The trail offers great views of Chimney Rock, Acapulco Rock and Lake Martin.
My dad and I recently spent a few hours exploring a scenic trail along Lake Martin called the Deadening Trail. I’ve hiked the Cherokee Alpine Trail, which is about 2 miles south, but this was my first visit to the 3.6-mile Deadening Trail, which came highly recommended as a somewhat challenging and scenic trail an hour’s drive from Montgomery.
The loop trail begins a few hundred feet from the parking area. The first half of the hike is mostly through forest. About a mile in, there is an option for a shorter 2.5-mile loop. Here you can cut over immediately to the shoreline by taking a left or stay straight to continue the forest hike for a little longer before it loops around to the shoreline. The scenic views begin once the trail loops around to follow shoreline with granite cliffs overlooking Lake Martin directly across from Chimney Rock and Acapulco Rock, popular spots for boaters and cliff-jumpers.
There is quite a bit of elevation change as you follow the trail up and down. While it is a little challenging, nothing is too extreme, and hikers of most any fitness and experience level should have no problem if they pace themselves and take plenty of water.
At several places, the trail opens up to a range of scenic views of the lake from shoreline level to views from cliffs a few hundred feet up. In fact, the area was part of the Tallapoosa River Gorge before Lake Martin was created in 1926. The lake is so deep at this point that it submerges an additional 150 feet of cliffs, according to a sign at the trailhead. While the view today is great, I can’t help but imagine what it would be like to stand on a trail overlooking wild river rapids roaring past the granite cliffs.
About the name. The Deadening sounds a little foreboding, but there are no skeletons or spooky stuff on the trail. In fact, a sign at the trailhead explained that the origins of why the area has been called The Deadening are a mystery. One local resident said the area was called The Deadening long before the construction of Martin Dam and the creation of Lake Martin in 1926
As the trailhead sign says, “One can only imagine if some sinister or tragic event happened that caused the cliffs of the Tallapoosa River Gorge to be named ‘The Deadening.’”
All in all, The Deadening is a very-well-maintained trail that provides a great half-day hiking adventure convenient to most people in south-central Alabama.
Check out some photos. We will hike the trail on the Reboot men’s and women’s day hike trip Saturday, Oct. 12. We’ve still got a few slots available if you’d like to join us for a great half day of fall hiking. Click here for info and registration.
Reboot Wilderness Adventures 