SEPTEMBER 20, SATURDAY -- Flint River trip was CANCELLED by the outfitter.
It will be replaced by a lovely
Kayak and Canoe Trip on the Tallapoosa River near Heflin, Alabama.
Details: The section we will paddle is relatively easy. This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural area. Forty-four SEO people participated in this very popular outing in August, 2011.
Note-To view photos of what we will see on this trip, click here.
Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each one must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their boat.
The trip is about 7 miles long. There are two relatively easy class I rapids on this stretch.
Please note that for this trip you may rent one or two-person sit-upon plastic kayaks at the take out from Tallapoosa River RV and Outdoor Center.
Here is the schedule of outfitter charges:
- solo sit upon kayaks each $30
- tandem (two-person) sit upon kayaks each $50
- shuttle fee per owned boat $15
Boat rental fees include paddles, life jackets and shuttle service to the put-in. If you rent a boat from this outfitter, the outfitter will shuttle you and your rented boat to the put in so you will never need to transport your rented boat at all. Also, the outfitter will shuttle for a fee all private boats used on this outing. You may bring your own canoe or kayak on this trip, but you must pay the outfitter to shuttle your privately-owned boat.
If you wish to rent a kayak from this outfitter, please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680. Dan will relay your kayak rental reservation on to the outfitter. Please note that the outfitter has only 40 one-person sit-upon kayaks and 10 tandem (2-person) kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early. Once all their kayaks of one type or the other are reserved for September 20 there will be no more boats of that type available to rent!
This outfitter does not have canoes to rent. However, Dan Frederick’s daughter, Aree, currently has canoes which she is offering to rent to people who want to canoe on this trip and who do not have their own canoes. The charge for renting a canoe from Aree is $40 per boat. Southeastern Outings will pay the $10 per boat shuttle service fee for people renting canoes from Aree. Again, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE September 20 to request a rental canoe if that is what you want. We will do our best to fulfill your request.
All participants must be able to swim to come on this outing!
When we arrive at the outfitter’s, you will sign a waiver, pay your shuttle or boat rental fee, use the restroom, possibly eat lunch and then the outfitter will transport all of us and our boats upriver to the put in. We will then paddle down the river to the take out where our cars are at the outfitter’s, stopping as often as we want to get in the river to cool off along the way. We may eat lunch at the outfitter's before we travel to the put in, OR we may eat lunch at a stop while paddling down the river, depending on what the majority of our participants prefer to do.
For more general information please see note for kayak and canoe trips below.
After the canoe and kayak trip we are planning to go to a restaurant for dinner on the way back. Hot showers are available for no charge at the outfitter’s place. If you would like to shower, wash up and/or have dinner with us at the restaurant after the canoe trip, please bring a change of clothes and your shower things to be kept in the car while we are paddling.
If you wish to meet us at some place other than the meeting place in Leeds specified in this announcement, please notify Dan in advance and directly of this fact.
Reservations Required: You must contact trip leader Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this canoe/kayak trip. Please advise your name, telephone number, skill level, whether you want to kayak or canoe and whether you are bringing or wish to rent a boat and whether you need a paddling partner. You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.
If you plan to participate in this outing, please register for it right away. During the past two summers, the following Southeastern Outings kayak and canoe outings have drawn the numbers of people listed below:
| Date | Place | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| 10/12/24 | Flint River | 12 |
| 6/28/25 | Big Wills Creek | 14 |
| 5/31/25 | Elk River | 18 |
| 8/10/24 | Elk River | 19 |
| 9/6/25 | Elk River | 15 |
Please do not just show up for this outing without making advance reservations!
Information and Trip Leader: If you have further questions or would like additional information, please contact Dan Frederick, phone 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.
DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE
Leeds Highway 78 gravel parking lot-6995 Parkway Drive, Leeds, AL 35094. Gravel parking lot on Highway U.S. 78 between the Chevron and Marathon service stations at the first Leeds exit, exit number 140, off I-20 heading east (towards Atlanta) out of Birmingham. Turn RIGHT at the end of the exit ramp coming from Birmingham. See Chevron and Marathon stations immediately after first red light.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outing listed in the announcement above is suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but each beginner canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist. Life jackets or personal flotation devices are required and must be worn. Bring your own boat, borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent a boat from the outfitters listed.
