Dates:
February 2, 2024 1:00 pm
Until February 2, 2024 3:00 pm
Preserve Officially Opens to Public on February 3
The media and public are invited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville, Alabama, on Friday, February 2, at 1 p.m. A guided tour of the Preserve will be offered after the ribbon cutting ceremony. The Preserve will officially open to the public on Saturday, February 3.
For those planning to attend, parking is available at the end of the Preserve’s entrance road.
Date and Time
The ribbon cutting event will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, February 2, 2024.
Location
1700 Murphrees Valley Rd., Springville, AL 35146
Directions
From Birmingham, take Interstate 59 north to exit 154. Turn left onto Murphees Valley Road and drive north for 2.4 miles. The Preserve is on the right.
From Gadsden, take Interstate 59 south to exit 154. Turn right onto Murphees Valley Road and drive north for 2.4 miles. The Preserve is on the right.
About Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve
Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve features 422 acres of Ridge and Valley lands with a mix of upland hardwood and pine forests situated along Big Canoe Creek. The Preserve provides important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and fish including white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, beaver, spotted bass, goldstripe darter, blacknose dace and many more. Several blooming native plants such as mountain laurels, oak leaf hydrangeas, wild azaleas and buckeyes are also present throughout the Preserve making seasonal return visits a must.
Outdoor recreation opportunities include hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, birding and wildlife watching. Future plans include an expansion of the horseback riding/hiking trail and the construction of pavilions to host outdoor education events.
Two portalets are available in the upper parking area. Pet waste stations, benches, trash cans and picnic tables are available in both the upper and lower parking areas.
Partners that helped make the opening of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve possible include ADCNR, ADCNR’s State Lands Division, Forever Wild Land Trust, City of Springville, St. Clair County Commission, Big Canoe Creek Preserve Partners, The Friends of Big Canoe Creek, Freshwater Land Trust, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, EBSCO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Norris Paving, Schoel Engineering, Homestead Hollow, United Way of Central Alabama and KEBCO. Organizers of the event would also like to recognize the many volunteers who have worked to make the Preserve possible including Richie Gudzan, creator of the Preserve’s logo that is displayed at the entrance and kiosks.
For more info about the Preserve, visit their Facebook page!
