Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Maps: USGS Helena, AL;
DeLorme: Alabama Atlas & Gazetteer,
page 30 G5;
trail map available online at City of Hoover website
Trail contact: City of Hoover, 100 Municipal Ln., Hoover, AL 35216; (205)
444-7500; www.hooveral.org/index.aspx?NID=219
Finding the trailhead: From I-459 exit 10, head northwest on John Hawkins Park-
way. Travel 0.2 mile and turn right onto Grove Boulevard. Travel 0.6 mile and
turn left onto Preserve Parkway. Travel 1 mile and turn left onto Sulphur Springs
Road. The well-marked trailhead is 0.1 mile ahead on the right. GPS: N33 22.586'
/ W86 51.204'
The Hike
To say Moss Rock Preserve is an oasis is an understatement. To get to the pre-
serve, you have to drive through a very nice subdivision with smartly manicured
lawns and even small shops lining the roadways. But then you come to the trail-
head and it all changes. Suddenly you are removed from the people and immersed
in a beautiful park that holds even more surprises.
Moss Rock is located in the city of Hoover, which is only a stone's throw from
Birmingham. The preserve is owned by the city and is just 250 acres in size, but
what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in natural features.
The preserve is situated between Pine and Shades Mountains. Overall there are
12 miles of hiking trails here that you can use to form loops of various lengths and
difficulties. Some of the unique features you will find are amazing boulders and
outcroppings, including an ancient Native American rock shelter, beautiful creeks,
and sparkling cascading waterfalls. The water features are courtesy of the Hur-
ricane Branch, which has its headwaters here.
This is also a plant lover's paradise, with some 66 species of trees and 136 spe-
cies of wildflowers. Some of the plants you will see include a mix of hardwoods
and pines including longleaf pine, natural bonsai, and a wide variety of wild-
flowers—lots of them—growing trailside and on rock outcroppings. These are
known as sandstone glades, and they are one of only thirty-five such areas in the
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