Have you ever visited a new place and felt ‘ wow ’ about it? For numerous callers, it happens at Mentone. Mentone may not be as popular as other metropolises in the United States, but don’t let that fool you. Mentone is a lower but beautiful forthcoming sightseeing destination that’s worth a visit.
You’ll be surprised by some of the unique effects to do and places you can explore at this retired destination. You can surely plan many hours of a side trip then while traveling to Atlanta or Chattanooga. You might wish to readdress it eventually again, to take a break and relax at Mentone.
Still, keep reading, If you have plans to visit the United States and are not sure if Mentone should be included in your itinerary, keep reading. In this list, we have put together some of the things to do in Mentone and around. We have a hunch that if you include this city in your travel plans, you will be thrilled you did so
Best 25 Things to Do in Mentone, AL
1. Mentone Arts Center
Mentone Arts Center can help you figure out what to do in Mentone, AL if you want to learn how to make works of art. This center’s goal is to preserve and promote the artistic culture of the Appalachia region. It does this by hosting classes, workshops, lectures, events, and a lot more that help the center reach its goals and improve the lives of both locals and visitors.
You can take classes in everything from black-and-white films and digital photography to drawing and Alabama pottery. The center also helps local and regional artists and has a gift shop and art gallery for people to enjoy.
2. DeSoto Falls and State Park
The beautiful DeSoto Falls are the most famous place in town and a must-see for the whole family. The majestic waterfall drops 104 feet and has bright white water that stands out against the dark colors of the pool, rocks, and forests around it.
This makes for a beautiful view, which is made even better by the circular canyon that surrounds the pool. Landscape photography is one of the most popular things to do here, and it’s easy to see why.
The waterfall is in the middle of a park with large grounds and modern amenities. It’s a great place to spend time with your family. You can also go to the A.A. Miller Dam, which is further upstream and is fed by the Little River.
It’s a beautiful place that was made by humans, but it can’t compare to the raging torrents of DeSoto Falls. Still, the building’s uniform design makes it a great place to take pictures, especially when fall comes and orange leaves float on the reservoir’s smooth surface.
3. Join a Mentone Scenic Boat Cruise
Join the Mentone Scenic Boat Cruises and see how beautiful this town is, no matter what time of year it is. Your trip will begin at DeSoto Falls and last between 45 minutes and an hour. Since the pontoon is a flat boat with padded seats, the ride is comfortable.
During the fall, the thick foliage on the bank turns bright shades of yellow, pink, orange, and brown, from the lightest to the brightest. Spring and summer are the best times to see beautiful things. During your trip to Mentone, Alabama, you have to go on this boat cruise.
4. Go shopping at Gourdie Shop
At first, Gourdie Shop was just a small store that sold gourds. Now, it is one of the most unique places to visit in Mentone, Alabama. It is proud to offer a collection of original gourds that have been hand-painted, signed, and dated. It also has clothes, jewelry, scarves, shawls, furniture, masks, decorations, glass bottle stoppers, and a lot more that are all made in a unique way.
The shop is in the famous Hitching Post, which used to be the location of the Crow’s Nest Antique Shop. People who have been there before have said that the staff and atmosphere are great.
5. Cloudmont Ski & Golf Resort
Lookout Mountain is known for its fun things to do in the winter, and Mentone is no different. Cloudmont Ski & Golf Resort is in the town. It is a ski resort that sits on top of a large plateau.
It uses the gentle slopes of Little Mountain to give both beginners and experienced skiers an easy and fun way to ski. Since 1970, the facility has grown to include more modern equipment, slopes for intermediate skiers, and safety features that make the experience better for customers.
Even people who have never skied before can learn the basics from professional ski instructors. The green hills are turned into a beautiful golf course with well-kept fairways and greens during the summer.
You can play a few rounds on the hilly course while taking in the views of Lookout Mountain.
6. By Verna Gates
The quiet town of Mentone invites you to slow down, relax, and think back to a time when front porches were places where people could meet and see the world. The Gates’s best place to enjoy life is on Lookout Mountain, where the air is fresh and clean and birdsong is more common than traffic noise. When you listen to the wind, you can hear the rhythms that led to mountain music like bluegrass.
The crashing of waterfalls reminds us of the brave people who built communities in the mountains and still make the same crafts they did hundreds of years ago. Mentone is a place to visit during certain times of the year. The Rhododendron Festival is on May 18 and 19, and Colorfest is in the fall.
