In the mid-1990s the Bankhead District of the USFS implemented a plan to diversify the trails system of the Bankhead National Forest. The result: One ATV and three horse trails in the northeastern part of the forest. The horse trails are all loops: the Pine Torch, Brushy and Key Mill Loops, eleven, six and ten miles respectively. (The, northeastern most, ATV trail is called the Flint Creek Trail.)
Those who think the Bankhead has nothing to offer other than the Sipsey Wilderness may be astounded by the remarkable scenery and natural diversity along the horse loops. They lead you to the rims and then into the maws of stunning hollows, past the bases of bluff overhangs and through wildflower splendor. Give these trails a little time: They may be unremarkable for a couple of miles, then unveil an area with all the wilderness attributes of the Sipsey.
I didn't mind the horse poop as much as I did the inevitable, ubiquitous quagmires. Hikers seek the solid ground to circumnavigate a seasonal waterhole. Apparently horses slug right through.
You will have to stay on your toes in places. A section of the south part of the Brushy Loop and the northern part of the Pine Torch Loop coincide for a ways. Don't miss the point where the (yellow) Pine Torch Loop diverges to the northwest and back toward where you started. An eastern part of the Brushy Loop (blue) approximates the western part of the Key Mill Loop (orange) near a campsite at Key Mill Branch used by riders of both loops. There is a spur trail with blue diamond markers that leads from the Brushy Loop to the branch and the campsite on the other side. But the actual Brush Loop trail turns uphill and south well before you get to the creek crossing!
A good time to hike these trails is late summer or early fall when the weather is driest. I recommend weekdays since weekends tend to be crowded with horse riders. There are campsites where hikers may be welcome, but even a semi-serious hiker can day hike all the trails.
To reach the Pine Torch trailhead (fee area) take Hwy 33 from Double Springs. After about fifteen miles look for a paved road to the right that indicates PINE TORCH CHURCH. It's about a mile and three quarters to the clearly-marked trailhead. You can pick up the same Pine Torch Loop where FS 254 crosses Brushy Creek north of Pine Torch Church. (Turn left across from the church.) FS 254 intersects the Brushy Loop Trail north of Brushy Creek where the road curves sharply left, then again on the same road after about a mile. To reach the Key Mill Loop, continue on FS 254 to the Leola Road (FS 249), and turn right toward Lindsey Hall Church. Watch for signs directing you to Owl Creek Horse Camp (fee area). The trail crosses Fs 262 two miles north of the camp or you can access it at the Owl Creek camp.
Note: There are also some old roadbeds in the central part of the forest where horse riding is permitted. Check with the Bankhead District office for more info.