Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
Wednesday-Sunday, 9am-5:30pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Closing times may vary during holidays.
3906 Turkey Creek Rd Pinson, AL 35126
Parking areas along the winding ONE-WAY drive at Blue Hole, The Falls, and limited parking at the Highland area.
Download a trail map here
No parking or admission fee, but our Membership Program is a wonderful way to support the Park and our ongoing work.
Activities
Turkey Creek Nature Preserve is dog friendly. For the safety of your pet and others, we ask that your dog remains on a leash, at all times. Please pick up after your dog to keep our trails clean for all.
A diverse landscape of ridges, valleys, water, and forest provides habitat for a variety of songbirds and woodpeckers. Turkey Creek Nature Preserve is a location noted along the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail.
There are picnic tables at the falls and near the back gate.
Catch and release fishing is welcome, please follow Alabama’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Regulations. Please keep our protected species’ in mind. The Preserve contains some of the most biologically diverse habitats in this region of Alabama. The waters of Turkey Creek are home to five endangered species of fish: the Vermilion Darter (Etheostoma chermocki), the Watercress Darter (Etheostoma nuchale), the Rush Darter (Etheostoma phytophilum), the Coal Darter (Percina brevicauda), and the Cahaba Shiner (Notropis cahabae). The Vermilion Darter occurs only in Turkey Creek and nowhere else in the world! The use of cast nets, minnow traps, seine nets or any other small fish capture device is discouraged ( should we use a stronger word here- keeping this wording for now)? to keep the Darters safe.
The Narrows Ridge Trail and the Highlands Trail are multi-use trails. The terrain is rough and rocky with frequent elevation changes. Please ride with caution and be attentive to hikers.
Trails traverse our greenspaces and offer spectacular views, at all elevations. While some of our our trails are rough, rocky, and narrow, every skill-level of hiker can find an enjoyable trail.
Points of interest
Three outdoor classrooms are available for public use. Each classroom is equipped with an open air stage and benches.
An Automatic Emergency Defibrillator is mounted on the kiosk near the Falls Parking Area. The AED begins directing the user as soon as it is opened, so no special training is required to render aid to someone in distress. In addition to providing a shock if needed, the AED is a CPR coach. It provides audible prompts which guide chest compressions and evaluate the patient. Park staff have scheduled the recommended monthly tasks to ensure that the AEDs remain in ready condition. We hope that they are never needed, but for someone experiencing a heart attack, the AED provides the extra minutes that make all the difference before EMS arrives.
**During cold weather periods, the AED is moved into the office. Always call 911 first for any emergency.**
Ruffner Mountain and Turkey Creek both house greenhouse facilities where we propagate native plants. These areas are not open to the public unless participating in one of our Greenhouse Workdays. Click here to read more and sign up.
Our pollinator gardens adds color to the area all year round in addition to providing the native plants that our pollinators need to eat, find shelter, and lay their eggs. Join us for volunteer work days to help maintain our gardens and learn more about the plants. We also offer plant sales twice a year so that you can create a pollinator oasis in your own yard.
Benches are scattered along many of the trails to offer a rest or take in the view.
Our main parking areas are located along the winding ONE WAY park drive at Blue Hole and the Falls. These two parking areas are only accessible through the front/main entrance. 3906 Turkey Creek Rd Pinson, AL 35126
Limited additional parking with access to hiking trails is available at the Highland area and is accessible from the entrance or exit gates.
Please keep in mind that our parking lots have a limited capacity and there is NO ROADSIDE PARKING. During busy summer months, the park may restrict entrance due to capacity.
No visit to Turkey Creek is complete without a visit to the Falls to take in the impressive view. It is a little bit different in every season, but always breathtaking.
Turkey Creek Nature Preserve offers exceptional opportunities for outdoor education.
Portable Restrooms are available at Blue Hole and the Falls Parking Areas. There is not a potable water source available in those areas.
Happening at
Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
FAQ
From Downtown Birmingham:
Take I-20 E/I-59 N
Take Tallapoosa Street exit (#128 )
Keep right at fork to merge onto Hwy. 79/Tallapoosa St
Continue on Hwy. 79 for approximately 11.9 miles
Turn left onto Narrows Road (at intersection of Hwy 79 and AL 151)
Turn right onto Turkey Creek Road
From I-22:
I-22 to I-65 North
Keep right onto US-31 toward Fultondale
Keep left onto US-31 North toward Fultondale
In 2mi, turn right onto Carson Rd N
In 6.5mi, turn left on Pinson Valley Pkwy/AL-79
In 3.2mi, turn left onto Narrows Rd
Take slight right onto Turkey Creek Rd and arrive at Main Gate
From Huntsville:
Take US Hwy. 231 South
Follow 231 for approximately 60 miles
Merge onto Hwy. 79 South
Continue on Hwy. 79 for approximately 23.5 miles
Turn right onto Narrows Road (at intersection of Hwy 79 and AL 151)
Turn right onto Turkey Creek Road
Turkey Creek is shallow and meanders through the park over several rocky sections. There are no improved boat launch facilities.
The park drive is one way from the main entrance at 3906 Turkey Creek Road to the Highlands Recreation Area at the back gate. We recommend using the main entrance to access all that Turkey Creek has to offer. However, if you would like to avoid the more populous areas of the park to find some solitude on the Highlands Trail, Thompson Trace, or Hanby Hollow, you are welcome to access the Highlands Recreation Area through the back gate.
History
Turkey Creek has a long history of human settlement, beginning with prehistoric Native American inhabitants who relied on its abundant resources. In the early 1800s, John Hanby built a grist mill and iron forge along the creek, producing goods for local communities. His son, David Hanby, later took over the operation and expanded the enterprise mining and selling coal.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Turkey Creek had become a hub of industrial and community activity. A railway once ran through the area, connecting local mining operations to the broader economy. As Birmingham grew, so did interest in the region’s natural resources, leading to logging and land development that altered the landscape.
In the late 1990s, the area faced a significant threat when a state prison was proposed for the site. Concerned citizens formed the grassroots group S.T.A.R.T. (Society To Advance the Resources at Turkey Creek) and successfully fought to preserve the land. Through partnerships with the Freshwater Land Trust and Alabama’s Forever Wild Land Trust, the site was officially designated as a nature preserve in 2003.
Today, Turkey Creek stands as a testament to the region’s resilience, shaped by generations who lived, worked, and fought to protect its legacy.
More history on Turkey Creek Nature Preserve coming soon!
