On the 2026–27 Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area permit, Zone A and Zone B take turns with gun hunts. The two zones share the opening weekend of November 7–8. After that the dates alternate, so from that first Saturday through December 20 there's a gun hunt on every weekend in one zone or the other. That's seven weekends in a row.
For anyone in Winston County who treats Bankhead National Forest as the place they go on a Saturday, that rotation affects late-fall plans more than any campground gate. Houston's campground on Smith Lake is already closed, and camping at Corinth and Clear Creek ends October 31. Meanwhile, the Forest Service names a short list of sites where hunting is prohibited no matter what weekend it is. One of those sites still can't be crossed on foot the way it used to be.
The weekend calendar, zone by zone
The permit sets out archery, primitive weapons, and gun seasons. Archery runs October 1 through January 15 in both zones, so bowhunters can be in the woods on any of these dates. The table below shows the weekends with gun or youth hunts.
| Weekend | What's open on the WMA |
|---|---|
| Oct. 31–Nov. 1 | Youth deer hunt; no other hunting allowed on youth gun hunt days |
| Nov. 7–8 | Gun hunt, Zones A and B |
| Nov. 14–15 | Gun hunt, Zone A, part of Nov. 12–15 |
| Nov. 21–22 | Gun hunt, Zone B, part of Nov. 19–22 |
| Nov. 28–29 | Gun hunt, Zone A, part of Nov. 26–29 |
| Dec. 5–6 | Gun hunt, Zone B, part of Dec. 3–6 |
| Dec. 12–13 | Gun hunt, Zone A, part of Dec. 10–13 |
| Dec. 19–20 | Gun hunt, Zone B, part of Dec. 17–20 |
The weekdays matter too. Primitive weapons season runs Monday, November 2 through Friday, November 6, between the youth weekend and the first gun weekend. The Zone A hunt that starts November 26 falls on Thanksgiving Day. Each gun day allows one antlered buck, and in Zone B a buck needs at least four points at least one inch long on one main beam. The permit also bans dog deer hunting and buckshot.
The zone you're standing in decides which weekends apply. The WMA covers Lawrence and Winston counties, and its map shows the Sipsey Wilderness Area inside the mapped area. The permit text doesn't describe that overlap in words, so the map on the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources WMA page is the best reference for a particular trailhead.
The Black Warrior WMA permit requires blaze orange or pink. It's written for hunters and doesn't say whether the rule extends to hikers who aren't hunting. Still, a hiker in the same colors on a gun day is much easier to spot from a stand.
Three sites the Forest Service closes to hunting
The National Forests in Alabama alert list says hunting is prohibited at Natural Bridge, Brushy Lake, and the Sipsey River Picnic Area. Those three are the only Bankhead sites in this research where the hunt calendar doesn't apply. They're also very different places to spend a cold afternoon.
Natural Bridge Picnic Area. The Forest Service lists it as open year-round, sunrise to sunset, with no fee. The page was last updated October 1, 2026, which makes it the most recently updated of the Bankhead site pages here.
Brushy Lake Recreation Area. It's listed open, and day use costs $3 per vehicle. Drinking water and flush toilets are available only from March through November, so a December visit to Brushy Lake means a hunt-free shoreline with no water or flush toilets.
Sipsey River Picnic Area and Trailhead. The Forest Service lists it as open, with a river trail, picnic tables, and a canoe launch. Its page doesn't describe the condition of the trails that start there. It also leaves out the issue that has defined this site for more than three years.
The Sipsey bridge has been out since 2023
On March 3, 2023, a falling tree damaged the pedestrian lane of the Sipsey River Picnic Area bridge, and it has been closed ever since, according to 1819 News. The bridge connects trailheads in the forest. It was built in 1934, and because it's a historic structure, the State Historic Preservation Office has to work with the Forest Service on any repair or replacement.
In June 2025, the Northwest Alabamian reported that the closure left no safe access from that spot to the lower lot, the Sipsey River trail, the picnic tables, or two waterfalls. The paper also reported that crossing the Cranal Road bridge was dangerous and not recommended.
That same 2025 story included a Forest Service estimate of construction in 2027. 1819 News reported a different picture on July 16, 2026, quoting district ranger Andy Scott:
"The timeline for analysis is still being developed, but the process is expected to take about six months and will likely include public notification when it begins. We will share more information as it becomes available. Construction would begin following the analysis phase."
When the paper spoke with Scott in July, the analysis hadn't started. That makes the 2027 date an old estimate, and no new construction date has been published. This research found no Forest Service notice that the bridge has reopened. The Sipsey River Picnic Area is still one of the three hunt-free sites on the list, but the part of it on the far side of the bridge is only partly reachable from that lot.
The lake sites close in stages
The Forest Service recreation areas on Lewis Smith Lake don't all close on one date. Each closes on its own schedule, and the boat ramps stay open longest.
- Houston Recreation Area. Paid day-use parking at $4 per vehicle ran May 5 through September 30, and that season is over. The pavilion books through October 31. The campground is still closed to the public, and the Forest Service's Bankhead directory lists the site as closed. The boat ramp is $4 and open year-round.
- Corinth Recreation Area. Camping runs March 8 through October 31 and is reservation-only. Sites cost $30 for a single and $52 for a double, and checkout is at noon. The 1.25-mile shoreline path and the boat ramp are still there after the campground closes, and the ramp is open all year with a day pass.
- Clear Creek Recreation Area. It has the same March 8 to October 31 camping season. Sites cost $30 single, $52 double, and $75 for a group. The boat launch is open year-round with a day pass.
The last camping night at Corinth and Clear Creek is Saturday, October 31. That's also Halloween and the first night of the youth deer hunt weekend. After that, the lake sites are mostly boat ramps, and those stay open through all seven gun weekends. Of the three sites on the Forest Service's no-hunting list, Brushy Lake is the only lake site.
These camping, ramp, and occupancy rules come from the Occupancy and Use Forest Order for Houston, Corinth, Clear Creek, and Brushy Creek. The alert list also sets a 14-day camping limit at Houston, Corinth, Clear Creek, and Brushy Lake.
Two fee-free days left, both on weekdays
The Forest Service has two fee-free days left in 2026. Tuesday, October 27 is Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, and Wednesday, November 11 is Veterans Day. On those days the Forest Service waives fees at standard amenity sites such as day-use and picnic areas. Camping, shooting range, and boat launch fees still apply.
Here's how that works at the sites above:
- Brushy Lake. The $3 day-use fee is the kind the waiver covers, and the site is closed to hunting.
- Houston and Corinth boat ramps. The ramp fee still applies on both days.
- Natural Bridge Picnic Area. It's free every day, so nothing changes.
November 11 falls in the gap between the Nov. 7–8 gun weekend and the Zone A hunt that starts November 12. On the permit, that week has only archery for deer.
A few places weren't confirmed in this research. No current status turned up for Kinlock Falls or Caney Creek Falls. At Kinlock, the standing Forest Service order prohibits alcohol, and camping without written permission, at the falls, within a half-mile of them, at Kinlock Spring, and at Kinlock Shelter. The Forest Service site pages are live listings and some haven't been updated since spring, so check the National Forests in Alabama conditions page before you head out.
For land near the forest boundary, the hunt calendar, the Smith Lake closures, and Forest Service road access are part of owning the property. If you own land near Bankhead, or are thinking about buying some, Sherry Pruitt Real Estate can go over how a specific tract sits against the forest and the lake. Schedule a consultation today.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
