Gulf Coast Region - Hiking Alabama: A Guide to the State's Greatest Hiking Adventures - page 47

Trail contact: City of Foley, 407 E. Laurel Ave., PO Box 1750, Foley, AL 36536;
[phone]; www.visitfoley.org
Finding the trailhead: From the intersection of US 98 and AL 59 in Foley, take AL
59 south 3.5 miles and turn left onto CR 12. Travel 1 mile and turn right onto
Wolf Bay Drive. Drive 1 mile on Wolf Bay Drive. The road will make a sharp left
curve just before the park entrance. Turn right into the preserve (a large Graham
Creek Nature Preserve sign marks the turn). Follow the dirt road 0.2 mile. The
parking area is to the left at a kiosk. The trailhead is across the road from the park-
ing area and is marked with a round orange disk with an arrow on it attached to a
4-by-4-inch post. GPS: N30 20.734' / W87 37.471'
The Hike
The newest nature preserve on Alabama's Gulf Coast, Graham Creek Nature Pre-
serve, is a testament to the City of Foley, local utility company Riviera Utilities,
and the hard work of city environmental manager Leslie Gahagan to protect an en-
vironmentally significant piece of land, 484 acres to be exact, that could have oth-
erwise been engulfed by the growth of one of the fastest-growing counties in the
state.
Graham Creek Nature Preserve is named after a creek that flows through the
property and feeds Wolf Bay, a brackish body of water that borders Florida and
Alabama and creates a unique and diverse environment. Wildlife abounds in and
around the bay. It's not unusual to see bald eagles, ospreys, Florida manatees, red-
cockaded woodpeckers, gopher tortoises, coyotes, and American alligators.
The preserve boasts two walking trails: the main Blue Trail, which is described
here, and a smaller 2-mile subset of the Blue Trail called the Red Trail. Both trails
are marked with round metal medallions mounted on 4-by-4-inch poles. The Blue
Trail uses blue medallions; the red trail uses red medallions. Major mile markers
such as 1.0, 2.0, and 2.5 miles are indicated along the path as well.
Parking is located about 0.2 mile south of the main entrance next to an inform-
ative kiosk that describes the preserve's habitat and also has brochures to help
guide you through your visit. Just remember to practice Leave No Trace and pack
the brochures out with you.