When it’s cold enough, you can ski at Cloudmont Ski Resort, and when it’s warm enough, you can swim in the river. The Gateway to the Appalachians is a beautiful place with a unique culture that makes it stand out.
7. Mentone Wedding Chapel
Have an intimate and memorable wedding at Mentone Wedding Chapel, which is designed after a traditional Appalachian church. This is the dream wedding venue for every girl. With its stained glass door and windows, this chapel is very attractive to couples. It even has lights, flowers, and bows on the carriage.
The steeple has a bell that rings when two hearts become one. The wedding party is surrounded by a golden halo of soft light from a candelabra with 50 candles. They have several wedding packages that include a trip to Mentone for the honeymoon. Because of the beautiful scenery, a wedding here is sure to be an event that people will never forget.
8. Visit St. Joseph’s On the Mountain
Mentone, Alabama: Don’t know what to do? Come to St. Joseph’s On the Mountain! On Lookout Mountain, there is a small Episcopal church. The first people who were part of this church’s congregation used dried logs that were lying around. Everything inside was a gift, from the gold chandelier with dim bulbs to the French person who gave a stained glass window.
The church got bigger as the number of people who went there grew. The log cabin church is now a place of refuge. St. Joseph’s On the Mountain has a food bank that helps people who are hungry by feeding them and giving them food packs. The door is never locked, and people who don’t have food are left cans of soup and boxes of pasta outside.
9. Camp Comer Scout Reservation
Camp Comer Scout Reservation is a place where everyone who has kids or is a member of the Boy Scouts should go. The 1000-acre camp is known for having cool weather, great facilities, and a lot of activities to keep your child busy and interested.
Every Boy Scout will have the chance to take part in activities that can help them earn merit badges. These activities range from learning programs to survival adventures.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them to be away from their parents and with other kids their own age who can teach them skills, pass on values, and give them memories they’ll never forget.
And if you are a Scout Master, staying here would give you the chance to teach the next generation about scouting. Not to mention the cool mountain weather and peaceful natural scenery that can help you get away from your busy life.
10. Lunch at Green Leaf Grill
Don’t go to Green Leaf Grill expecting chef food. Instead, a famous local cook makes great Southern food with a mountain twist. For less than $3, you can get pinto beans and cornbread, or you can pay the market price for fresh, jumbo lump crabmeat from the Gulf. The restaurant is well-known for its smoked pork chops and fried catfish filets, which have won awards.
11. Watch the sunset at Brow Park
From Brow Park, which is on Lookout Mountain, you can watch the sun go down. This is a good place to stay if you want to get away from the noise and stress of the city. This is one of the few public places on the mountain where you can see the view. Families often stay in the pavilion to have a picnic, take in the beauty of their surroundings, and wait for the sunset.
12. Join the Festive Mentone Colorfest
When autumn comes and the leaves turn orange, yellow, and brown, a lot of people go to Mentone for the annual Colorfest. In the mountain town, it’s an autumn party with arts and crafts, local food, and live music everywhere.
The clear mountain air and friendly people have made this festival a well-known place to enjoy the fall colors, which is how it got its name. So you can expect lively scenes full of warm colors and enchanting vibes.
Mentone has a lot of shops, restaurants, and boutiques that you should check out while you’re here. Usually, they have deals, seasonal items, and other treats that go with Colorfest.
13. Treat Yourself
Tip Top Bake Shop has sweet treats that will give you energy for shopping. We’re talking about Scottish shortbread with pink buttercream, crisp meringue with lemon curd, and chocolate eclairs with French crème. If that doesn’t make you full, the homemade pimento cheese and pea soup are good things to eat while you’re out sightseeing.
14. Enjoy excellent food at Wildflower Cafe
Eat at the Wildflower Cafe to finish your trip. It is in the middle of Mentone and has been called the best cafe in Alabama. The restaurant offers a wide selection of dishes that will delight your palate. The menu has a lot of options for both people who just like to eat and don’t care about calories and people who are on very strict diets.
All of the ingredients are fresh, and you can eat dishes that are organic, vegan or don’t have gluten. The live music makes the cafe feel like a party. Here, you can try different salads and soups and buy gifts and souvenirs at the cafe store. They also do catering for Mentone and the places around it.
