Coosa WMA Double Bridges

The Coosa WMA (Wildlife Management Area) offers outstanding birding opportunities.  The Double Bridges location is on Hatchet Creek at Lake Mitchell, and offers access to a trail that is currently approx. 11.0 miles long for a 22.0 mile hike in and out. There are two trailheads. Two primitive campsites are located along the trail.  This is an especially rich area to see songbirds, raptors and game birds. The parking area and trails are uneven and show signs of occasional maintenance, but the birds make this a special location. Expect high numbers of many species here, especially in spring and fall. Views of Hatchet Creek are excellent, as is a wetland area nearby. The road that leads to the parking area can be very muddy, but it is a short walk to views of the creek. There are several old picnic tables located at this spot, but they are in disrepair. Other than the boat launch, there are no amenities here, the the boat launch may be inaccessible during low water.

The Double Bridges site is within the Coosa Wildlife Management Area’s Forever Wild lands, 9,746 acres of Mountain Longleaf Pine habitat interspersed by hardwood drains within the Weogufka and Hatchet Creek watersheds. The Forever Wild property also hosts one of the last remaining populations of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers outside of Alabama’s National Forest system.

GPS: 32.8613792 -86.3387123