This is specifically for the Thompson creek trailhead. Other trailheads may be different at different times. First, do NOT take your BMW sedan to this trailhead. I made it in and out but could easily have damaged things. You don't need a lot of ground clearance but I did not have enough at times. I expected 1/2 mile...maybe one mile of dirt roads. Coming from the north (mt. Hope), it turned into a single lane dirt road 10 miles from the trailhead. Most of the road is good but there are deep holes and ruts in spots. It's not a negative... Just something to be aware of. Parking was plentiful for the three cars that were there.
Our plan was to take 206 south to 209 and head east. At bee branch canyon, we would head north on 204a and pick up the horse trails back to the trailhead. Roughly a 10 mile day hike. Ship rock and the big tree were the planned things to see. Trails were worn well but only sparsely marked. We ended up on some alternate paths but stayed mainly on course with my downloaded maps and gps. 204a appeared to lead us into a box canyon at the big tree. There were a couple potential paths out but none feasible with a large dog. 204 seems to be a better bet if you want a loop but we had no regrets with the path we took. With no apparent path out, diminishing light and thunder rumbling though the canyon, we opted to retrace our steps back to the trailhead. Total time for the 11-12 miles was 5.5 hours. This included several stops. Some areas are difficult with short steep climbs or logs to hurdle over/duck under. You need to be in reasonable shape.
The scenery is beautiful. No doubt, this is one of the hidden jewels of Alabama. Ship rock/eye of the needle wasn't terribly impressive and we weren't sure why it was marked on Google maps. The canyon is littered with more massive and interesting boulders. We found one with a large tree growing through it and one that looked like a dragon head (see pictures). The big tree was impressive as well as that whole general area.
Things to know:
Dirt road in takes a little longer.
Bring lots of water/food.
No cell service... It's wilderness. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
Enjoy the scenery... It is amazing.