15. Fish for Freshwater Game at Republic Lake
Boy Scouts mostly use Republic Lake for exercises, but the areas away from Camp Comer Scout Reservation are great for fishing and other water activities. Crappie, striped bass, and catfish are some of the animals that live in the cold water of this lake on top of a mountain.
Most people prefer to fish from the shore, and the docks are a great place to try out your fishing skills. But if fishing isn’t your thing, you can just walk around on the trails around the lake.
The lake’s surface reflects the beautiful views of the tree-lined shores. You might also see some of the animals that live here, like deer, quail, turkey, and different kinds of bugs.
16. Hit the River
You can rent a canoe or kayak from One World Adventure and paddle out on the river to see Desoto Falls from a different angle. You can put your canoe on one of the shoals and listen to the falls until all of your worries flow away with the water.
17. Go boating at A.A. Miller Dam
Mentone’s history includes the A. A. Miller Dam. In 1925, an electrical engineer named Arthur Abernathy Miller built a dam above the DeSoto Waterfalls for a hydroelectric generator that supplied electricity to Mentone and the nearby areas. The square concrete blocks that held the generators for many years can still be seen today.
People here like to go boating, and there are places nearby where you can rent boats. It is also a nice place for a picnic, and people come here to enjoy the quiet and beautiful surroundings. At the dam site, there is a store where people can buy snacks and ice cream. It won’t take long to get to the DeSoto Falls.
18. Make a Stop at Mentone Wedding Chapel
You don’t have to be getting married or part of a wedding to go to the cute Mentone Wedding Chapel. But it’s such a beautiful and quiet place to visit that you’ll want to get married here someday.
It takes place deep in the Mentone forests, not far from the Cloudmont Ski & Golf Resort. It’s a favorite place for people who want to get married because it’s not too far away, has beautiful scenery, and is made of wood.
Even though many people have gotten married in the cozy chapel, it is also used for other important events. The chapel’s management keeps the doors open for all kinds of events, from family reunions to dinner meetings.
19. Go Horseback Riding
From Erlanger Point, go to Cloudmont and ride a Shady Grove Dude Ranch horse to see Desoto Falls. Cloudmont is a great place to learn how to ski when it’s cold enough to snow, but in the spring, it’s a popular place to go horseback riding. There are miles of beautiful trails on the ranch’s 800 acres of wild land.
20. Cruise the Gentle Waters of Little River
Little River is important to the people of Mentone because it is where the water for A.A. Miller Dam and DeSoto Falls comes from.
It has a lot of fish and helps water the land around it, which makes it an important economic resource for the area. Aside from this, Little River is a very popular place for tourists to visit because it has such beautiful waterways.
It’s beautiful in every season because the banks are surrounded by thick forests and there are both rough rapids and calm parts where you can cruise or fish. But the best time to go is in the fall when the leaves fall into the water and make you feel like you’re in a fairy tale as you glide along the beautiful bends.
If you want to go on one of these crazy adventures, you can book a cruise on a pontoon boat through a company in Mentone. The pilots know the best places to see the fall colors, and it won’t take them long to get you there.
21. Wildflower Café
At Wildflower Café, the loaded tomato pie is made with the house specialty, grilled chicken breast, and angel hair pasta. Pick the roasted butternut squash as a side dish to complete your meal. For dessert, the Wildflower crepes are filled with whipped cream and homemade strawberry purée. The old-fashioned chess pie is a good choice for traditionalists. Most of the time, a folk singer walks around the café to entertain people with live music.
22. Shop for fresh products at Mentone Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday, you can go to the Mentone Farmers’ Market to buy fresh food. On Saturdays, both people who live in Mentone and people who are just visiting for a few days come here to buy fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, and fish for the week. There are home-grown and organic goods at the market. This market is also a place where people from Mentone can get together.
23. Visit the Sallie Howard Memorial Baptist Church
Sallie Howard Memorial Baptist Church is another place of worship on top of a mountain in Mentone. Colonel Milford Howard built it in the 1930s to look like a church he and his wife Sallie saw on a trip to Europe.
He was able to get enough money and supplies to finish this memorial project, and the church is now a well-known landmark in the town. Most people come here as a kind of pilgrimage to pray in the church, but people who aren’t religious can still come and look at how beautiful the inside is.
The altar is the most noticeable thing here. It has a large boulder that goes all the way to the outside of the building. It was there before the church was built around it, and it is a natural formation.
