Wildflower Walk at TVA

Sponsored by Fresh Air Family. Led by Charles Rose.

Meet 11:00am in front of the restrooms at the Nature Trails parking lot, TVA Muscle Shoals Reservation.

(Due to the possibly inclement weather this weekend, I am also offering this walk on Friday, March 6, at 12:00pm, and Sunday, March 8, at 2:00pm.)

This outing is free to the public, but you are encouraged to 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](mailto:chuckrivers@comcast.net) or 256-366-1937.

Registering is easy; all we need is:
1. Your name.
2. The number of people in your party.
3. A contact phone number, preferably a cell phone.

This outing, to view some of our earliest blooming spring ephemeral wildflowers, will include the Hall Memorial Native Plant Garden and the TVA Small Wild Area (First Quarters Ravine).

This is a moderate 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 an uphill and a downhill. At this time, most of the blooming flowers are in the ravine. You may leave whenever you want to, but this walk should not take more than 1-2 hours.

Wildflowers we will see in bloom on this date include Bloodroot, Alabama Croton, Cut-leaf Toothwort, False Rue Anemone, Rue Anemone, Spring Cress, Jacob’s Ladder, Yellow Woodland Violet, Harbinger of Spring, Spice Bush, Fumewort, 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