Field Trips

We have four inspiring and invigorating field trip experiences to offer you on Sunday of Alabama Water Rally. While we know many of you are ready to get home, we intentionally chose to leave this time on Sunday program-free so that you can Experience Montgomery, and have some time to reflect and explore. If you are unable to stick around for a Field Trip, we encourage you to plan some time to explore on Friday or to come back to Montgomery soon to see what you missed!

VISIT THE EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE’S LEGACY SITES

Three spaces. One powerful experience. Experience American history at the Legacy Sites, an immersive journey across three sites in Montgomery. Visit all three sites as part of your participation in Alabama Water Rally.  Click here to read more.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice 

The National Memorial is a sacred space for truth telling and reflection about racial terrorism and its legacy. On a hilltop overlooking Montgomery is the nation’s first comprehensive memorial dedicated to the legacy of Black Americans who were enslaved, terrorized by lynching, humiliated by racial segregation, and presumed guilty and dangerous. More than 4,400 Black people killed in racial terror lynchings between 1877 and 1950 are remembered here. Their names are engraved on more than 800 corten steel monuments—one for each county where a racial terror lynching took place—that form the main structure of the memorial at the heart of this six-acre site.

The Legacy Museum offers a powerful, immersive journey through America’s history of racial injustice. On the site of a cotton warehouse where enslaved Black people were forced to labor in bondage, the Legacy Museum tells the story of slavery in America and its legacy through interactive media, first-person narratives, world-class art, and data-rich exhibits.

Travel through a comprehensive history of the destructive violence that shaped our nation, from the slave trade, to the era of Jim Crow and racial terror lynchings, to our current mass incarceration crisis—and find inspiration in our soaring Reflection Space and world-class art gallery.

Overlooking the Alabama River, Freedom Monument Sculpture Park honors the lives and memories of the 10 million Black people who were enslaved in America and celebrates their courage and resilience. At this 17-acre site along the very river where tens of thousands of enslaved people were trafficked, breathtaking art and original artifacts invite an immersive, interactive journey and provide a unique view into the lives of enslaved people.

Listen to Muscogee family stories as they were told centuries ago on this very spot. Step inside a train car like those used to traffic enslaved people to Montgomery as you hear trains pass on nearby tracks originally laid by enslaved people. Stand before an authentic dwelling inhabited by enslaved people and marvel at sculptures created from bricks made by enslaved artisans.

Alabama Water Rally will cover your ticket to see these sites! Please register here for this field trip.

 

CYPRESS NATURE PRESERVE HIKE 

Montgomery’s Cypress Nature Preserve encompasses 250+ acres of never developed land located less than a mile northeast of the Alabama State Capitol, just off the banks of the Alabama River. Defined by its unique, crater-like topography, the preserve appears scooped out of the Kings Hill and Capitol Heights neighborhoods, dropping more than 100 feet into a boggy Tupelo Swamp. This dramatic landscape offers exceptional potential for inner city outdoor recreation, education and nature observation.

This field trip is a special opportunity to explore this hidden gem of a swamp with downtown Montgomery as its view! Join Ashley Thorne (River Regions Trails) as she provides a brief overview of the Cypress Nature Preserve project.  Ashley and conservation biologist Joe Jenkins will lead a two mile hike through the site.  

NOTE: A path has been cleared but is not yet formally constructed, offering an early look at the future preserve. With this in mind, participants should wear boots or sturdy shoes and be comfortable walking in wooded terrain. Bug spray and a light cover-up are recommended in warmer weather. Bring snacks and water. 

WHEN AND WHERE: Meet in the hotel lobby at 11 am. Bring snacks and water. Expected duration: 2 hours. 

This field trip is limited to 15 people. Please register here for this field trip.

 

PADDLE THE ALABAMA WITH MONTGOMERY WHITEWATER!

See the Capital City from a whole new perspective! This guided tour offers a peaceful escape onto the historic Alabama River, featuring urban views with the untouched beauty of the river’s natural ecosystem. Whether you’re a local looking for a new weekend ritual or a visitor wanting a unique view of the skyline, this excursion is the perfect way to reconnect with nature without leaving the city limits.

We will launch from the Montgomery Whitewater boat ramp for a 2-mile round trip paddle. We’ll head approximately one mile upstream toward the heart of downtown Montgomery before enjoying a relaxing float back. This will be a leisurely, flat water paddle with no rapids. It is rated Easy to Moderate, depending on the wind conditions of the day.

Along the way, we’ll duck into “secret sloughs” and quiet offshoots of the river where the water is still and the city noise fades away completely. Keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready! The Alabama River is a corridor for incredible wildlife. It is common to spot: Bald Eagles, Red Tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, snowy Egrets, beavers and various river turtles!

Montgomery Whitewater will provide a sit on top kayak, lightweight paddles, PFDs, a Guide, and all necessary safety gear.

WHAT TO BRING: Water & light snacks, sunscreen, a hat & sunglasses, paddling clothes

NOTE: Before we set off, your guide will provide a brief paddle skill demonstration. No prior experience is necessary and we’ll make sure you feel confident on the water before we head out as a group! 

WHEN AND WHERE: Meet at Montgomery Whitewater boat ramp at 11:30 am.

This field trip is limited to 20 people. Please register here for this field trip.

 

SEE SALLIE’S ASHES WITH SAVAN WILSON!

Did you miss Saturday night’s screening of SALLIE’S ASHES? You’re in luck! Savan has agreed to stick around for an encore screening of the 40 minute short documentary. Faced with terminal lung cancer, 80-year-old Sallie Smith rallies an unlikely team of fellow Alabama grandmas to fight for the removal of a toxic coal ash pit that threatens the waters of their beloved Mobile Bay. Click here to read more about this incredible film.

This film will screen in Mountaintop at 11:30 am. Please let us know if you will be joining for the screening by registering here.