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Sunday, April 28, 1 pm --- Wildflower Walk, TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation

Meet 1:00pm in front of the restrooms at the Nature Trails parking lot, TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation.  

This outing is free to the public, but you should register. This event could possibly be cancelled or postponed due to adverse weather conditions or changes in the leader's work schedule.

To register or get more info, contact Charles Rose at chuckrivers@comcast.net or 256-366-1937. 
     

This walk will include the Hall Memorial Native Plant Garden and the TVA Small Wild Area (First Quarters Ravine). On this encore walk we will get to see even more species and numbers of blooming wildflowers than we saw the previous two walks here. This is an easy walk; the total distance covered is less than a mile. The Native Plant Garden is level and the paved trails there are wheelchair accessible. The First Quarters Ravine portion includes some up-hill and downhill. You may leave earlier, if you wish, but this event will take about 2 to 2 ½ hours.

 

Wildflowers we hope to see in bloom on this date include Southern Lady’s Slippers, Eastern Blue Star, False Garlic, White Fringe Tree, Flame Azalea, White Trillium, Wild Geranium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Celandine Poppy, False Solomon’s Seal, Carrion Flower, Purple Phacelia, Smooth Solomon’s Seal, Virginia Spiderwort, Purple Phacelia, Golden Alexander, Large-flowered Valerian, Virginia Bluebell, Broad-leaf Toothwort, Florida Azalea, Sweet Cicely, Butterweed, Dwarf Larkspur, Trillium cuneatum, Twisted Trillium, Wild Blue Phlox, Giant Chickweed, Red Buckeye, Ohio Buckeye, Wild Columbine, and more.

 

Directions: The Nature Trails parking lot is just off of Reservation Road on TVA’s Muscle Shoals Reservation.  
From Wilson Dam: Go south on Reservation Road for app. 2.5 miles. At the “Nature Trails” sign, turn right into the parking lot. 
 
From Hatch Blvd. (US-43) in Sheffield: Turn at the TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation sign (¼ mile north of the Clarion Inn) and go app. 1.5 miles. At the “Nature Trails” sign, turn left into the parking lot.  
 
From Birmingham: Take I-65 N for app. 50 miles to Cullman. Take the AL-157 exit (Exit 310). At the end of the ramp, turn left onto AL-157 N (toward Moulton). Continue on AL-157 for app. 55 miles, passing through Moulton on the way. Merging with AL-20 W (alt US-72 W), continue for another 4.3 miles into Muscle Shoals, AL. Turn right onto US-43 N. Go 4.5 miles. Soon after passing the Clarion Inn (on the left), turn right onto the TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation. (This is Reservation Road.) Go 1.5 miles and turn left at the “Nature Trails” sign into the parking lot.   
 
From Huntsville: Take I-565 W. I-565 will become AL-20 W. Continue on AL-20 W, as it crosses the Tennessee River into Decatur. On the other side of the bridge, AL-20 immediately turns right at the light. Continue app. 40 miles more on AL-20 W to Muscle Shoals, AL. Turn right on US-43 N. Continue on US-43 N for app. 4.5 miles. Soon after passing the Clarion Inn (on the left), turn right onto the TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation. (This is Reservation Road.) Go 1.5 miles and turn left at the “Nature Trails” sign into the parking lot. 

 

Google Map, showing location of the TVA Nature Trails Parking Lot
https://goo.gl/maps/9wBmFiUW9gN2

 

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