Please bring in the boat your picnic lunch, something to drink, and a towel. Put your belongings in a waterproof dry bag in the boat. Wear old, thick-soled shoes you don’t mind getting wet (old sneakers work well). Also bring at least 6 feet of sturdy cord to tie up your boat if you don’t already have cord attached to your own boat. If you have further questions, please call the trip leader.
When you make your reservation with the trip leader, please be absolutely certain to provide ALL of the following information:
- Whether you want to kayak or canoe
- Whether you are renting a boat and what kind or bringing your own boat (please specify kayak or canoe)
- Your name
- Your telephone number and/or email address
- If you are also making a reservation for someone else coming with you, please give the NAME of that person. Don’t just say, “My daughter, my friend, my wife”.
- If you are canoeing, please give your skill level.
- If you have already selected a canoe partner and you are making a reservation for your partner, too, please give the name and skill level of your partner.
- Please do NOT just show up at the meeting place for a kayak and canoe trip without making an advance reservation!!
- If you have made a reservation to participate and then decide to cancel, please be absolutely sure to call and notify the trip leader 1 ½ hours or more before the event departure time. Don’t just tell your friend if you intend to cancel!!
- If you have made a reservation for a friend whom you have invited to come on this trip and your friend is not coming, you must notify the leader of this cancellation 1 ½ hours or more before the event departure time! No-shows cause considerable logistical complications for the leader and for the outfitter!
As of 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2025 the following 3 Southeastern Outings people have registered and been approved to participate in the September 20, 2025, kayak and canoe trip on the Tallapoosa River at Heflin, Alabama:
| Canoes-Owned | ||
| Dan Frederick | ||
| Aree Frederick | Partnered with Dan | |
| Solo Kayaks - Owned | ||
| Solo Kayaks - Rented from Outfitter | ||
| Elizbeth Posey | ||
| Total number of people | 3 | |
| Total number of boats | 2 |
If you would like to come on the trip and your name is not on the list above, please contact Dan Frederick right away. Telephone 205-631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.
SEPTEMBER 27, SATURDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Dayhike
Where: Paul Grist State Park near Selma, Alabama
Details: Paul Grist State Park is one of the state’s most uncrowded, yet scenic state parks containing hills, forests, fields and a large, beautiful, tree-lined lake.
Prior to the dayhike we will get together at the smaller pavilion right near the park office to eat our picnic lunches. Please bring your picnic lunch and also $3 per person ($2 for seniors age 62 and older) park admission and a beverage for yourself.
Dayhike Details: Hike rated moderate. There are only a few ups and downs. Total hiking distance is approximately 5.5 miles. We plan to walk all the way around the lake and then also walk on some additional trails in the park to make the drive time down and back worthwhile.
Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age nine and over able to walk 6 miles without complaining are welcome. Please bring your picnic lunch and drink, and wear sturdy footwear.
Optional group restaurant dinner after the hike. Reservations not required for this outing.
Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Information & Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or telephone 205-631-4680
OCTOBER 11, SATURDAY, please meet 6:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Evening Walk
Where: Hillsboro Trail, Helena, Shelby County, Alabama
Details: Join friendly folks on an easy four-mile evening walk on the Hillsboro Trail in Helena, Alabama. This smooth trail is wide, paved and with only a few short hills. On this particular walk you will be walking on a scenic trail which goes through mostly wooded terrain.
No motorized vehicles are allowed on your trail! All road crossings are through three tunnels under the roads. Note this is a relatively easy outing, one which should be lots of fun for everyone. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age seven and up able to walk four miles without complaining are welcome on this walk.
After the walk we’ll enjoy going together for frozen yogurt at Yogurt Mountain in Hoover.
Please meet at 6:45 p.m. in the front parking lot at the Helena Middle School and depart from that location at 7:00 p.m. to begin the walk.
Info: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680
OCTOBER 12, SUNDAY, please meet 1:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Second Sunday Dayhike in Oak Mountain State Park
Details: Enjoy a moderate 4 to 5-mile walk in the woodlands near Birmingham on a Sunday afternoon. This is an excellent outing for introducing your friends to Southeastern Outings and for making new friends who enjoy the outdoors. Parts of this hike may be off the color-coded trails. There will be some ups and downs.
Well-behaved, properly supervised children age eight and up able to walk the distance of about 4 miles without complaining and complete the hike are welcome.
Share an adventure! Bring a friend.
Please meet at 1:45 p.m. in the Oak Mountain Park office parking lot. We plan to depart from there at 2:00 p.m.
