William B. Bankhead National Forest Brushy Lake OHV Trail System

Brushy Lake OHV area serves up some of Alabama’s gnarliest terrain across 35 miles of marked trails winding through Winston County’s rugged landscape. The system ranges from easy forest roads to expert-only creek beds carved through Pennsylvanian sandstone, with the notorious “Rock Garden” section featuring ledges that’ll have you walking your line twice before committing. Trail 6 follows Brushy Creek itself for nearly two miles of constant rock-hopping and water crossings, while the hill climbs on Trails 8 and 9 will smoke your clutch if you’re not careful with momentum.

This is Alabama’s proving ground for serious 4×4 builds—stock rigs will struggle on anything beyond the green trails. Lockers, skid plates, and 33-inch tires minimum for the technical sections. Open year-round but best avoided during winter when creek levels rise unpredictably. $5 day-use fee required, camping available at nearby Lewis Smith Lake. You’ll get legitimate rock crawling without traveling to Moab, plus the satisfaction of conquering terrain that humbles plenty of mall crawlers.