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This is an alternate start point for two Guntersville Parks and Mountains rides. The normal routes start at the Lodge in the Lake Guntersville State Park but the Marshall County Visitors Center is closer to Huntsville, only 30 minutes from Hampton Cove. This start/finish option adds ten miles and one climb.
This ride begins south through old downtown Guntersville and heads up a moderate climb (topo) at the three mile mark. There are two lanes and traffic is usually light so it's a pleasant ascent. The descent travels along a wonderful winding road that leads to the Lake Guntersville state park and intersects with the metric and 76-mile routes.
Late in the ride, upon reaching the 52.0 mile mark of the metric, or the 64.5 mile mark of the 76-mile route, follow this route to return to downtown Guntersville along Wyeth Mountain Road. The return includes some long rolling hills but is reasonably quiet, eventually descending down to within two miles of the visitors center. Traffic on the final two miles can be hectic late in the day, there's a factory on AL-227 that gets busy after noon.
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Directions to start:
This ride begins and ends at the visitor's center in north downtown Guntersville, about a 30-minute drive from the Sutton Road intersection near Hampton Cove (Walmart/Publix). From Hampton Cove, travel south on US-431 28 miles to Guntersville, the visitor's center is on the right just after the bridge.
Google Maps driving directions to the visitor's center in Guntersville
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