Gosse Nature Walk #24: Moss Rock Preserve

Our twenty-fourth Gosse Nature Walk takes us to Hoover’s Moss Rock Preserve, home to forests, sandstone-glade outcrops, streams, waterfalls, and other interesting features—not to mention records for at least 150 bird species. Special guest Ken Wills, President of the Friends of Moss Rock Preserve and co-author of Exploring Wild Alabama: A Guide to the State’s Publicly Accessible Natural Areas, will join us to provide an expert’s take on this special urban nature preserve. Come out and enjoy the giant boulders and the fall bloom of the rare plant glades in Moss Rock Preserve. We will be visiting the Moss Rock Prairie Restoration, Moon Rock Sandstone Glade, and High Falls in Boulder Gorge.

Accessibility: This walk is moderate with latter half of the walk involving steep and uneven terrain. The round trip walk should be less than two miles.

(Questions about accessibility? Email us for more information about how we can meet your needs.)

The details: Meet up is at noon at the work day parking area at approximately 1330 Patton Chapel Road, Hoover (see info below). *Please note: do not to park at the Boulder Field parking lot—we anticipate construction may have this location closed at this time. The following directions from Ken should help you get there without much difficulty:

From downtown Birmingham, get on I-65 South, follow it for 6.5 miles and then take Exit 252. From the bottom of the exit, turn right onto Highway 31 South and continue for about 1.4 miles, then turn right onto Patton Chapel Road South. (Patton Chapel Road South is across the highway from Crest Cadillac.)  Follow Patton Chapel Road about 1.5 miles. At this point, the road becomes Chapel Road and you continue on passing by a fire station, signs for Moss Rock Preserve Parking, and Simmons and Gwinn Schools. When you reach Simmons School, keep going up the hill on Chapel Road for about 0.5 miles. You will see an iron gate on the left. Turn left here into the work day parking area. The address for the iron gate is at approximately 1330 Patton Chapel Road, Hoover. This address is a block approximation, so if you use the address with your GPS, keep in mind your GPS might put you a little down the road from the iron gate because block approximations vary between mapping programs. If you get lost, you can reach Ken on his cell phone (205-515-9412, day of field trip only).

As always, remember to bring plenty of water and snacks, insect repellent, rain gear, sunblock, and seasonally appropriate attire. Since part of this trip involves a moderate walk, comfortable shoes are a must.

Trip leader: Birmingham Audubon’s Executive Director Ansel Payne leads this trip with Ken Wills. Feel free to email us if you have questions. If you get lost, Ken can be reached on his cell phone 205-515-9412 (day of field trip only).