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Things to Do in Brent, AL, Bibb County’s Forest Town

The old Bibb Supply building in Brent

By Julie Holdsambeck, Associate Broker, eXp Realty, Central Alabama. Updated October 29, 2026.

Brent, Alabama is the largest city in Bibb County, a railroad town of about 4,800 people across the Cahaba River from Centreville, with the Talladega National Forest wrapped around it on three sides (Encyclopedia of Alabama). The best things to do in Brent are shopping for handmade pottery at Miller’s Pottery, camping and fishing at Payne Lake in the national forest, walking the track at Heritage Park, and spotting rare red-cockaded woodpeckers in the Oakmulgee District.

Brent at a glance

  • Where: southern Bibb County, Central Alabama, ZIP 35034, on State Highway 25/5 south of U.S. 82 (Encyclopedia of Alabama)
  • Founded: surveyed in April 1898 and incorporated in January 1913 (same source)
  • Population: 4,768 at the 2020 Census (same source)
  • Neighbor: Centreville, the county seat, right across the Cahaba River
  • Backyard: the Oakmulgee District of the Talladega National Forest, with its ranger office in Brent (U.S. Forest Service)
  • Local legend: Miller’s Pottery, run by the same family for five generations (Encyclopedia of Alabama)
  • City Hall: 22 First Street, (205) 926-4643 (ATLAS Alabama)
  • Typical home value, Bibb County: $220,064 as of June 30, 2026 (Zillow)

How did Brent, Alabama get its name?

Brent is named for Brent Armstrong, the railroad engineer who dreamed it up. Armstrong had overseen construction of a railroad bridge over the Cahaba River, and he worked with landowners Jesse Dean and Rhoda Cooper to lay out a town next to a spur of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad (Encyclopedia of Alabama).

Here’s my favorite part. Armstrong bought the first lot in town for $25 and became Brent’s first postmaster, and the surveyors named the streets after members of the Cooper family (same source). He died in August 1899, only about a year after the survey, so he never saw much of the town that carries his name. By 1903 Brent had its own railroad station, and in January 1913 it incorporated, one year after its first bank opened (same source).

Getting in and out is easy. State Highway 25/5 runs through Brent and meets U.S. 82 to the north, and Bibb County Airport is about five miles east on U.S. 82 (same source). For a closer look at the town across the bridge, see my guide to things to do in Centreville, AL.

What is Miller’s Pottery in Brent?

Miller’s Pottery is a family pottery on Highway 5 in Brent, and it’s one of the oldest continuously operating potteries in the United States (Encyclopedia of Alabama). The hand-painted sign says “Hand Made Since 1865” (Encyclopedia of Alabama).

The story starts with Abraham Miller, a former Union soldier from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who learned the trade in Alabama and later started his own pottery. Hendon Miller opened the Brent shop in 1964 and made it known for terracotta planters and garden pieces. Eric Miller, the fourth generation, still runs it, and his cousin Allen Ham is the fifth. The family still digs its clay from the same spot in Perry County, and they’ve brought glazed stoneware back into the lineup (same source).

So if you need a planter for the porch, skip the big-box store. You can buy one from a family that has been doing this for five generations. Call ahead for hours before you drive over.

What can you do in the national forest around Brent?

The Oakmulgee District of the Talladega National Forest surrounds Brent on the east, south and west, so the woods start about where town ends (Encyclopedia of Alabama). The district’s office is at 9901 Highway 5 in Brent, open weekdays from 7:30 to 4, and the staff there sell maps and recreation passes (U.S. Forest Service).

  • Payne Lake Recreation Area has a 110-acre lake for fishing, swimming, picnicking, hiking and camping (same source). Alabama Extension lists a boat ramp, pavilions and bathhouses with showers, and a $3 per vehicle entrance fee (Alabama Cooperative Extension).
  • Birding is a real treat here. The Pearson Gap area along Forest Service Road 745 is the most reliable place in the district to see endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. Ask at the district office about the colony before you go (U.S. Forest Service).
  • Horseback riding on the Maddox to Mud Cut Equestrian Route, the district’s first designated horse trail, works for a day ride or an overnight (same source).
  • Hunting and target practice in the 44,000-acre Oakmulgee Wildlife Management Area, plus the South Sand and Vicks shooting ranges, open daylight to dusk all year (same source).
  • A scenic drive or walk on a 9-mile loop with interpretive signs that passes a wetland, a longleaf pine ridge and a grassy clearing (Islands).

