Explore Smart. Share the Trail. Get Home Safely.

Don’t Underestimate the Heat

North Alabama summers can bring high temperatures, intense sun, and significant humidity. Heat-related illness can affect anyone—including experienced athletes and outdoor enthusiasts.

Before heading out during hot weather:

• Check the current weather forecast and heat advisories.
• Consider moving your activity to early morning or later in the day.
• Hydrate before, during, and after your activity.
• Carry more water than you think you will need.
• Take regular breaks in shaded or cooler areas.
• Wear lightweight, breathable clothing and sun protection.
• Reduce your pace, distance, or intensity when conditions are unusually hot.
• Remember that children, older adults, pets, and horses may respond to heat differently.
• Never leave a person or animal unattended in a parked vehicle.

Know the Warning Signs

• Pay attention to symptoms such as unusual fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, weakness, confusion, or feeling faint.
• Don’t try to “push through” symptoms of heat illness. Stop your activity, move to a cooler location, begin cooling down, and seek help when needed.
• Confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures, or other severe symptoms can indicate a life-threatening emergency. Call 911 immediately.

Different Users. One Trail.

SRT is a multimodal network. Depending on the location, you may encounter people walking, running, biking, using mobility devices, pushing strollers, riding horses, walking dogs, paddling at connecting waterways, or traveling along shared-road portions of the network.

Courtesy and predictability make the trail safer for everyone.

The Basics

Stay right. Pass left.

Travel on the right side of the trail unless signage indicates otherwise. Pass other users on the left when it is safe to do so.

Announce your pass.

Cyclists and faster-moving users should give an audible warning before passing. A friendly “On your left!” gives the person ahead time to react.

Slow down before passing.

Don’t assume another user has heard you. Children, pets, horses, headphones, mobility limitations, or simple distraction can make movements unpredictable.

Keep the trail clear.

When stopping, move to the side so others can safely pass. Avoid gathering in the center of the trail.

Be predictable.

Avoid sudden turns, stops, or movements across the trail. Look behind you before changing direction.

Respect the pace of others.

The trail belongs to the person enjoying a quiet walk just as much as it belongs to someone completing a long-distance ride.

Who Yields?

On multi-use trails, faster and more maneuverable users should take responsibility for slowing down and passing safely.

As a general trail courtesy:

• Cyclists yield to pedestrians and equestrians.
• Walkers and hikers yield to horses when necessary to allow them to pass safely.
• When approaching a horse, slow down, communicate with the rider, and follow the rider’s instructions. Horses can be startled by sudden movement, loud noises, bicycles, dogs, and unfamiliar objects.
• Posted rules for an individual trail or property always take priority.

• Stay aware of bicycles and other faster-moving users approaching from behind.
• Walk or run on the right side of shared trails.
• Avoid blocking the entire trail when traveling with a group.
• Keep headphone volume low enough to hear your surroundings.
• Stop and look carefully before entering or crossing a roadway.
• Make eye contact with drivers whenever possible—never assume you have been seen.
• Carry water, particularly during warm weather.
• Wear visible clothing in low-light conditions.
• Be especially cautious on uneven surfaces, bridges, wet areas, loose gravel, roots, and natural-surface trails.
• If hiking alone, make sure someone knows your route and expected return time.

Speed matters on a shared trail.

• Ride at a speed appropriate for trail conditions and the people around you.
• Slow down in congested areas, around curves, near trailheads, and at intersections.
• Yield to pedestrians and horses.
• Give an audible warning before passing.
• Pass only when you have enough room to do so safely.
• Use front and rear lights when visibility is reduced.
• Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet.
• Watch for loose gravel, leaves, debris, wet surfaces, bridge transitions, and changing trail conditions.
• Stop at road crossings when required and obey traffic signs and signals.
• Never assume a motorist sees you.
• When riding in a group, avoid taking up the entire trail.
• Keep your bicycle in good working condition and carry basic repair supplies on longer rides.
• On shared-road portions of the SRT network, cyclists should follow applicable traffic laws and use additional caution around vehicles.

