Bee Branch and the Big Tree

Sipsey Wilderness, Bankhead National Forest (Sipsey River Picnic Area, Winston County)

The Big Tree is a giant tulip poplar in a narrow canyon of the Sipsey Wilderness, and AllTrails calls the hike to it one of the Sipsey’s most popular. The route follows the Sipsey River on a flat, sandy trail, then turns up the East Bee Branch canyon past waterfalls and old-growth forest to the tree itself. Bamatrails calls it the largest yellow poplar in Alabama, about 150 feet tall and 25 feet around.

At about 13 miles round trip from the south end, it works well as an overnight with a camp on the river.

The hike

Backpacker’s route starts at the Sipsey River Picnic Area on Winston County Road 60 and runs 13 miles out and back. The first 5.5 miles follow the flat, sandy Sipsey River Trail (#209). After about a mile you pass Fall Creek Falls, and about a mile past the junction with Trail 204, you turn up the canyon toward Bee Branch on an unsigned trail.

That unsigned trail is where most of the confusion lies. Bamatrails calls it the East Bee Branch Canyon Trail (#204A) and describes it as an easy hike except for one hill near the Big Tree, with spectacular bluffs and waterfalls when the water is up. Hiking the Appalachians and Beyond says #204A appears on official maps but isn’t considered an official trail, though it gets a fair amount of use. A Hammock Forums poster suggests avoiding it for the same reason. One blogger calls the trail down into the canyon unmarked and hard to make out.

At the head of the canyon, Backpacker says to leave the trail and clamber over giant sandstone boulders to the tree. A forum poster describes a waterfall at the Big Tree and a fairly easy scramble down to its base from the rim. The Woodlands and Waters blog describes East Bee Branch Falls as 70 or 90 feet tall, with a second smaller waterfall nearby.

The canyon holds more than one big tree. Wikipedia says the most significant old-growth stands in the Sipsey, about 260 acres, lie along Bee Branch Gorge and Buck Rough Canyon, with old eastern hemlock, American beech, sweet birch, white oak, and tulip poplar. The Encyclopedia of Alabama puts the Big Tree at about 150 feet tall and roughly 500 years old.

There are other ways in. One Hammock Forums group started at the Thompson trailhead, took Trail 206 down to the river, followed Trail 209 almost to Bee Branch, and camped there before visiting the tree. Bamatrails notes that approaching from the Thompson trailhead along the east side of the river avoids fording the Sipsey. Another route reaches the canyon from above on the Bee Ridge Trail (#204). The Woodlands and Waters blog calls #204 a nice hardwood trail, especially when the dogwoods bloom.

The river trails are the busy part of the Sipsey. A TripAdvisor reviewer notes the river trails are lovely but more crowded, and camp sites are plentiful. Another reviewer advises bringing a GPS because trails are barely marked and more exist than online maps show, and to expect slower progress over rugged terrain and big blowdowns.

For a shorter Sipsey overnight on nearby trails, see Borden Creek and the Sipsey River.

Tips

Bring a GPS or good map. The East Bee Branch trail is unofficial and unsigned, and the Sipsey has many unmarked side paths.
Watch the river level. Hammock Forums posters note several river crossings that can get deep; the Thompson approach avoids fording the Sipsey.
Go after rain for the waterfalls. Hiking the Appalachians and Beyond says most water features are best after wet periods.
Expect bugs and ticks in the warm months. The same writer calls the Sipsey extremely buggy in the hot season.
Keep groups to 10 or fewer. That’s the current Forest Service limit in the Sipsey Wilderness.

Camping

Camping is dispersed. The current Forest Service order limits groups to 10 people and stays to seven days. Wilderness.net says wilderness camping and campfires are permitted. We found no permit requirement; confirm with the Bankhead Ranger District, especially since a new Sipsey Wilderness order has been in the works.

Inside Intel: Camp on the river, not in the canyon. Bamatrails says some camping spots exist in East Bee Branch, but better sites are at the south end by the river. One Hammock Forums group did exactly that, camping on the Sipsey near the mouth of Bee Branch and walking up to the Big Tree the next morning. Hiking the Appalachians and Beyond also notes campsites along the upper Bee Branch Trail if you come in from Bee Ridge.

Trail facts

Distance: About 13 miles round trip from the Sipsey River Picnic Area (Backpacker). Shorter from other trailheads.
Route type: Out and back
Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly flat along the river; one hill and a boulder scramble near the tree.
Campsites: Dispersed. Best sites along the Sipsey near Bee Branch.
Water: River and creeks. Treat all water.
Permits: None found. Confirm with the Bankhead Ranger District.
Group size: 10 maximum (Forest Service order)
Trailhead: Sipsey River Picnic Area on Winston County Road 60 (Thompson trailhead is an alternate)
Last verified: September 28, 2026

The Lowdown

Deep crossings on the Sipsey River:

Posters note river crossings that can get deep, and the waterfalls are best after wet periods. We compared three rain shells to see if the Arc'teryx Beta SL is overrated.

See what testers found →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.