Please bring $5/person ($2.00 seniors) park admission fee plus your drink.
Info. and Trip Leader: Randall Adkins, 205/719-7719
OCTOBER 19, SUNDAY, Meet 1:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Moderate Dayhike Along Buck Creek in Helena, AL
Details: Come explore the wilder side of Helena. Hike with SEO on a lovely creekside trail in Helena in Shelby County. Total hiking distance is less than four miles. Hike rated moderately easy. We will be walking briefly off trail and walking up some hills when the trail routes us away from the creek. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age eight and up welcome.
Please meet at 1:45 p.m. in the parking lot for the Helena City Park on AL Highway 261 by the bridge over Buck Creek in Helena. We plan to depart from there at 2:00 p.m.
Directions to Meeting Place: Take I-65 to Exit #247, the Shelby County Route 17, Valleydale Road exit. Go to end of ramp and turn right regardless of whether you come from the south or the north. Take Co. 17, which changes from Co. Route 17 to AL 261, all the way into Helena. You will cross one railroad and then drive over a bridge with a dam and waterfall on the left. Immediately past the bridge, turn sharply back to the right just before you cross a second railroad and then drive into the parking lot for a city park right on the shore of the creek. Distances on Valleydale Road, (Shelby County Route 17) and then Alabama Route 261 from I-65 exit number 247 to driveway into Helena Park parking lot are 5.5 miles from bottom end of southbound ramp and 5.9 miles from bottom end of northbound ramp.
Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or 205/631-4680
OCTOBER 23, THURSDAY
, please meet 9:30 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Leisurely Weekday Hike
Where: Red Mountain Park
Details: Please come with us for a 3 to 4-mile hike on a walkable portion of this noteworthy place. We will hike from the Red Mountain Park Parking Lot on Lyon Lane to the Grace’s Gap and back.
The walking pace for this hike is rated moderately easy since there are some hills to climb. We’ll stop often to catch our breath and note flowers, trees, birdsongs and the trail and woods around us.
Please bring your picnic lunch and plenty of water. Wear good walking shoes or boots. Dress appropriately for the weather.
Please meet at 9:30 a.m. in the large Red Mountain Park parking lot on the right side of Lyon Lane immediately after you turn right onto Lyon Lane off of the north end of Frankfurt Drive off Lakeshore Parkway. We plan to depart from there shortly thereafter.
Information and Trip Leader: Christine Heckemeyer, 205-979-5730
OCTOBER 25, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings 10.6-Mile Bicycle Ride
Where: Chief Ladiga Trail, Piedmont, Alabama
Details: Join friendly folks for a 10.6-mile bicycle ride on the Chief Ladiga Trail in the Piedmont, Alabama area. Ride on Alabama’s first extended rails-to-trails conversion route on an old railroad right of way. The trail we’ll be riding on is smooth, 8-10 feet wide and even paved. There are no hills on this trail. The trail is suitable for road bikes plus mountain, hybrid and urban bicycles. Ride through towns, fields and picturesque woodlands. No motorized vehicles are allowed on your trail!
Bicycle helmets are required and must be worn. Please bring a picnic lunch and drink.
The pace of this bicycle ride will be leisurely. From time to time we will stop bicycling just to enjoy the scenery and views from the four bridges over the creeks. However, please note that this ride is 10.6 miles long. We recommend that participants intending to come on this outing have bicycled at least a few times during the 30 days prior to October 25. In order to be assured that you can ride comfortably on this trip you should probably be able to ride at an average speed of 8-12 miles per hour on level terrain.
There will be an optional restaurant dinner after the bicycle ride. You will have an opportunity to wash up and change clothes in the Eubanks Welcome Center restrooms after the bicycle ride. If you’d like to clean up and/or change clothes, please bring your soap and towel and/or change of clothes with you.
Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Restaurant in Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m. or meet 11:20 a.m. at the Eubanks Welcome Center on the Chief Ladiga Trail in Piedmont.
Reservations Required: If you want to come on this bicycle ride, please make a reservation with Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205-631-4680. Also, if you have a bike rack which can hold more than one bicycle, please bring it with you to Piedmont in order to facilitate the required car shuttle and advise Dan that you are doing so. We probably need to leave about two vehicles at the Eubanks Welcome Center in order to transport the drivers of all the remaining vehicles from the end point of the ride back to the start point to pick up their vehicles after the ride is concluded.
Information and Ride Leader: Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com