Want the river instead? The Cahaba runs between Brent and Centreville, and the canoe launch and tubing floats are a few minutes away in downtown Centreville. I wrote about a day on that water in Cruisin’ the Cahaba.

Where can you walk or relax in town?

Brent has two city parks and a walking track. Heritage Park has a picnic pavilion and a playground, and the city also runs Memorial Park (ATLAS Alabama).

I’m a runner, and Brent is one of my favorite places to log miles. I liked it so much I wrote Brent, A Great Place to Runand followed it up with Road Runner. If you’re lacing up your shoes too, those two posts will get you started.

Why does Brent hold a Heroes and Patriots weekend?

Brent holds Heroes and Patriots weekend every May to remember the tornado of May 27, 1973 (Encyclopedia of Alabama). That F4 tornado stayed on the ground for about 139 miles. The National Weather Service says it destroyed 90% of the town, killed five people in Brent and injured 56 (National Weather Service).

Brent rebuilt. A memorial beside City Hall honors the people who died (Alabama Weather Blog). Storms have come back since, including an EF-3 that the Birmingham weather service confirmed touched down in Brent and Centreville on March 25, 2021 (Tuscaloosa Thread). Weather matters here, and it matters anywhere you buy in Central Alabama. Ask about a storm shelter or safe room when you tour a house, and sign up for local weather alerts the day you move in.

What is the population of Brent, and why do you see two numbers?

Brent had 4,768 residents at the 2020 Census (Encyclopedia of Alabama), and the State of Alabama’s ATLAS profile lists 4,881 (ATLAS Alabama).

So which one is right? Both, sort of. Here’s how I’d walk my old math class through it. The Census number is an actual count taken on one day in 2020. Profiles like ATLAS often use a different year or a survey estimate. The gap is 113 people, which is about 2.4% of 4,768. For a town this size, that’s small enough that the takeaway stays the same. Brent is a town of roughly 4,800 people, and it’s still the biggest city in Bibb County.

What do homes cost around Brent?

The typical home value in Bibb County was $220,064 as of June 30, 2026, up 0.2% from a year earlier, according to Zillow. That figure covers the whole county, Brent included, and it held about flat over the year. Because so few homes sell in Bibb County each month, a single street can look a lot different from the county number, so ask for recent sales near the house you’re considering.

Julie’s take

People drive through Brent on their way somewhere else, and that’s their loss. Pull over. Buy a planter at Miller’s Pottery and ask how long the family has been at it. Drive out to Payne Lake and eat lunch by the water. Walk Heritage Park in the evening when it cools off. Then go home and ask yourself whether the drive to your doctor, your family and your errands felt doable. If it did, Brent deserves a spot on your list. If you’re still sorting out whether a move makes sense at all, start with my 6 signs it’s time to downsize in Central Alabama.

Frequently asked questions about Brent, AL

What is Brent, Alabama known for?

Brent is known as the largest city in Bibb County and the home of Miller’s Pottery, one of the oldest continuously operating potteries in the United States. It’s surrounded on three sides by the Oakmulgee District of the Talladega National Forest. Brent is also known for rebuilding after the May 27, 1973 tornado, which destroyed about 90% of the town.

How did Brent, Alabama get its name?

Brent is named for Brent Armstrong, a railroad engineer who oversaw a railroad bridge over the Cahaba River and helped lay out the town in 1898. He bought the first lot for $25 and served as Brent’s first postmaster.

Is there camping near Brent, AL?

Yes. Payne Lake Recreation Area in the Oakmulgee District of the Talladega National Forest has campsites on a 110-acre lake, plus fishing, swimming, hiking and picnic areas. Cahaba River Historical Park in neighboring Centreville also offers camping and RV spots.

What is Heroes and Patriots weekend in Brent?

Heroes and Patriots weekend is held every May in Brent to remember the F4 tornado of May 27, 1973. That storm destroyed about 90% of the town and killed five people in Brent. A memorial beside Brent City Hall honors those who died.

What is the population of Brent, AL?

Brent had 4,768 residents at the 2020 Census, which makes it the largest city in Bibb County. The State of Alabama’s ATLAS profile lists 4,881.

Are Brent and Centreville the same town?

No. Brent and Centreville are separate cities that sit right next to each other, with the Cahaba River between them. Centreville is the Bibb County seat and has the county’s hospital, Bibb Medical Center, plus a riverwalk and canoe launch downtown.

Thinking about Brent?

Thinking about your next move in Central Alabama? Call or text Julie at 205-928-9376, or start the conversation at yourcentralalabama.com. No pressure to sell. We start by figuring out what makes sense for you.

Sources

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