Dugger Mountain Wilderness

The third and newest Wilderness area in Alabama, the Dugger Mountain Wilderness became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in December of 1999. It is managed to restore and preserve the natural ecological conditions of the area, and is administered by the USDA Forest Service. The Wilderness is named for nearby Dugger Mountain, which rises to a height of 2,140 feet and is one of the highest peaks in Alabama. It lies in the Talladega National Forest, Shoal Creek District. Looking across pasture land into a small community called Rabbittown, Dugger Mountain Wilderness is a picturesque view of tranquility. The area encompasses approximately 9,200 acres, bringing Alabama's total wilderness to more than 41,000 acres — about seven percent of the total land base in the National Forests in Alabama. It takes in some of the most rugged mountainous terrain in the state, as well as numerous endangered and threatened plant communities, and offers challenging recreation and extraordinary opportunities for solitude.