Alabama Hiking Trail Society, Inc.

AHTS History

AHTS was established on September 17th, 2001 as 501 c (3) non-profit corporation. We actually began this journey with a meeting in Dothan, AL, on July 20, 2001, at the Army National Guard Armory. Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tim Spivey, M. J. 'Eb' Eberhard, and Rick Guhse' watched this incredible meeting unfold. The following day another group met in Andalusia at

the library. Later that morning we elected our first state officers with Sgt. Tim Spivey as President. Chapters formed in Dothan and Andalusia but have ceased functioning as chapters. Instead, we have a statewide membership who participate in activities all over the state throughout the year.

We began a state hiking organization with a dream and a clear vision of what a hiking

trail system could be in Alabama. While there had been and still are regional organizations promoting hiking and in some cases multiuse trails, the Alabama Hiking Trail Society promotes a wilderness footpath from the Florida National Scenic Trail on the AL-FL state line in the Conecuh National Forest to connect to the Pinhoti Trail which is being extended south from Porters Gap to Overbrook, AL. Equally important the Society promotes a connected hiking trail system throughout the state.

This is what sets us apart. Our goal is statewide. We don't want to leave any county out. We propose to achieve our goals by building trails locally where we live always with the idea in mind that at sometime in the future our local trails will one day connect to a statewide trail system. This is important because through achieving these goals we promote the concept of a greenway wilderness corridor system where not only people are free to roam long distances but larger species of wildlife will have freedom to roam throughout the state. In promoting greenway wilderness corridors we protect and preserve wilderness for future generations. With the demand for development increasing with America's ever increasing population we must act now to have wilderness for Alabama's future generations.

You, our Members, are the pioneers who have grasped this vision and know what it means. Future generations will thank you even though they never met you because you invested your time, your sweat and your money in their future. And we all had a good time doing it. From our humble beginnings with a state office in

Andalusia we now have a centrally located office in Montgomery with three Members doing volunteer work at the office. Our

Membership is now led by President Mike Kennedy and our Members are working harder than ever to plan, develop and

maintain more hiking trails around the state.

It's a great time to be a hiker in Alabama.