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Alabama Gardening

mountain laurel & other pretties

17 years ago

I just hiked through part of the moss Rock nature preserve in Hoover this evening, and there are some really pretty stands of mountain laurel in full bloom. I would highly recommend hiking around this 250 acre or so preserve if you have never been. There is a sloping rock-glade with a stream and little waterfalls, and around the area is an intersting mix of plant life-- prickly pear cactus, lots of moss, and ferns. Its pretty. There are also boulders the size

of small houses with ferns and oak leaf hydrangeas growing on them. Except for the occasional loud teenagers who like to climb stuff and carry-on, its always a real nice peaceful walk. I have seen deer there before, probably displaced from all the development downhill around that Robert trent Jones golf course thing.

todd

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Comments (2)

swampbuck
17 years ago
Thanks Todd.
I have been wanting to explore that trail when I get up that way. (I live near Montgomery, but we tend to visit Birmingham more than Montgomery. How do you get to the trail?
tedevore
Original Author
17 years ago
There are three parking places around the preserve, with three seperate
trailheads. One enetrance is in the parking area of simmons middle school. You can look it up in mapquest--adress is 1575 patton chapel road. The trail here takes about 3/4 of a mile i would guess to get to some of the more interesting places. There are maps of the place in hoover public library. The entrance closest to the boulderfields and sandstone glade is on preserve parkway. you can probably see that road area if you use mapquest and look up the middle school.
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