course at the bea...
04/23/2026

Alabama State Parks and Yellowhammer Outdoor Development recently wrapped up a successful Trail Master Course at the beautiful Oak Mountain State Park! 🌲

Last week, 11 dedicated participants from across Alabama joined us for an intensive four-day workshop led by Master Trail Builder Mike Riter. This course is designed to provide the technical skills and sustainable practices needed to build and maintain world-class trails in our communities.

What does the Trail Master Course cover?
Over the four days, our participants dove deep into both the classroom theory and hands-on field application of:
✅ Trail Design & Layout: Learning how to read the landscape to create flow and minimize environmental impact.
✅ Sustainable Construction: Mastering techniques that ensure trails withstand the elements and heavy use.
✅ Proper Tool Use & Safety: Getting expert instruction on the best tools for different terrain and how to use them safely.
✅ Maintenance & Erosion Control: Understanding the "hydrology" of a trail to keep water off and hikers/bikers on the path.

We are so proud of these 11 graduates who are heading back to their home counties equipped with the expertise to improve Alabama's outdoor recreation infrastructure.

A huge thank you to Mike Riter for sharing his decades of knowledge and to Oak Mountain State Park for being such a fantastic host.

📅 Mark Your Calendars!
We are thrilled to announce that we will be returning to the beautiful Oak Mountain State Park this October for two more high-level training opportunities:

🪏Trail Master Course

⚙️Mechanized Trail Building Course (perfect for those looking to master trail construction using specialized machinery!)

Ready to see more trails in your area? Learn more about our training programs and development projects at YellowhammerOutdoor.org.

Address

200 Terrace Dr
Pelham, AL
35124

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