Village Point Preserve

Length: 1.4 miles (out and back)

Drive from Mobile: About 25 minutes

With COVID-19 limiting our weekend and extra-curricular activities, my family decided to set out on a new, local adventure. We decided to hike our local trails, many of which we (saddly) didn't know even existed, and to find THE BEST TRAIL WITHIN DRIVING DISTANCE OF MOBILE, ALABAMA. We started with the Village Point Preserve trail in Daphne, Alabama. I had visited this spot with arborists and historians as a newspaper reporter about 17 years before, as they were dreaming of establishing a park here. But I had never been to the actual park after it opened. So I took my two boys (and our dog) and we were pleasantly surprised by the contrast in the beauty of majestic oak trees covered in Spanish moss and with the distant views of downtown Mobile we had while sitting on a sandy beach of Mobile Bay.

Overview: The trail is an easy walk, with a wide trail at first, a boardwalk, and eventually the sandy beach. There is a pier you can walk on. And, if you're lucky, you can catch a heron or two hunting for fish in the shallow water.

Wildlife: A sign warned: "Beware of Alligators." We did not see any. And in fact, we did not see much wildlife as the trail was pretty busy on a Saturday. Besides the heron, and some fish we saw in Mobile Bay, we did spot a blue jay. I am not very good at identifying birds, but I can identify a blue jay.

Highlight(s): This would be a great spot to watch the sunset over Mobile Bay. Make sure to take the first left off the main trail to see the spectacular Jackson's Oak. Measuring 95 feet tall and 28 feet in circumference, the tree is rumored to be the spot where General Andrew Jackson made a speech to his troops during the War of 1812. When we visited, the observation deck (which was built to protect the tree's roots from being stepped on) had damage from Hurricane Sally, and one of the tree's massive limbs had fallen. But the tree was still awe-inspiring.

Trail markings: The main trail to the Bay is pretty easy to follow. There are some smaller, wooded trails that aren't marked.

About the trail: Managed by the Village Point Foundation and the City of Daphne, the trail is easy to find on Main Street north of downtown Daphne. (It's on your right if you are heading from Mobile). The park is home to four Alabama State Champion Trees, meaning these are the largest trees of particular species. The champion trees here are a: Bluff Oak, Darlington Oak, Pigment Hickory and Scentless Bayberry. There's also an old cemetery here belonging to the D'Olive Family. For more information, visit: villagepoint.info

L says: It's a nice, short trail that leads to a pretty view of Mobile Bay. It's good for dogs. Afterward, you should go to Whit's for excellent custard.

G says: We really recommend that you should go to the beach and stay at the beach a while.