North Alabama is a mountainous region rich in outdoor tourism such as camping, boating, fishing and hunting. The fascinating history of the region is captured in several museums and galleries in cities such as Athens and Birmingham. Visitors include anyone from local tourists to people making their way down to the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
North Alabama includes the cities of Rogersville, Decatur, Madison and Huntsville and offers rugged mountainous terrain, plateaus and deep valleys of the Cumberland Plateau and the Highland Rim. There are several freshwater reservoirs and lakes, and the Tennessee and Elk rivers run along many towns and cities.
North Alabama enjoys a year-round tourist seasons due to its four distinct seasons and mild winters. Temperatures range from the 90s in the summer to the 50s in the winter. Tourism prices in North Alabama are cheaper in the winter when the climate is colder and darker.
North Alabama offers outdoor, cultural and historical activities. The William B. Bankhead National Forest is North Alabama's largest national forest with 160 miles of land perfect for hiking, camping, hunting and horseback riding. There are several freshwater lakes in the area for fishing, boating and swimming.
Cultural attractions include the Alabama Veteran's Museum in Athens, Clay House Museum and art gallery in Madison, the North Alabama Railroad Museum in Huntsville, Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville and Cooks Natural Science Museum in Decatur. Birmingham features the Civil Rights Institute, Southern Museum of Flight and Birmingham Museum of Art.
Fishing enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunities in North Alabama, which is home to eight freshwater lakes: Bear Creek, H. Neely Henry, Lake Guntersville, Lewis Smith Lake, Pickwick Lake, Weiss Lake, Wheeler Lake and Wilson Lake. These lakes are stocked with largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, catfish, crappie, rainbow trout and bluegill fish. Fishing is also available on the Tennessee River, Madison County State Public Fishing Lake and Hillabee Creek.
The North Alabama tourist industry employs 30,000 people and generates $2 billion of revenue a year. Much of this business comes from vacationers on their way through North Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico. As of 2010, 40 percent of Gulf of Mexico tourists make their way through North Alabama.
