Turkey Creek Nature Preserve Trail System

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The Eagle Scout Trail at Turkey Creek. Photo by Charles Yeager

Photo Turkey Creek's Thompson Trace Trailhead

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The 466-acre Turkey Creek Nature Preserve (TCNP) is located in the City of Pinson, Alabama, and is approximately 15 miles from downtown Birmingham in northeastern Jefferson County. In terms of physiography, Pinson is located in both the Alabama Valley and Ridge and Cumberland Plateau physiographic sections which are divided into separate districts. The City of Pinson lies completely within the Birmingham Valley and Warrior Basin districts which extend over approximately three-quarters of Jefferson County. The land within the Birmingham Valley district contains some of the densest and most urban development in the county, while the Warrior Basin is largely rural in contrast.

Turkey Creek, a tributary of the Locust Fork and the Black Warrior River system, is both a biologically and historically significant area. It is home to three endangered species of fish: the Vermilion Darter (Etheostoma chermocki), the Watercress Darter (Etheostoma nuchale), and the Rush Darter (Etheostoma phytophilum). The Rush and Vermilion Darters occur only in Turkey Creek and nowhere else in the world. The TCNP is also home to a number of rare and endangered plant species: the Alabama snow wreath (Neviusia alabamensis), the Alabama leather flower (Clematis socialis), and the rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens).

Historical accounts record extensive use of the Turkey Creek Falls, located within today's Nature Preserve site, since the 1870s for gatherings and outdoor recreation. Several prehistoric Native American sites have been documented, and the home and mill of David Hanby, one of Alabama's earliest industrialists and a pioneer in the development of Alabama's coal industry, was located within the Preserve. The site is also home to the ruins of the Mount Pinson Ironworks, a small forge, and foundry built in 1863 that supplied horseshoes for Confederate troops during the Civil War. TCNP borders the homestead of the late judge and conservationist R. Dupont Thompson, whose circa 1930 sandstone house and swing bridge still stand today as landmarks to early 20th-century vernacular-style architecture.

The TCNP's three trails provide plenty of opportunities for recreation, exercise, research, and education. Information about the trails, including ease of access and educational and recreational use, is provided at the education center at the public entrance to the preserve. The trails can be hiked individually or can be combined into one long connected trail through the use of the paved access road that traverses the preserve. The TCNP trails feature waterfalls, rope swings, and areas for fishing, kayaking, and swimming, and are popular for birding and picnicking sites.

The TCNP holds enormous value as an educational resource. The Turkey Creek Education Center provides environmental and conservation education to the general public, K-12 school groups, teachers, and other civic groups. Approximately 15,500 students participate in educational programs each year. The Center organizes educational programs about forest ecology, aquatic ecosystems, the natural and cultural heritage of the local area, and environmental science, generally correlated to the Alabama Course of Study for Scientific Literacy and Alabama History. Area college students and faculty use the Preserve for research in biology, environmental science, and archaeology.

TCNP was established through a partnership between Alabama's Forever Wild Program and the Freshwater Land Trust and is co-managed by the Southern Environmental Center (SEC) at Birmingham-Southern College, with assistance from the City of Pinson. A significant contributor to the operations and maintenance of the Turkey Preserve is the Society to Advance the Resources at Turkey Creek (START). A local conservation group, START works through the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to minimize pollution within Turkey Creek. The TCNP also works with the Alabama River Alliance and Alabama Environmental Council to promote watershed stewardship within Turkey Creek. Volunteer assistance is also provided by the Sierra Club Water Sentinels, Alabama White Water Association, Alabama Boy Scouts, Alabama Water Watch Association, the University of Alabama Center for Community Outreach and Development, Black Warrior River Keepers, Samford University, and the Vulcan Trail Association.

Allowed Uses:

Other Activities

• Fishing
• Heritage and history
• Rock climbing
• Snow, snow play general
• Wildlife viewing / observation

• Certified as an NRT
  May 29, 2013