"Is that an old shower?" "Is this a barn?" "An old washing machine?" "What do you think that used to be?" "It feels like we're walking on an old house's floor boards." Those are just a few of the things said as we walked around this old homeplace.
These trails are a lovely excursion to take when you feel like getting away from the city. Not only can you find some peace and quiet, you’ll notice interesting rock formations and plants.
From Tuscaloosa's PARA website: “Hurricane Creek is a boundary area; here Appalachian and Gulf Coastal Plain plants meet. Here strange combinations occur. On the coastal plain, the main evergreen shrub along the stream banks is Florida anis (Illicium floridanum), while mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) occupies the same niche in the Appalachian areas. At the “M Bend” site both are present. Dr. Eugene Allen Smith, Alabama’s second state geologist, found a rather rare small tree at the “M Bend” before 1900. This beautiful little tree – the silky camellia (Stewartia malacodendron) was not reported again for over 100 years (even Dr. Allen couldn’t find it) until George Wood spotted it in 2002. There are three species of native azalea at the “M Bend,” as well as a rather rare ginger, an equally rare stonecrop: and a dozen species of fern occur there. From February to May, wildflowers abound at the “M Bend.” The plants are nice, but the backdrop is spectacular: tall sandstone cliffs with beautiful “ box work” formations and a creek with sandstone boulders. To see Hurricane Creek today is to see, albeit on a smaller scale, what the Black Warrior River looked like before it was dammed. Hurricane Creek is the last free-flowing Appalachian-type stream which can be seen before the Black Warrior River reaches the Fall Line at Tuscaloosa.”
These trails are perfect for hiking or biking. Don’t forget to CITO and have fun!
***
Congrats to TeamBAMA for FTF!
***