Because of this, it is a one-of-a-kind place that you shouldn’t miss.
24. Visit Camp Skyline Ranch
If you are going to be in Mentone for a few weeks and you have a daughter between the ages of 6 and 16, why not sign her up for Camp Skyline Ranch? This site is privately owned, and its goal is to help girls get closer to God by showing them how beautiful His creations are. Girls will meet new people, make new friends, and build relationships at camp.
These things will help them become happy, healthy people. Aside from classes, the girls will have a lot of fun because they will get to sail, hike, swim, ride horses, canoe, and even zipline. They will feel better about themselves and have more courage when they leave this camp.
25. Achunachi Lake
Achunachi Lake is next to Camp Comer Scout Reservation. Compared to Republic Lake, it is a smaller body of water. But this attraction has the same view from the top of a mountain and cool weather, which makes it a great alternative for smaller groups.
Since Boy Scouts tend to go to Republic Lake more often, you’ll have the lake mostly to yourself, with maybe a few other people. People like to fish from the shore, and the same kinds of aquatic animals live in its depths as in Republic Lake.
You can also take a kayak or a small canoe along the shores of the reservoir to see its beautiful and quiet scenery.
Final Thoughts
Mentone, which is in the mountains of northern Alabama, has become a popular place to visit at a high altitude. There is something for everyone here, from beautiful waterfalls to colorful fall festivals, from cozy cafes to river cruises.
So, if you’re planning a trip to this cute town, use this list as a guide so you don’t miss the best places!
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) about Things to Do in Mentone, AL
What are the top things to see and do in Mentone, AL?
Mentone has a lot to see and do, so anyone who goes there is sure to have a great time. We think that the Mentone Farmers’ Market, Wildflower Cafe, Camp Skyline Ranch, and Sally Howard Memorial Baptist Church are some of the best places to visit.
What makes Mentone, Alabama famous?
The historic and beautiful village of Mentone is in the woods on the western brow of Lookout Mountain. There are antique stores, arts and crafts shops, galleries, and restaurants in Mentone. The Mentone Inn, which opened in 1921, is also tucked away in the town on top of the mountain.
In Mentone, AL, what are the best things to do?
Mentone has a lot of fun things to do, but some of the best are going to Brow Park to watch the sunset, taking an art workshop at the Mentone Arts Center, going boating at the A.A. Miller Dam, going on a Mentone Scenic Boat Cruise, and going to St. Joseph’s On the Mountain.
What Alabama county is Mentone in?
The county of DeKalb is in the northeastern part of the state of Alabama in the United States. As of the census in 2020, there were 71,608 people living there. It is named for Major General Baron Johan DeKalb, and the county seat is Fort Payne. DeKalb County is in the same area as Huntsville, Decatur, and Albertville, AL.
Mentone, Alabama is in what mountain range?
Mentone is in the Ridge and Valley area of the southwestern Appalachians. This is a place where big earthquakes don’t happen very often, and there has never been a big one there in recorded history.
What Alabama city is the highest above sea level?
The highest natural point in the U.S. state of Alabama is Cheaha Mountain, which is also called Mount Cheaha. It is in Cheaha State Park, which is a few miles northwest of the town of Delta. The park has a lodge, a restaurant, and other services.
Does it ever snow in Mentone?
On average, Mentone, Alabama gets 56 inches of rain a year. The average amount of rain in the US is 38 inches per year. Every year, Mentone gets about 4 inches of snow. The average amount of snow in the US is 28 inches per year.
When did Mentone, Alabama, start?
Around 1854, white people moved into the Mentone area. At that time, the area was called Ellison’s Precinct, after the owner of a nearby grist mill. Thousands of Union soldiers camped on Lookout Mountain near where Mentone is now during the Chickamauga Campaign, which took place in the summer of 1863.
Where are Alabama’s mountains?
Talladega Mountain is a low part of the Appalachian Mountains that runs northeast along the border of Clay and Talladega counties and into Cleburne county in east-central Alabama, U.S. Cheaha Mountain, at 2,407 feet (734 meters), is the highest point in Alabama. The mountain is covered with pine and hardwood trees.
Mountain lions don’t live in Alabama, do they?
Cougars probably died out in Alabama around the middle of the 1800s. Pumas of unknown origin have been seen on occasion roaming free in Alabama, but there is no evidence of a self-sustaining population at this time.
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