Some portions of the SRT network and connecting trails may accommodate horseback riding.

• Use only trails designated for equestrian use.
• Follow posted rules for individual properties and trail systems.
• Maintain control of your horse at all times.
• Be prepared to encounter bicycles, pedestrians, dogs, wildlife, vehicles, and unfamiliar trail features.
• Communicate clearly with other trail users when you need additional space.
• Use caution at road crossings and shared-use intersections.
• Avoid riding when trail conditions could cause excessive damage to natural-surface trails.
• Be mindful that other trail users may have little or no experience around horses.

When You Encounter a Horse

If you’re walking or cycling near a horse:

• Slow down.
• Speak calmly so the horse and rider know you are there.
• Give the horse plenty of room.
• Avoid sudden movements or loud noises.
• Follow the rider’s direction before passing.
• Cyclists should stop, if necessary, rather than attempting a fast or close pass.

The Singing River Trail is a regional network, which means some routes may cross or temporarily share public roads. A trail designation does not eliminate the need for normal roadway precautions.

At crossings:

• Slow down and look in every direction.
• Obey traffic signals and signs.
• Cross only when it is safe.
• Never assume a vehicle will stop.
• Make yourself visible.
• Use designated crossings when available.
• Parents and guardians should closely supervise children near roadways.
• Cyclists using shared roadways should follow applicable traffic laws and ride predictably.

Whether you’re traveling one mile or twenty, stay aware of your surroundings.

• Let someone know where you’re going when traveling alone.
• Keep your phone charged.
• Avoid displaying valuables unnecessarily.
• Pay attention to the people and activity around you.
• Limit distractions from phones, earbuds, and headphones.
• Trust your instincts. If something or someone makes you uncomfortable, change direction or move toward a populated area.
• Know the name of the trail, park, road, trailhead, or community you are near.
• Take note of landmarks, mile markers, road crossings, and signs that could help identify your location.
• If you believe you are being followed or threatened, move toward other people or a safe public location and contact law enforcement.

For an emergency, call 911.

When calling for help, provide your location as specifically as possible, including the trail name, nearest road crossing, trailhead, mile marker, landmark, or GPS location if available.

One of the best parts of the SRT experience is being outdoors. Remember that you’re sharing that environment with wildlife.

• Observe wildlife from a distance.
• Never feed or intentionally approach wild animals.
• Watch where you step and place your hands on natural-surface trails.
• Stay on designated routes.
• Check yourself for ticks after spending time in wooded or grassy areas.
• Use appropriate insect protection.
• Be aware of poison ivy and other irritating plants.
• Carry out what you carry in.
• If you encounter wildlife, give it space and let it move away.

Where dogs are permitted:

• Keep your dog under control and follow local leash requirements.
• Keep leashes short enough to prevent them from stretching across the trail.
• Move your dog close to you when cyclists, runners, horses, or other users approach.
• Never assume another person or animal is comfortable around your dog.
• Bring water for your pet.
• Watch pavement temperatures and heat conditions.
• Pick up and properly dispose of pet waste.
• Use extra caution around horses. Dogs and horses may react unpredictably to one another.

Trails are wonderful places for children to explore, but young users may not recognize how fast approaching bicycles are or the risks of road crossings.

• Keep young children close on busy multi-use trails.
• Teach children to stay to the right.
• Stop before entering or crossing a roadway.
• Avoid allowing children to suddenly turn or run across the trail.
• Make sure bicycle helmets fit properly.
• Teach children what “On your left!” means.
• Keep bikes, scooters, and toys under control around other trail users.

North Alabama weather can change rapidly.

Before heading out, check for:

• Heat advisories
• Severe thunderstorms
• Lightning
• Heavy rain
• Flash flooding
• High winds 
• Tornado watches or warnings
• Winter weather

Do not remain on exposed trails during dangerous weather.

Never enter floodwater or attempt to cross a flooded trail, bridge, roadway, or low-water crossing. Turn around and choose another route.