Designed for Mountain Bikers but great for hiking and trail running. The Dothan Forever Wild Trails is part of the ongoing Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust, creating mountain biking and hiking trails throughout the state. The Leisure Services Department was heavily involved in spearheading the efforts to make the vision of the Trails a reality. It began with 40 acres of city-owned land inside the city limits near the old Beaver Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The land would have been an ideal location for green space or a passive park, but when Wells Fargo Bank added 60 nearby acres to the 40 already owned by the city, the vision to do something even bigger began to form. Eventually, about 400 acres were secured and submitted to Alabama ’s Forever Wild program, which identifies land to be protected forever as a natural preserve. Features of the Dothan Forever Wild Trails
Boasting nearly 400 total acres, the Dothan Forever Wild Trails are located between Flowers Chapel Road and Fortner Street. When fully completed, which is anticipated to be by October 1, 2016, the Dothan Forever Wild Trails will feature a 10 mile trail system consisting of six separate trail loops linked together by connectors/bridges, including a small looped 1-mile family trail off of Flowers Chapel Road called Beaver Tail Flats. The Trails site features 3 parking lots, one off of Flowers Chapel Road and two off of Fortner Street. An additional feature of the Forever Wild Trails is the construction of a “pump track." The dirt track has bumps, turns and hills and is built in such a way that it can be navigated without the biker having to pedal if the biker maneuvers (or pumps) his or her bicycle correctly around the track. Many thanks to the Circle City BMX Club for their construction of the pump track for the public's enjoyment.
