Gulf Creek Canyon Preserve

Why You Should Visit
This preserve is situated high atop Chandler Mountain, near Horse Pens Forty, and offers one of the most scenic views in the State. The view of sheer cliffs from Bonsai Point may cause you to catch your breath! Many types of raptors and vultures soar though the skies on strong updrafts of air from the canyon. Gulf Creek flows through the preserve in the canyon several hundred feet below. Hiking down to the gorge can offer views as scenic as above with enormous boulders and occasional snapped tree lying amid the riverbed gravel. Heavy rains cause this canyon to quickly turn into swiftly rushing creek, which erodes the soft sandstone layers and causes rockslides. After these heavy rains, the waterfall located on one tributary offers an impressive show.

Location
St. Clair County in central Alabama

Size
80 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Visitation is restricted to staff guided tours only. For further information, call (205) 251-1155 or e-mail ktassin@tnc.org.

What to See: Plants
Mature hardwood forest, the orange and red Cumberland azalea blooms in midsummer, and on the forest floor you can see the large purple flower and green foliage of the decumbent trillium.

What to See: Animals
Birder's can see many songbirds believed to breed here! You may spot ovenbirds, bright scarlet tanagers, yellow-billed cuckoos and many more.

What the Conservancy is Doing
Our strategies for this preserve include trail maintenance, inventory, and monitoring.