Lawrence County High Point Trip Report

Date: December 9, 2001
Author: Mike Beavers

From Alabama 24 turn onto Lawrence County Road 23 travel on this road for about 2 miles. When County Road 23 tops the hill turn onto County Road 306 (it is also posted in other places as County Line Road). Stay on this road for about another 2 miles until you reach Beulah Missionary Baptist Church. Turn left at Beulah Missionary Baptist Church on to Beulah Road. This is also Forest Service Road 202. Not far from Beulah Church is an FAA facility that looks like a large golf ball on a golf tee. From Beulah Church, go 1 mile and turn left. This road leads to an abandoned hunter's camp. Park at the camp. Hike over a small dam, cross over a small hill, then over another small dam. After crossing the last dam, bear off to your right (north) climb to the top of the hill to the first of the six high points. The high point appears to be on forest service land. The hunter's camp appears to be on private property The hunter's camp may belong to Sodom Hunt Club because prior to the turning off the F.S. 202 they have the land on both sides of the road posted. The road to the camp and the camp itself are not posted.

Back on Forest Service Road 202 go another 0.3 mile and park where a side road enters from you right. This is 1.3 miles from the church. The highest ground appears to be on the left (north) side of the road. If the 1,081 ft elevation is correct and it is the highest point in the contour, which it appears to be, then this contour is too big and this area does not need to be visited.

Back on Forest Road 202 go another 0.9 mile (2.2 from the church) and park at the top of the rise. This is the third of the six high points. The highest area is on the right side of road.

From point 3 drive another 1.9 miles (4.1 miles from the church) along F.S. 202 and park. At this point there is an old overgrown road coming in from the right that is being used as a dump. Park here and take off into the woods on the left side of the road to the high point. This hike starts out in open woods but soon changes into a bushwhack through young pine trees that are 10 to 15 feet tall with lots of undergrowth. The high point appears to be in or close to island of hardwoods in the middle of the pine tree forest.

The 5th area is 0.1 mile from the parking area for area 4 (4.2 miles from the church). When F.S. 202 tops the hill, stop your car and take a short bushwhack through the young pine tree forest. The highest area appears to be between the road and the pond shown on the topo map. This area has been modified with many small mounds, gullies, etc... (strip mined?).

The last area 0.1 mile (4.3 miles from the church) beyond area 5. I stopped where F.S. 202 and 203 meet and hiked into the woods to the left to the last high point. This area is again in the middle of the pine tree forest and requires a bushwhack.

I would not recommend visiting this area in deer season.