10 nature experiences to have in Alabama this summer
Turkey Creek Nature Preserve is full of natural beauty and features some delightful swimming holes. (contributed)
Summer may turn a wildflower hike into a sauna, but there are plenty of creeks, caves, swimming holes and natural phenomena to make working up a sweat worthwhile. Alabama’s famed hydrangeas are in full bloom in every variety from climbing to giant foot-long blooms. Creature features include the largest emergence of bats east of the Mississippi and a glowworm seen only here and Down Under. Alabama is a natural paradise, ranked fourth in biodiversity in the U.S. Much of this diversity is due to the state’s five geologic regions. Alabama is a special place for the explorer willing to seek her charms. Here are 10 nature experiences to add to your list this summer.
Admire hydrangeas at Aldridge Gardens
Hydrangeas appear in more colors than white, pink and blue. You can also find purple, burgundy and orange. Eddie Aldridge scoured the woods and gardens of Alabama to find unusual varieties. His most famous discovery was the snowflake hydrangea, with its white, double bloom. More than 50 varieties of hydrangea dot the walking paths of the personal garden the Aldridges gifted to the city of Hoover. These blooms show off in early summer but fade into intriguing colors as they dry. Alabama is “hydrangea central” with more types and numbers of hydrangeas than anywhere in the world. A wildflower garden in the back grows sunflowers, Joe Pye weed, ironweed and other colorful natives.
Explore Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
After you admire the many wildflowers in bloom – coneflower, rosinweed, butterfly weed, blazing star and white buckeye –the waters will call to you. The swimming residents of Turkey Creek require pure water for their survival. The colorful vermilion darter’s only home in the world is the creek’s cascading waters. The creek hosts seven protected species, making it one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. The hiking trails lead through historic Native American and iron-making sites, along with lush flora. After you explore, take a dip in a real swimming hole. Blue Hole offers the vintage childhood experience of plunging into a clear, clean, natural pool. The falls features a natural waterslide down the rocks into the fresh water.
Take a moonlight guided canoe tour
The sound of owls hooting in the night. The sash of moonlight trailing through the gentle waves. Frogs singing in the trees and ponds. The soft sound of paddles pushing water behind them. With any luck and depending on where you put in, you may spy the flash of red of an Indian paintbrush. The Cahaba River Society provides everything you need to enjoy a romantic (even if it’s only a love of nature) evening on the river. You may even see Dismalites turning on their blue-green illumination on scattered boulders. The guide will point out wildlife, seen and heard. Sycamore, willow, sweet gums and water oaks drape over the water. Beginners can enjoy this easy paddle.
Search for shark teeth at Shark Tooth Creek
Water willow leads you down the path to find nature’s treasures, while Indian pinks lean in to see what you may find. Ancient Alabama was underwater and giant sea creatures swam throughout much of the state, leaving evidence of their presence in the form of shark teeth. Near Aliceville, all that remains of this grand ocean is a shallow creek where thousands of shark teeth have been found by paleontologists and children. Experts conjecture that the area was once a barrier island, like its modern-day cousin, Dauphin Island. Shark teeth are not attached to the gum like human teeth. Sharks generally shed a tooth a week. Lemon sharks discard as many as 30,000 teeth in a lifetime. The teeth found here originated in the mouths of 16 species of ancient sharks.
See bats at Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge
As you travel along U.S. Highway 72 near Scottsboro, keep a sharp lookout for mile marker 131. Pull over on that small side road that leads to Sauta Cave, which used to be called Blowing Wind Cave. You may notice a distinct lack of mosquitoes while traveling the path at dusk, which is prime time for biting bugs. A sign prompts you downward to a platform facing the cave entrance. A cool breeze emerging from the mouth brings welcome relief from the hot day. Soon, you will see one or two bats, including rare gray and Indiana bats, which are protected by the cage blocking the entrance. In the largest emergence east of the Mississippi, more than 400,000 bats will fly above you, swirling like a dark cloud in frenzied motion. Be grateful for these bats, as they can eat their weight in mosquitoes and other bugs every night. Along the path to the cave, you will find black-eyed Susans, spiderworts, rosinweed and partridge pea.
Marvel at big leaf magnolias at DeSoto State Park
Alabama’s native magnolia tree grows large, soft leaves that can range from 1 foot to 3 feet long. These whoppers form a circle, resembling a canopy over the tree. They resemble palm trees in the forest, except for one thing: A huge, white flower spans nearly 1 foot across. The giant bloom sits above the leaves and issues a sweet scent that drifts far beyond the tree. DeSoto State Park is filled with big leaf magnolias along its Boardwalk Trail. An easy path, it circles around and across the creek. Some of the walk is raised, providing a clear view down onto many of the blooms.
See Black Belt flowers and birds
Patches of yellow and purple slash across flat fields of flowers, punctuated by the flash of red, blue or yellow of a flickering bird dipping down for a tasty bug. The Alabama Black Belt is home to prairie grasses, such as big and little bluestem, which color-coordinates with a purple clover. There unusual sun-loving wildflowers – prairie rosinweed, prairie coneflower and golden asters – typically make their home in the Great Plains and are not expected in the Camellia State. These remnants remind us of what was here before cotton was king. The long stretches of grasses are home to thousands of animals, including birds. The weekend of July 29-30, birders will congregate in Greensboro to enjoy the birds and the prairie in bloom. Join Alabama Audubon for this event.
Indian pinks can be seen in the Bear Creek area and around other top natural attractions in Alabama. (Verna Gates)
Try Paddle Bear Creek canoe trail
In many places, the summer water levels can shrink so low that canoeing becomes a walk with a boat. Fed by releases from a dam, Bear Creek is a sure bet for a good ride in sufficient water. The lazy creek can be paddled fast or cruised along for a gentle ride. Novices and families with kids can safely traverse the watery path while observing summer flora along the rich banks. Several sandbars call for a picnic and shell search. There is a morning and evening run on two different sections. An overachiever can make both in a day or take two days, adding a visit to the nearby Dismals Canyon. Along the way, you will see wild white hydrangeas blooming, along with Indian pinks, orange butterfly weeds, cardinal flower, spiderworts and possibly a tiger lily. The creek is near Hackleburg.
Climb through caves and caverns
Alabama’s caves and caverns feature walking paths with blooms and butterflies adding color. Hibiscus, Indian pink, blue sage and hydrangeas line the trails. Butterflies flutter over the milkweed. The state is a mecca for caves, which maintain a temperature between 55 and 60 degrees and literally are a cool place to go in the heat of summer. DeSoto Caverns has created its own entertainment district with everything from a squirt gun trail to hula hoops. Inside the caverns, the show includes special effects along with historical facts. Cathedral Caverns offers hiking trails to explore before you cool off inside. The giant entrance to this cave gives way to “Goliath,” measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet around, making it one of the biggest stalagmites in the world. Rickwood Caverns tours take you 175 feet below the earth into what was once an ocean bed. See the miracles water can carve in its twists, turns and shapes.
Cruise to see lotus blooms
In summer, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is brimming with yellow lotus flowers. They bob in the waters, tossing their thick fragrance up onto the banks to be embraced by the senses. By the thousands, blooms float on the waters all along the riverways. One way to enjoy an easy view is to take one of the cruises leaving from Blakeley State Park and Gulf Shores. Wild Native offers a variety of tours, ranging from pontoon to canoe tours of wildlife and wildflowers. If you time it right, you can make Shark Week July 11-15 at Gulf State Park, but you might not want to go in the water.
For information on exploring outdoor Alabama, visit FreshAirFamily.org.
This story originally was published on the SoulGrown website.
