Shovelton Trail
- 0.6 mi
- round trip
- 229 ft
- climb
- 1,008 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Feb–May, Oct–Dec
- best months
Shovelton Trail is a short, easy out-and-back hike in Wade Mountain Preserve in northern Alabama, managed by a non-governmental organization. The trail is about 1.3 miles long, with a low point of 946 feet and a high of 1008 feet, so the one-way climb is about 53 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.47 miles in, with a 10% grade. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Huntsville show October highs around 76°F with lows near 52°F, and April highs around 75°F. That station sits about 384 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the preserve run a little cooler. The trail sits close to several other routes. Devil's Racetrack Trail and Harris Trail are each about 0.1 mile away, and Rockwall Trail is about 0.4 mile off. Fossil Bench Trail is about 1.1 miles away.
Best time to go · Feb–May, Oct–Dec
Best time to visit Shovelton Trail
Best months: February–May and October–December. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
52° / 33°
11 wet
Feb
57° / 36°
11 wet
Mar
65° / 43°
11 wet
Apr
75° / 51°
10 wet
May
83° / 60°
10 wet
Jun
89° / 68°
10 wet
Jul
92° / 71°
10 wet
Aug
91° / 70°
9 wet
Sep
86° / 63°
7 wet
Oct
76° / 52°
8 wet
Nov
64° / 41°
9 wet
Dec
55° / 36°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Huntsville Intl Ap, AL, 16.2 mi away at 624 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Route details
- Distance
- 0.6 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 229 ft
- Summit
- 1,041 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 0.5 hours
Other routes up Devils Race Track
Questions about this route
How long is the Shovelton Trail on Devils Race Track?
About 0.6 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Shovelton Trail?
About 229 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Shovelton Trail?
It is rated easy.
How long does the Shovelton Trail take?
About 0.5 hours round trip.
How many routes go up Devils Race Track?
2: Shovelton Trail and Devil's Racetrack Trail.
Conditions and forecast on Devils Race Track
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
