8 Off-The-Beaten-Path Towns In Alabama

The Alabama towns that fly under the radar tend to be the most interesting ones. Down on the Gulf Coast, Fairhope and Magnolia Springs pair waterfront scenery with deep histories tied to Native culture and coastal life. Up north, Mooresville's cobblestone streets and Brick Church stand in interesting contrast to Guntersville's museum collections and Top O' the River, a lakeside catfish restaurant that locals have sworn by for years. Stray from the obvious, and Alabama delivers.

Fairhope

Located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, Fairhope was founded in 1894 as a single-tax colony based on the economic theories of Henry George. Fairhope Pier juts out into the bay and remains the town's most-photographed landmark, with a pier-side restaurant and adjacent picnic spots. Just up the bluff, the Fairhope Museum of History walks visitors through the colony's founding and its century-plus of unusual local politics. The Weeks Bay Reserve a few miles south has boardwalks through wetlands where alligators, ospreys, and herons are common. Page & Palette downtown has been a family-run bookstore and café for decades and hosts regular author signings.

Eufaula

Eufaula sits on Lake Eufaula along the Chattahoochee River on the Georgia line. The town's Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District covers more than 700 contributing properties, including some of the most extensive Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victorian architecture in the South. Shorter Mansion (1884) is the standout, open for guided tours. Just outside town, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge protects 11,000-plus acres along the Chattahoochee and hosts close to 300 bird species. Lake Eufaula is widely known as the Bass Capital of the World, and Lakepoint State Park has 1,200 acres of camping, fishing, and 18-hole golf along the lake.

Mooresville

Mooresville is Alabama's oldest incorporated town (1818). The whole village sits inside a National Register Historic District covering roughly 60 acres. The Mooresville Post Office, dating to about 1840, is one of the oldest continuously operating post offices in the country. The interior call boxes were transferred from the original post office in the local tavern. The Mooresville Brick Church (1839) is one of two original 19th-century churches still standing in town. 1818 Farms on the edge of the village is a working farm with curated gift boxes and group tours. The whole village can be walked end to end in well under an hour.

Mentone

Mentone sits on Lookout Mountain at over 1,500 feet elevation, the highest incorporated town in Alabama. DeSoto Falls in nearby DeSoto State Park drops about 100 feet into a swimming hole popular in summer. Little River Canyon National Preserve, just south of town, protects 23 miles of one of the deepest canyon systems in the eastern U.S. with a scenic rim drive, swimming holes, and waterfalls. The Mentone Arts and Cultural Center stages workshops including watercolor and darkroom photography. The Wildflower Café on the main road is the long-running local favorite, known for its tomato pie.

Magnolia Springs

Magnolia Springs is the only town in the United States with year-round mail delivery by boat. Postal carriers have been running the Magnolia River route since 1915. Kayak rentals at the public boat launch put paddlers among ancient live oaks and historic homes lining the river. Jesse's Restaurant in the 1920s-era former general store serves Gulf Coast fare and is a fixture for special occasions. The Weeks Bay Reserve boardwalks just east of town offer the same wetland walking access as Fairhope's. The annual Historic Homes Tour each spring opens up early-20th-century houses including St. Paul's Episcopal Chapel.

Monroeville

Monroeville is the literary capital of Alabama, home to both Harper Lee (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of To Kill a Mockingbird) and Truman Capote (In Cold Blood), who spent childhood summers here. The Old Monroe County Courthouse Museum stages an annual stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird in the actual courtroom that inspired the novel. Inside, exhibits cover Lee, Capote, and the town's role in shaping their work. The Katherine Lee Rose Garden a few blocks away grows over 90 varieties of roses. Lynmarie's Coffee, run by two sisters, is the local stop for white-chocolate-covered pretzels and a strong cup.

Guntersville

Guntersville sits on the shores of Lake Guntersville, the largest lake in Alabama at 69,000 acres. Lake Guntersville State Park covers 6,000 acres along the shore with wintering bald eagles. The state runs Eagle Awareness Weekends each January and February with guided viewings. The Town Creek Fishing Center rents kayaks, paddleboards, and fishing equipment. Top O' the River is the long-running family-owned restaurant for catfish and Southern sides, with lake views from the dining room. The Guntersville Museum covers regional and Cherokee history and stages the Festival of Trees each Christmas.

Wetumpka

Wetumpka sits on the Coosa River about 20 minutes north of Montgomery. The Wetumpka Impact Crater, a roughly 5-mile-wide structure created by a meteorite strike about 84 million years ago, is one of the best-preserved marine impact craters in the country. The crater rim is visible from several roads east of town. Coosa River Adventures rents kayaks and canoes for trips down the river. Fort Toulouse-Jackson Park preserves a French colonial fort site (1717) and an Andrew Jackson-era U.S. Army post (1814) with reconstructed buildings, hiking trails, and an active archaeological program. Copper House Deli downtown serves sandwiches and locally roasted coffee.

Eight Towns Off Alabama's Beaten Path

These eight towns cover most of Alabama's range. Mobile Bay coast, Lookout Mountain heights, Tennessee Valley flats, Civil War-era brick streets, and a literary courtroom that still stages a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Whether the goal is bass fishing on Lake Eufaula, a tomato pie in Mentone, or a kayak run on the Coosa, the state delivers something different in each place.