OAKVILLE INDIAN MOUNDS & HURRICANE CREEK PARK
A FIELD TRIP THROUGH NORTH ALABAMA
REGISTRATION CLOSES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 @ 11PM
FREE WITH REGISTRATION / SPACE IS LIMITED
Oakville Indian Mounds Park & Museum is located in Lawrence County with features that include a lake and marshy area open fields, and a woodland areas that provide a variety of bird habitat.
Bald Eagles are often seen across the property, and the lake and marsh area usually have herons—and shorebirds such as snipe— depending on the water levels and mud flat area.
The wooded areas should be optimal for late migrants like Magnolia Warbler and Bay-breasted Warbler. We may even see early winter birds like the Hermit Thrush and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
There is also a museum within the park with Native American artifacts. After walking around the property for perhaps a couple of hours there will be time to visit the museum, if desired, before making our way to Hurricane Creek Park in Cullman County—site #32 on the North Alabama birding trail. It features a hike down into a wooded creek-bottomed canyon, perhaps a half mile down, with woodland paths that should offer good views of usual late migrants, along with the upper tree canopy as we walk along the trail.
Perhaps there will even be a few surprises on this trip, like the Red-breasted Nuthatch!
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH Amelia Hall / Audubon Photography Awards
TRIP LEADERS
The leaders for this trip are Todd DeVore / 205 873 5482, Linda Neighbors / 205-568-5554, and Marj Young / 205-515-8394. Please contact by phone on the day of the trip only.
NEED-TO-KNOW
REMEMBER As always, remember to bring plenty of water and wear seasonally appropriate attire. Pack a lunch and snacks. It should be very late morning or around noon when we arrive at Hurricane creek and we can eat there before hiking the park.
DETAILS Oakville Park is not usually not open on weekends, so it would be thoughtful for those inclined to support the site with a small donation and also thank the staff for hosting us. There are nice restrooms in the museum facility on-site, but there are no restrooms on-site at our next stop, Hurricane Creek Park.
REQUIRED Participants must complete the mandatory online waiver when registering. Please do not request registration for others when submitting your request.
ACCESSIBILITY The Oakville site will be flat and easily walkable, and there is a road around the lake and most of the perimeter of the property if anyone would need to mostly stay in a vehicle. The Hurricane Creek Park trails involves steps along the trail and the grade is somewhat steep in places, so this part of the trip is not accessible to every mobility level.
CANCELLATION In the event of inclement weather, or if you need to cancel at the last minute, please text your trip leaders, as the main office will be closed.
WHERE TO MEET & WHEN
1 / MEETING LOCATION & TIME
Chick-fil-A at 7am
Howell Street
Fultondale, AL 35068
I-65 Walker Chapel Road (Exit 215)
We plan to leave as close to 7 am as possible, so arrive well before then if you need to get coffee or breakfast at the restaurant. Our caravan drive up I-65 to the Oakville site should last about an hour.
In the event you become separated from the group, we will take Exit 310 to Highway 157 towards Moulton. After about 26 miles take a right on County Road 187—the Indian Mounds Park is very close to the turn.
This is the most direct route to the park—ignore the first sign on Hwy 157 for the Indian Mound Park at County Road 187.
For the second portion of the trip, we will caravan back the way we came on Hwy 157 for about 15 miles and regroup at Dollar General. We will then travel on County Roads 1212 and 1282 to Highway 31 near Vinemont and Hurrican Creek park.
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION
Through more than seventy-five years of conservation work in one of our nation’s most ecologically rich states, Alabama Audubon has seen firsthand how diversity strengthens natural communities. This same principle applies to human communities, which is why our organization is committed to providing equitable and inclusive opportunities for all Alabamians to learn about and enjoy wild birds, their habitats, and the natural world. One of the best ways to support that belief is by valuing and actively seeking to strengthen diversity among our staff, our board, and our membership. To that end, Alabama Audubon welcomes everyone to participate in our work, and strives to make our programs, classes, and events welcome, inclusive, and accessible to all.